Paula Thompson BOP Regional Councillor www.envbop.govt.nz

This weekend the general election will be over. It is also one year since the last local government elections so mercifully for voters, there is a two year ‘breather' before the next council elections.

I was lucky to have been elected onto the BOP Regional Council at the last election and I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you. I know what it's like to stand for election and fail. It's not a great feeling. This happened to me in 2005.

I also know what it's like to be elected and in the process deny someone else the opportunity. At the last election there were only a few votes between myself and Karen Summerhays – a person of enormous experience, knowledge and passion for environmental matters. Whilst I felt delighted to have ‘won' I also felt deeply for Karen and knew what a huge loss it would mean.

If only democracy was more perfect. Whilst it might not be perfect, it is a sacred form of citizenship and the troubles of some parts of the world make me realise what a gift we have. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to participate as best I can and work to help protect and nurture our place. Thank you.

Local government is a vexed creature. It can and does play significant roles in places and people's lives and yet the turn out for council elections are pretty often poor – often struggling to make the 40 per cent mark of voter turnout.

There are a number of reasons why and space doesn't permit me to examine them. I often ask people why they don't stand for council elections and the responses indicate they would rather have all their teeth pulled without pain relief than be ‘on council'.

I can understand the perception having worked in local government for 16 or so years before turning ‘gamekeeper'. Behind some of the negative perceptions, however, lie some amazing people and skills – the trick is to find ways to focus on the positive, even exciting stuff that councils are involved with and to be open and transparent about the difficulties. Not easy, but to have people feel positive about their place and wellbeing is the mark of effective citizenship. We have two more years.
Please feel free to contact me on 0272222419 or paulathompson@xtra.co.nz