So just who are 'Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti'?

There has been a lot of posts from this group in recent months; along with Concerned Ratepayers Wellington and Concerned Ratepayers NZ..... I recently received a very long and very specific Questionnaire from Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti. As a candidate we often get asked our positions on things - which is fine - but this questionnaire is so specific (some may call it leading) it looks rather like it had a predetermined agenda. I'll let you make your own assessment.

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE CRK.docx

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Candidates Questions covering letter CRK.pdf

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It was interesting that the group say that they are 'not affiliated with any Council or Mayoral candidate'. The group has been heavily involved with meetings arranged with 'WeLoveKapiti' candidates (sorry about he spelling). So I dropped them an email asking some questions about their structure, affiliations and apparent close connections to 'Concerned Ratepayers Wellington' which is organised by the 'WeLoveKapiti' mayoral candidate Dean Harris. Here are my questions and their response in full.

Concerned Ratepayers Response.docx

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Reading their response I'm struggling to work out if 'Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti' is a community group, advocacy group or just another wing of the WeLoveKapiti 'party'.

They say that they have no connection to a wider 'Concerned Ratepayers ...' group, however they are openly linked to Concerned Ratepayers NZ, share similar logos, branding and messaging to all the other Concerned Ratepayers Groups, their past Chair is now a WeLoveKapiti candidate, and Dean Harris, the national coordinator of 'Concerned Ratepayers...' and also the 'WeLoveKapiti' mayor candidate was MC at several of its meetings. Despite all of this the group maintains that it is 'not affiliated with any Council or Mayoral candidate'.

Now maybe I'm naive, but if something waddles like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck - I'm going call it a duck - no matter how hard it tries to argue it's a tortoise.

So - will I complete a Questionnaire - and attend their meetings - organised by a group that is so overtly aligned to WeLoveKapiti and their affiliated candidates; whilst maintaining that they are independent? I'd be happy to hear your views.

By the way - I'm totally independent - not affiliated to any political organisation, my sole objective in standing for the Paekākāriki and Raumati Ward is to Work with You to do everything I can to keep Kāpiti a desirable, safe and inclusive home - it would be a privilege to represent you.