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DaveforRatepayers
I stand for transparency and strong community values. I will protect our council services from harsh cuts and make sure local leadership stays accountable to the people - not outside interests. Keep Whakatāne’s future in the hands of those who truly care.
"The other elephant in the room is what this proposal does not address – local government’s broken funding and financing model. While there is an opportunity to drive efficiency, reduce duplication, and improve delivery, there is a real risk we spend huge amounts of time, money and energy reorganising structures without fixing a core problem. If we don't address the funding settings, we risk simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic."![]()
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"Yes, there is work underway on regional deals, congestion charging, GST sharing on new builds, development levies and other tools. All of that needs to be pulled together. In fact, it could be the most powerful carrot the Government has. Regions that put forward bold, future-focused reorganisation plans could be rewarded with access to choosing new funding mechanisms or revenue tools. That would shift the conversation from compliance to opportunity, and it would encourage councils to take the big swings rather than defaulting to the smallest possible change."![]()
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Reforms set out clearer pathway – whether councils like it or not
www.thepost.co.nz
OPINION: The Government wants to abolish regional councillors, but that’s not why this proposal is being touted as the biggest shakeup to local government since 1989.
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄?![]()
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Nicked from Malcolm Sinclair. ![]()
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While it was disappointing to see so many Councils vote against Māori wards its important to look at the positives.![]()
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Paul Barlow did the numbers.![]()
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- 234600 people across the motu voted to remove Māori wards![]()
- 245800 to keep them.![]()
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51.1% of ALL votes were to keep Māori Ward.![]()
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ACT stood candidates in 47 electorates and currently were successful in 4
It's time Aotearoa had a serious talk about One Person - One Vote and why it should apply to everyone.![]()
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"The ratepayer roll is a rule that allows people and organisations that own property in areas where they do not live to vote in local council elections, because they pay rates. So if you live in Hamilton, but own a house in Ohakune, you’re eligible to vote in not just the Hamilton City Council and Waikato Regional Council elections, but the Ruapehu District Council elections too. If you own a house in Queenstown, Rotorua and Christchurch, you can vote in all those elections, but if you own three properties in Christchurch, you can only vote once. ![]()
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The rule also applies to organisations that own property, like a business that owns its premises or a church; if that organisation pays rates, it can vote. The member’s bill would remove these possibilities. "![]()
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A new member’s bill wants to stop landlords getting extra votes in local elections
thespinoff.co.nz
The 'archaic' practice of property-based voting was abolished a century ago – except in local elections.
Update on the Whakatāne Election.![]()
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I've ended up with just under 2000 votes excluding specials and haven't been elected.![]()
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We have a new mayor in Nandor Tanczos ![]()
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WeKeep Māori Wards Whakatāneāori Wards![]()
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I am so happy today. I got involved in this election from the start to support Nandor and it's a fantastic result for Whakatāne ![]()
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Onwards and upwards.
I gained 737 followers, created 229 posts and received 4,071 reactions in the past 90 days! Thank you all for your continued support. I could not have done it without you. 🙏🤗🎉
An old pic of me on one of the last 20 Sundays down at the market, but I've fallen for those little spring rolls and I'm gonna have a couple for breakfast.
EDIT 12th October![]()
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Preliminary results are in.![]()
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I got 1969 votes so far before the specials are counted.![]()
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That's pretty radical 🙂![]()
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In breaking news, Dave Stewart gets his life back and Tui gets her 2 walks a day again.![]()
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Congrats at the progress stage of results to Carolyn HaLesley Imminkmmink Julie Jukes and Malcolm Whitiker.![]()
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Thanks everyone for the support. There are too many to count.![]()
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Thanks for voting to KEEP MĀORI WARDMayor NandorMayor is still a chaToni Boyntonynton is elected.![]()
The Ratepayers Union of Aotearoa New ZealandUnion is open for business.![]()
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We're hMata Beer Mata Beer at 4.30
In response to the question everyone is asking "when will we know" it's a bit complicated.![]()
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Mid afternoon today I will he informed of a 'progress' reault. This will be all votes cast up until Friday afternoon.![]()
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All votes cast today will be couriered to Auckland forr counting tomorrow and then we will get a 'preliminary' result.![]()
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Then special votes will be counted on Monday and the final result later in the week, probably Friday.![]()
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So yeah, we'll have an idea today then a better idea tomorrow. Then officla result next Friday.
Letter: Defending one's self from attack.![]()
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Mayor Victor Luca campaigned at the 2022 election that he would lobby central Government for better funding of council infrastructure and then explains he left it up to Local Government New Zealand to do the lobbying.![]()
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Brendan Horan, who campaigned and won a list seat for New Zealand First on their policies proclaims “anyone promising rates reform as an election tactic was selling a fantasy”.![]()
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I find myself in the bizarre position of being slammed by people for promoting the very policies they support.![]()
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Letter: Defending one’s self from attack
daveforcouncil.nz
Mayor Victor Luca campaigned at the 2022 election that he would lobby central Government for better funding of council infrastructure and then explains he left it up to Local Government New Zealan...
The one term government had lost the room. ![]()
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It's time to plan ahead with rates reform an election issue in 2026.![]()
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Party vote![]()
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Labour 31.2 percent, down 2.6 percentage points![]()
National 29.6 percent, down 3.5![]()
Greens 12 percent, up 1.3![]()
NZ First 10.6 percent, up 2.5![]()
ACT 6.6 percent, down 0.1![]()
Te Pāti Māori 4.4 percent, up 0.1
Hey Whakatāne, we're back on the campaign again this afternoon at the Landing Road Bridge Roundabout where you can make a noise in support of Government funding the spending it mandates to ratepayers, retaining our public assets, rejecting user pays, getting rates paid on Crown property, returning $9 million in GST on rates and sharing the GST collected in this region.![]()
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Toot for support, and don't forget to Vote for WHAKATĀNE not WELLINGTON on Saturday.
Ratepayers and local district councils suffer from an inefficient rates and infrastructure financing system. A paradigm shift in our thinking is required to prevent fixed income homeowners being forced out of their homes and stretching household budgets beyond limits for most of the rest. Several candidates vying for Whakatāne District Council suggest we should not be campaigning for recovery of GST on property rates since politicians have tried before and failed. Others suggest capping rates without alternative funding options, a user-pay approach that has bankrupted councils in the UK and Australia. I would like to share an example of a successful property rate valuation and financing system in California....![]()
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Opinion: Ratepayers need a more efficient property rate and valuation system
daveforcouncil.nz
Ratepayers and local district councils suffer from an inefficient rates and infrastructure financing system. A paradigm shift in our thinking is required to prevent fixed income homeowners being f...
With just a few days to go before the election campaign ends and the fight to retain our assets and fend off user pays begins in earnest I do need to stop and thank the hundreds and hundreds of people who have supported me so far.![]()
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This all started when a group of coalition aligned folk began pumping out screeds of misinformation and attacking people on council in very unprincipled ways.![]()
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It became very obvious to me that a lot of people agreed and I knew I had to stand for council to AMPLIFY the voice of the people over the voice of central government.![]()
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What started off as a pushback to a dishonest campaign of misinformation, disinformation, lies and then bullying is now building into a movement for REAL Rates Reform.![]()
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Right now I feel so humbled by the people who have looked past the slogans and bumper stickers and the political opportunism of people who will tell you anything you want to hear, if only you will vote for them.![]()
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The truth isn't always convenient, but lies can be.![]()
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So on Saturday we will decide if we have a council who will prioritise fear, division and disinformation over community, cooperation and connection.![]()
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We will vote for a council that prioritises integrity over votes, Whakatāne over Wellington, local decision making over government compliance, partnership with iwi and hapu over division and court battles.![]()
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We will be voting for a council who will value and defend community assets like the airport, the museum, the library, the hospital, the arts, the camping ground, the aquatic centre, the dog pound and whatever else the greedies want to grab from us and turn a profit on.![]()
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If you want a council who will support for sports clubs token rentals, community and cultural events and drive practical support for local business - you need to vote for people who will defend these things.![]()
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Don't be swayed by un-costed and impossible promises of 'lower rates' and vague rhetoric about 'consolidation' and 'belt tightening' - we need to understand what this actually means.![]()
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This is a very important election for Whakatāne - the very essence of what makes this district so vibrant, creative and beautiful is on the table.![]()
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It is the people, the people, the people.![]()
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Not spreadsheets.![]()
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It's time to vote for YOU - Not Wellington.![]()
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Put Whakatāne First - Vote for Dave Stewart.
Hey folks out there![]()
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How many of you have filled out your voting forms but haven't POSTED them yet.![]()
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Come on, get it done. Put your envelope in a letterbox of ballot box near you and do it today.
Sunday morning coming down to the Whakatāne Sunday Market![]()
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Today was the end of the beginning of my time at the Market and I've made many friends here.![]()
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If I win a seat on council I will be here once a month to remain accessible and to listen to the community.![]()
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It's what I've done for the last 4 or 5 months so you know it's not just a promise, it's the talk I walk.![]()
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Here's my farewell, for now, to my fellow marketeers.
FINAL WEEK SALE![]()
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CHEAPEST FREE AGREEMENTS IN WHAKATĀNE ![]()
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Yes voters, it's the Whakatāne Sunday Marketarket for me pre election come on down and agree to fight user pays, asset sales and The Ratepayers Union of Aotearoa New ZealandUnion to continue the fight after the election.![]()
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I've made some good friends here at the Market. It's a great vibe and there are some great New Zealanders here bringing the entrepreneurial spirit that made this country so great.![]()
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If you elect me as your councillor it's my intention to be here once a month to stay connected and show the kind of accountability this position deserves.![]()
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Come on down and agree for free.
You know you've been hard out campaigning since mid January when you find mowing the lawns and modding a wah pedal for a client is your idea of a relaxing Saturday. ![]()
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But it really is these days. ![]()
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Tomorrow it's back into it with my FINAL WEEK CLOSING DOWN SAWhakatāne Sunday Marketday Market ![]()
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Roll up for the cheapest free agreements in town and while you're there hear how I plan to start a ratepaters rThe Ratepayers Union of Aotearoa New Zealandatepayers Union.![]()
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Rates reform is coming.![]()
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If the politicians won't do it, the people will.![]()
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How would you vote in a binding referendum on removing the 15% GST on rates?![]()
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Heart for yes, Laugh for no.![]()
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Vote now.
Article: Candidate promises to focus on rates reform.![]()
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Mr Stewart said he was sorry some people thought Government priorities couldn’t be changed.![]()
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“What politicians respond to is votes, and there are votes in rates reform. I can prove this, but I’m not going to be able to do it on my own. I’m going to need numbers.![]()
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"Rates reform has to come. It’s only a matter of time. It’s going to need a national movement to pressurise the Government. Someone has to lead it.![]()
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“I know that politicians have campaigned on this and have got support for it, but they haven’t got it across the line because they haven’t pushed it.![]()
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“What they need is to be reminded by the voters that this is something they must do.”![]()
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He feels the Government is well able to part with $1.2 billion to support councils.![]()
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“There was $3 billion for landlords, there was $15 billion for tax cuts. There was $18 billion that fell out of the no-money tree for military spending.”![]()
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Article: Candidate promises to focus on rates reform
daveforcouncil.nz
Source Diane McCarthy PDF REAL Rates Reform is upon us and the way to get is to make it an election issue in 2026 You can stand on the sideline and rubbish the idea, or you can roll up your sleeve...
Wow, the level of engagement and interaction has been massive. What we do next and where we go from here just depends on one thing - getting in to councilmqith as many votes as possible.![]()
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There's a BIG announcement tomorrow so be sure to remain in touch.![]()
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And FOLLOW or LIKE this page and make sure You Are In Touch and Up To Date
Calling all Whakatāne District Council Candidates.![]()
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With just over a week to go I thought it would be good to have another informal gathering at Mata Beer to get some down time and offer each other a bit of mutual support as we head in to the last week of this campaign.![]()
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How are you all holding up?![]()
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Are you ok?![]()
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Let's put the campaign on the shelf for a couple of hours and just be in one place together as people who all working for the same thing in different ways and chill.![]()
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Mata Beer, from 5.30. Friday 3rd October, 2025
My message on REAL RATES REFORM is getting real traction, but I need to get everyone who wants reform to vote for, even people who have given up on voting.![]()
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Even if you've never voted before and aren't even enrolled, you can cast a Special Vote for Dave Stewart (Link for special votes in the comments.)![]()
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Watch this 3 minutes video and Vote for Whakatāne, Vote for Dave Stewart and a Vote for Dave Stewart is a Vote For Rates Reform
"Reading Mr Melville’s letter about how “it can’t be done” reminded me of sitting in a TAB office in Wellington at the dawn of the internet begging for $2000 funding to promote my version of video streaming of horse races on the internet where someone there said, “It can’t be done, we’ve looked at it and it’s too expensive and too hard”.![]()
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So I opened my laptop and on a dialup connection showed him my website where I was doing it – doing the impossible. I’ll never forget his response – “No, we’ve been told by experts that it can’t be done”![]()
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I put my own $2000 in and the NZ racing industry ended up using my version of streaming horse races from New Zealand and to the world for the next 20 years.![]()
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I’m going to do the same for rates reform, all I need is votes."
Opinion: Real reform required, not tinkering
daveforcouncil.nz
Source Dave Stewart PDF I feel I must respond to Keith Melville’s latest letter “GST refund not the answer” (Beacon, September 24). Mr Melville has been vocal in claiming he wants the council to...
My opponents, if you can call them that, who have been calling for ratepayers to get a better deal for the last 12 months or more are pretty silent on real rates reform.![]()
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Why is that?![]()
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Why don't they want Whakatāne ratepayers to get a 15% cut on their rates bill and join me and others in calling for the removal of GST from rates?![]()
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Their answer, if you can call it that, is to copy the National led governments tactics of sacking everyone and slashing services, you know, because it worked so well in, for example, our health system.![]()
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Good luck with that Whakatāne.![]()
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My answer is to roll up our sleeves and tackle the problems these folk have designated to the 'too hard' basket.![]()
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We need real rates reform and they don't want to try and deliver it.![]()
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I do.![]()
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If I am elected to council, I will do all the council jobs I am required to do and I'll do them well. ![]()
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And in my spare time, and I am retired now, I will get in my car and drive all over New Zealand talking to other councils, ratepayers groups, on street corners and in town halls.![]()
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Someone needs to lead this campaign and give it a life.![]()
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That person is Dave Stewart.![]()
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But I need your votes.![]()
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I need to walk into that council chamber with more votes than the mayor. ![]()
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Whakatāne, I need you to help me send that loud and clear message to Wellington that ratepayers in Whakatāne want reform.![]()
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Real reform.![]()
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And we won't shut up until we get it.
My Candidate video where I explain why I am standing, what difference I will make and what my vision is for Whakatāne.![]()
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Dave Stewart - Whakatāne-Ōhope General Ward Candidate
youtu.be
The local election (including a poll on Māori wards) will be held on Saturday, 11 October 2025. Meet the candidates standing: www.whakatane.govt.nz/c...
My speech to the Candidate's Collective Public Meeting - Whakatāne Little Theatre - 25/09/2025 - Whakatāne/Ōhope General Ward Councillors![]()
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What can one person do?![]()
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One person can lead.
Happy Sunny Sunday whanau from the Whakatāne Sunday Market this fantastic day.![]()
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I'm back for another 4 hour session of seeking agreements and progress with the community on the issues that matter as we try and find better ways to relieve pressure on households and councils struggling to make ends meet.![]()
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I've been encouraged over the last couple of weeks in particular as people come up to me here at the market, and on the supermarket and walking down the street, and tell me they have voted for me and are really looking forward to seeing what I can deliver if I get elected.![]()
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I've also been approached by a huge amount of people who told me they couldn't vote for me, but wished they could and they've encouraged others to.![]()
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This, I think, is my 16th Sunday of putting myself in a public space to discuss practical ways to address rates unaffordability and I know I've made a difference.![]()
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And when I started this, that's all I wanted to do.![]()
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Come on down if you want to help me male a difference or have better ideas or just want to tell me how you see it and I'll listen.
Proud to be part of a large crowd at Keep Māori Wards Whakatāne rally to vote this morning.
What a beautiful morning spent with some beautiful people working for a beautiful kaupapa on a beautiful town Ina beautiful country. ![]()
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I can't put into words how much love I felt this morning by these people who, over time, have become friends and whanau to me now. ![]()
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When we got to our destination I sat down and my phone rang and it was my youngest daughter who I haven't seen for too long. ![]()
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She's in Nelson with her two boys, my mokos and I wish I was there too, but the next best thing was talking to her on the phone and feeling like I was there. ![]()
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When this is done I have some whanau time to catch up on. But for now, my whanau is here in Whakatāne and we spent some quality time together this morning. ![]()
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Listen as Toni describes it and feel the aroha she shares.
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.
Something I wrote recently for my personal blog.
exposures.co.nz
tīpuna 1. (noun) ancestors, grandparents – plural form of tipuna and the eastern dialect variation of tūpuna. One of the coolest things about what I’m doing right now is the connection ...
From the Candidate's Collective Public Meeting - Whakatāne Little Theatre - 25/09/20Dave Stewartewart calls for GST to be taken off rates in line with government policy.
Hey folks, I met a woman about my age last night at the candidates meeting at the Little Theatre. Her name was Liz Longbottom? Longhorn? Long-something... I think. I'm so bad with names.![]()
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Anyway we had a really interesting exchange at the Mix and Mingle where she asked my a number of really good questions and she told me that they'd had some korero around the dinner table - I think with her son - and she also told me she went on an anti-tour march in Wellington in 1981 - the one where the people at the back became the people at the front - I loved that tactic BTW - anyway I wanted to reach out to her because with all the stuff that happened yesterday I wasn't really on my game I don't think and I wanted to talk to her about it in case I let her down.![]()
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If you know her, can you please ask her to message me on text, my number's easy to find.
If it's Friday then Team Dave will be at a roundabout asking if you want Rates Reform.![]()
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You can toot as much as you like, but to do this job properly, I need every vote possible and I need to walk into the council chamber with more votes than anyone else in that room.![]()
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Send a powerful message to our so called leaders - We Want REAL Rates Reform and We Want It Now.
Well, we pulled it off.![]()
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'It' being the Candidate's Collective Public Meeting -at the Whakatāne Little Theatre with candidates from Whakatāne/Ōhope Community Board, Whakatāne/Ōhope General Ward and Kāpū-te-rangi Māori Ward.![]()
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A pretty big endeavor but with the support of the candidates we made it work and we made it fun.![]()
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People might tell you I organised this, but it's not true. My name was on a lot of comms but a lot of hands were in this.![]()
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We are indebted to Carolyn Hamill for organising a moderator in Moira Hannah who did an incredible job and set a very cool vibe for the entire evening and Carolyn also arranged for Peter Minten as timekeeper.![]()
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Chris Barnard jumped in early and arranged for a cuppa and cakes for the 5.30 mix and mingle with his more than able assistant Maria doing the hard yards on the teapots and that kind of hands on mahi really helped make the night a big success.![]()
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My trusty sidekicks Rob Probst, Doug Gerry and Becs Mackay were there early to help with the heavy lifting and ushering.![]()
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But the real credit goes to the candidates themselves who did such a great job of delivering their korero and delivering it with passion and integrity.![]()
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I think we had a pretty good crowd and it shows that after hours 'town hall' type election meetings are still part of the New Zealand psyche.![]()
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It's nearly 1 a.m but I wanted to get all the videos up because I know how many people are relying on these for making their decisions and the more informed people are, the better the outcome of the election will be.![]()
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The Little Theatre is a great venue. Old and tired (like someone else I know) but warm and friendly as well.![]()
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I hope we can give it some much needed love soon.![]()
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Good night and sleep tight Whakatāne.![]()
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The videos are all on this page - see links in the comments.![]()
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Apologies for missing the beginning of Hiria Wallace's speech, I had a little malfunction with my ancient, but usually reliable Samsung S7.
Candidate's Collective Public Meeting - Whakatāne Little Theatre - 25/09/2025 - Whakatāne/Ōhope Community Board Pt2