Not fair
Why I'm calling for a review of representation at ECan
ECan provides a candidate information pack for people putting their name forward for the regional council. When reading through it, there was one table that stood out. See if you can spot the problem.
Each of these 7 constituencies elect 2 councillors. But these wards aren't equal. Democracy in Canterbury has been stolen, then tinkered with, in the last decade. The previous election was the first time we'd had "full" elections for the regional council since 2007. But the version of democracy that National re-introduced didn't create an equal electorate. There are 3 rural constituencies, and 4 largely urban ones, despite the heavy concentration of the population of Canterbury in Christchurch and the surrounding satellites.1
The people in the South Canterbury constituency get one councillor per 32,000 people; if the 4 city wards had one councillor per 32,000 people, they would elect 12 councillors. They don't. They get 8. It's almost as if National knew that giving Cantabrians an equal chance to elect their regional councillors would see the balance shift to the urban population, who tend to favour cleaner water, less irrigation, and less water bottling.
This might seem minor, but it isn't. Without sounding like a toddler who isn't allowed the play-doh, it's not fair. It's just not fair. It's a gerrymander, that gives the rural voters on Canterbury more of a say at the council table than those that live in the city. The ward I'm running for - ECan South Owhanga - has fewer people than the other three city wards. I don't think that's fair either (it is a result of the ward containing the Banks Peninsula ward, which is more rural and smaller than the other city wards.)
If elected I will be asking for a representation review. I want to see all votes for the regional council being equal. I would also like a review to consider STV voting, as it would be a fairer way for voters to choose the people that best represent their views wherever they live.
You may have noticed that the largest of the wards is Mid Canterbury, one of the rural wards. This is because it includes the rapidly growing satellite towns of Rolleston, Prebbleton, Lincoln, West Melton, and Tai Tapu. As Selwyn is one of the fastest growing regions in the country (which I don’t think is a good thing, but that’s another story) this ward will be even bigger come the next census. The grow of the satellite towns, their relationship to Christchurch and its city council, and their representation, is a complex issue that I’m not going to get into here - but it is a matter that won’t be going away.