A quintriple dipper

Wayne Thompson in the Herald reports:

The country’s most elected local government politician, Warren Flaunty, has struck a problem – how to be in two places at once.

Mr Flaunty was elected to three Auckland Council local boards, as well as being re-elected to the Waitemata District Health Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust.

My view is that this should not be possible. I believe one should be able to stand for one local body only.

While I do recall the Herald did highlight the multiple candidacies before the election, many voters would be unaware that Mr Flaunty was standing for three different community boards. If they had known this, I suspect he may have been elected to none of them. Maybe there should be a requirement for this information to be disclosed in the booklet with the voting papers.

Last week board members received notice of the time and place for their swearing-in ceremonies.

Two of Mr Flaunty’s boards – Rodney and Upper Harbour – will hold them at 6pm on Wednesday, November 3.

Rodney’s will be in the rural Coatesville Settlers Hall and Upper Harbour’s in the stadium at Albany.

Mr Flaunty said the clash was “not a big issue”.

The boards should schedule their regular meetings to be on the same days and time. That way the quintriple dipper will have to choose.