Disclaimer: Thoughts are my own. Even if they scream at you, please place them back in the box for another time.
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Since I started this blog accidental if not downright crazy, I never thought I’d be writing about politics, let alone being the talk of council chambers on the odd occasion when I’ve clearly got under their skin. It’s been whimsical at times, but also strangely therapeutic, because the more I write, the more I start to see patterns and truths playing out in real life.
Some people have thanked me, saying I’ve put into words exactly what they’ve been thinking. Others have felt threatened by it. A few have even gone as far as threatening me back or attempting character assassination without ever actually knowing me. That, I suppose, is the price of holding up a mirror.
But here’s the thing I’ve noticed: when a mayor becomes more than just a figurehead, when people start to act like a hive mind around him, when he suddenly “can do no wrong”… that’s not democracy anymore. That’s idol worship.
A mayor must serve the people, not their own agenda. The moment a leader starts putting their personal interests, friends, or ambitions above the community, democracy starts to rot. Service means listening, compromising, and remembering that authority is borrowed, never owned. Anything else tips dangerously close to dictatorship and history has shown us, whether in Mao Zedong’s China or elsewhere, that unchecked power always ends badly. Taupō might be a small town, but the principle still applies: we aren’t going down that hole.
He should be questioned, not worshipped. Questioning is not an act of disloyalty, it’s an act of care. It shows we value our community enough to want it led well. Leaders who can’t handle being questioned are not strong. They’re fragile. Communities that stop asking questions risk sliding into silence, where bad decisions go unchecked.
He should be accountable, not untouchable. Accountability is the cornerstone of trust. Mistakes will happen, but accountability means owning them, being transparent about the decisions made, and, when needed, making it right.
An untouchable leader, on the other hand, creates an environment of fear and secrecy, where problems are hidden rather than solved.
Democracy thrives on independent thought, not blind loyalty. Every councillor is elected to represent their own patch, their own people. If they simply echo the mayor’s voice, then who is left to speak for the rest of us? Independent thought doesn’t weaken a council. It strengthens it because true progress comes from debate, not chorus lines.
Otherwise, let’s be honest. If what we want is a leader who is beyond question, beyond accountability, and beyond reproach, then that’s not democracy anymore. That’s fandom. And we might as well start printing T-shirts and glow sticks for the “Mayor Fan Club” and sell tickets at the door.
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