Posted 03/08/13
Oamaru Business Development group held a meeting on Thursday evening and invited along myself, Jim Hopkins & Fliss Butcher to answer questions they had on various issues. Some questions were given to us ahead of time with a good number of others being asked from the floor.
I was happy to go first to answer on most occasions, leaving the other two candidates to follow on. Questions included topics such as the situation with the new industrial park, the Oamaru Licensing Trust, growth strategies, the ageing population demographic and how each candidate would deal with these issues.
I got good feedback afterwards from what was a rather perceptive audience. There were numerous times where they wouldn't allow candidates to just waffle on with a lot of empty rhetoric. Instead, they wanted to know how we were going to deliver. Comments afterwards suggested that Hopkins and I were both ahead of Butcher. But when it came to understanding business motivation, financial nous and actually being able to point to examples of where we'd been able to lead a group or achieve significant projects, I was ahead on that score. It was clear that it will take more than being an after dinner speaker to actually get people working together to get Waitaki moving forward.
Of course I'm a little biased, but I'm happy for anyone who disagrees that I have those credentials to let me know otherwise, as this campaign shapes up to be one which is about credibility rather than celebrity.
I have borrowed a photo from the talented Golding Arts page that was taken on the night, showing me listening carefully (& rather seriously ) to a question from one of the attendees. Thanks to Derek for the use of the photo and to BDO for giving us the opportunity to be there!
Oamaru Business Development group held a meeting on Thursday evening and invited along myself, Jim Hopkins & Fliss Butcher to answer questions they had on various issues. Some questions were given to us ahead of time with a good number of others being asked from the floor.
I was happy to go first to answer on most occasions, leaving the other two candidates to follow on. Questions included topics such as the situation with the new industrial park, the Oamaru Licensing Trust, growth strategies, the ageing population demographic and how each candidate would deal with these issues.
I got good feedback afterwards from what was a rather perceptive audience. There were numerous times where they wouldn't allow candidates to just waffle on with a lot of empty rhetoric. Instead, they wanted to know how we were going to deliver. Comments afterwards suggested that Hopkins and I were both ahead of Butcher. But when it came to understanding business motivation, financial nous and actually being able to point to examples of where we'd been able to lead a group or achieve significant projects, I was ahead on that score. It was clear that it will take more than being an after dinner speaker to actually get people working together to get Waitaki moving forward.
Of course I'm a little biased, but I'm happy for anyone who disagrees that I have those credentials to let me know otherwise, as this campaign shapes up to be one which is about credibility rather than celebrity.
I have borrowed a photo from the talented Golding Arts page that was taken on the night, showing me listening carefully (& rather seriously ) to a question from one of the attendees. Thanks to Derek for the use of the photo and to BDO for giving us the opportunity to be there!
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