Hawke’s Bay deserves transparency from Local Government Commission

“By not releasing the data from the survey, the LGC’s proposal for Hawke’s Bay is looking more and more like a political move made to justify their own existence.  Why the secrecy?,” Stuart Nash says

The Local Government Commission’s (LGC) refusal to release the results of a 2000-household telephone survey they conducted throughout Hawke’s Bay in March is disingenuous and shows a lack of good faith, says Napier MP Stuart Nash.

 “The final proposal announced yesterday for a single Hawke’s Bay Council– nearly two and a half years after this process began and in the face of strong opposition by many in the region - is a blow for local democracy,” Stuart Nash says.

“To add insult to injury, the LGC refuse to release the results of their survey until the process reaches a conclusion. In my view, that is a cynical and disingenuous decision utterly lacking in the transparency we have a right to expect.

“The LGC conducted the survey to assist them in their decision over whether to proceed with a final proposal – now they are denying the people the right to know the results.