Councillors take stand against mayor's stand against sitting

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 13, Issue 612, 14 November 1995, Page 3

Councillors take stand against mayor's stand against sitting

Insistence by Ruapehu District mayor Weston Kirton that all councillors should stand while addressing the chair in accordance with Standing Orders was overturned at the council' s

meeting last Friday. Councillors had objected to the ruling on several grounds including physical impairment by a few councillors who, while not being totally disabled, would

have had some difficulty rising and sitting every few minutes during a debate. They claimed such an exercise would be time wasting and would add nothing to the debate.

Two councillors were then given dispensation (on medical grounds) to sit while addressing the chair. The ruling was overturned by the majority of councillors (only two voted

in favour including Mayor Kirton) after a motion was moved by Cr Graeme Cosford that the Standing Order requiring a councillor to stand while addressing the chair be suspended during the current term of council. Cr Cosford said that the Council had operated very satisfactorily over the past

six years under the previous mayor (Garrick Workman) and that the requirement to stand rather than to remain seated would add nothing to the debate nor to the comfort of the councillors. He said that, whatever the decision was tobe, the same ruling should apply to all councillors equally so that

either all councillors or none should receive a special dispensation. Cr Ellen Gould said that debate had been excellent over the past two terms and she saw no need to change. "In fact I would find it distracting to have some neighbouring councillors (around the table) suddenly Turn to Page 4

Councillors won't stand

FROMPAGE3 standing while others continue to sit while addressing the chair ... it would interrupt debate and there would be a loss of concentration," she said. Cr Joe Murphy said that he had been so concemed by the previous month's meeting and ruling by the mayor that he had seriously considered seeking a medical certificate to excuse him from constantly standing every time he wishes to speak. Mayor Kirton responded by saying that his ruling last month had intended that councillors should have the floor to themselves when speaking and, by standing, other councillors would know exactly who had the floor.