Latest news with #localElections
RNZ News
a day ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Former MP Brendan Horan runs for council to support 'most qualified mayor'
Brendan Horan is running for a council seat in Whakatāne despite living outside the district in Papamoa. Photo: Supplied/LDR Former MP, TVNZ weather presenter and New Zealand Iron Man champion Brendan Horan says he plans to stand for a seat on Whakatāne District Council in this year's local body elections. Whakatāne born and raised, Horan said though he currently lives in Papamoa, he has kept a close eye on the council - particularly on his old school buddy, Mayor Victor Luca. "I can't sing his praises enough. I've followed his progress as mayor in Whakatāne and I'm aware of the road blocks he's had to face. Whakatāne has the most qualified mayor in the world with Victor Luca." He expressed disappointment in not seeing greater support for him on council, particularly in his advocacy for more affordable rates. "Affordability is vital, and we have to look to the future. There's no reason Whakatāne District Council cannot create new revenue streams. The solar project that Mayor Victor was an advocate for is the perfect example." He is also strongly in support of Luca's proposal for a second river crossing. "It's critical infrastructure. Again, this is an area where councillors have dragged the chain. It's a no-brainer, how important a second bridge is to Whakatāne for the safety of the residents." Though he has no plans to move home, he said it had always been his goal to return to Whakatāne one day, which is also where his wife's family is based. "Whakatāne is a part of me. Apart from being born in Whakatāne, my children's whenua is buried in Whakatāne. My love and responsibility and connection to Whakatāne is unbreakable. I'm there every second weekend anyway, particularly whenever the surf's great. "I've no designs on being mayor, but I do have strong designs to support our mayor to make Whakatāne a home for present and future generations," Having attended St Joseph's Catholic School and Whakatāne High School, Horan represented Whakatāne in sport during his youth, including in swimming, water polo and surf lifesaving. He also represented New Zealand and Australia in water polo, was a New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Ironman champion and New Zealand outrigger canoe champion. Horan went on to become a weather presenter for TVNZ between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, he contested the East Coast electorate as a New Zealand First candidate. He became a New Zealand First list MP in 2011. After being expelled from New Zealand First a year later, he remained as an independent. In 2014 he formed his own party, the NZ Independant Coalition, which failed to win any seats. Returning to study, he earned a post-graduate degree in dispute resolution from the University of Waikato and now does a variety of work. "I help a lot of people if they're have problems with different government departments. A lot of it, the work's altruistic because by the time they get to me they've already exhausted every legal avenue." He has helped people with immigration problems, and also did cultural report writing for the courts. "But a lot of that work has dried up thanks to this government," he said. "I also work with a travel operator taking targeted tours overseas. I've just come back from the United States. I get to travel a lot and keep an eye on what's happening around the world." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Local elections: Deadline nears for switching between Māori and general rolls
Voters of Māori descent choose between the Māori roll or the general roll when they first enrol to vote Photo: RNZ / Kymberlee Fernandes Māori voters have until July 10 to change electoral rolls before the local elections. Voters of Māori descent choose between the Māori roll or the general roll when they first enrol to vote. After that they can change between the Māori roll or general roll at any time except in the three months before an election. Electoral Commission Chief Advisor Māori, Hone Matthews, said Māori voters could not switch rolls in the three months before the local elections on 11 October. "The local elections are when we vote for the people who represent us on our city, district and regional councils. Make sure you're enrolled so you can have your say. "If you're on the Māori roll and your council has Māori wards, you'll vote in a Māori ward. If you're on the general roll or your council doesn't have Māori wards, you'll vote in a general ward. "The elections are run by councils and it's a postal vote. Check your address is up to date so you receive voting papers from your local council in the mail," he said. Voting documents for the local elections will be delivered from 9-22 September. The last day for posting votes by mail is 7 October. After this date votes must be returned to council's ballot boxes. Election day is 11 October. Read more: Explainer: Local elections - what they are, when they are and how they work 2025 marks 50 years of the Māori Electoral Option, which is the choice for Māori between the Māori roll and the general roll. The Electoral Amendment Act passed in 1975 defined Māori as a person of New Zealand Māori descent and means anyone who is Māori has the option of enrolling to vote on either roll. "General roll or Māori roll, it's your choice. He mana tō te kōwhiri - your choice has mana," Matthews said.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who can vote in Broome County primary election? When, where polls are open
Broome County Republicans will have the chance to vote to appoint five nominees for local government positions in late June. This year, only Republican primary elections will take place in Broome County, and only registered Republican voters in designated towns are eligible to vote, with no other parties holding primary elections within Broome County. Voters will have the chance to decide their party's nominee for Broome County clerk, Windsor town council member, Windsor town justice and two Johnson City trustees. The winners of each primary race will become the Republican nominees in the general election in November. Here is everything you need to know about how to vote on Primary Election Day. More: Here are the Broome County primary candidates on the ballot June 24 Voting will take place on Tuesday, June 24, when polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Primary election poll sites in Broome County include: Holy Spirit Byzantine Catholic Church Recreation Center, 358 Clinton St., Binghamton. Broome County Public Library Decker Room, 185 Court St., Binghamton. American Legion Post 1645, 177 Robinson St., Binghamton. St. Patrick's Parish Center Lobby, 58 Oak St., Binghamton. Unitarian Universalist Church of Binghamton, 183 Riverside Drive, Binghamton. St. John & St. Andrew Church Parish, 1263 Vestal Ave., Binghamton. Conklin Ave First Baptist Church, 91 Baldwin St., Binghamton. Barker Town Office Building, 151 Hyde St., Barker. Binghamton Town Hall, 279 Upper Park Ave, Binghamton. Chenango Fire Station #1, 86 Castle Creek Road, Chenango. Chenango Bridge First United Methodist, lower rear entrance, 740 River Road, Chenango. Colesville Town Hall, 780 Welton St., Colesville. Floyd Maines Community Center, 942 Conklin Road, Conklin. Cornell Cooperative Extension Taste NY Building, 840 Upper Front St., Dickinson. Fenton Town Hall, 44 Park St., Fenton. Kirkwood Town Hall, 70 Crescent Drive, Kirkwood. Lisle Fire Station #1, 9090 state Route 79, Lisle. Most Holy Rosary Church, 2596 Main St., Maine. Glen Aubrey Fire Company, 32 Octagon St., Nanticoke. Sanford Town Hall, 91 Second St., Sanford. Triangle Town Hall, 2612 Liberty St., Triangle. Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 594 Kent St., Windsor. George F. Johnson Memorial Library, 1001 Park St., Endicott. St. Anthony of Padua Church, 300 Odell Ave., Endicott. Calvary Community Wesleyan Church, 780 Harry L Drive, Johnson City. Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church, 230 Ukrainian Hill Road, Johnson City. Primitive Methodist Church, 4 Ackley Ave., Johnson City. West Corners Fire Station, 500 Day Hollow Road, Endicott. Union Center Fire Station #1, 1811 state Route 26, Union Center. Our Savior Lutheran Church, 731 Hooper Road, Endwell. Endwell United Methodist Church, 3301 Watson Blvd., Endwell. Endwell Fire Station #1, 3508 Country Club Road, Endwell. Vestal Town Hall, board room, 605 Vestal Parkway West, Vestal. Vestal Public Library, 320 Vestal Parkway East, Vestal. Vestal Fire Station #4, 118 S Jensen Road, Vestal. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 305 Murray Hill Road, Vestal. Our Lady of Sorrows Church, 801 Main St., Vestal. Vestal Fire Station #2, 2513 state Route 26 South, Vestal Center. Find your election district online at This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Broome County Primary Election voter guide: When, where to vote
Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Inside Mary Lou McDonald's plan to shake up Sinn Fein
Without a doubt, last year was something of an annus horribilis for Mary Lou McDonald, the Sinn Fein leader. The early omens were not good: February polling showed a surprising six-point drop in support as her party came under pressure over its stance on immigration. In the summer, McDonald's strategy to field a record 335 candidates in the local elections fell apart spectacularly. It was a disastrous day out, given that Sinn Fein took under 12 per cent of the national vote and more than 230 unsuccessful candidates were left picking up the pieces. For the first time, grassroots members of Sinn Fein began muttering about McDonald's future in charge of the party. With five months until a general election, the pressure on the leader was intense. At the same time, she was dealing with huge personal upheaval. Having recovered from a hysterectomy, McDonald and her family took a trip to Biarritz. In the airport in France, her husband, Martin Lanigan, became seriously ill. He later underwent surgery and was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Then her father, Patrick, with whom she had a complicated relationship, died last summer. In October, a series of scandals rocked Sinn Fein, right as the country was on the precipice of a general election. A 'complete overhaul' of the party's governance structure was ordered by McDonald, and The Sunday Times can now reveal the outcome of those reviews and the new rules which TDs, senators and staff members will have to follow. The first big controversy last October came when it emerged that two press officers had given job references for a former colleague under investigation for child sex offences, for which he was later jailed. Seán Mag Uidhir, a well-known Sinn Fein figure who headed the party's media operation in the north, and his colleague Caolán McGinley left Sinn Fein when it emerged that they provided references for Michael McMonagle. McDonald said that McMonagle was immediately suspended when he was questioned by the PSNI about the allegations in 2021, and yet the following year, his two co-workers provided the references. As part of the 'complete overhaul' of governance, a review of human resources practices took place. An internal memo has been given to party members which lays out new rules. From now on, all requests for job references for staff who work or once worked for Sinn Fein need to be referred to the party's HR manager. Members and staff have been told they shouldn't give any references at all. If clearance is given by HR for former and current employees, only brief factual references should be provided, confirming only the person's start and finish date and their job title. References should not mention the person's character or ability, and line managers are now the only people authorised to provide these references. Furthermore, references should also not be given for elected representatives or activists, except in exceptional circumstances that must be approved by Sam Baker, the party's general secretary. Not everyone in the party is a fan of the rules, which are laid out in a private memo, but the new diktat will remain in place. Another huge issue that arose last October came with the shock resignation of the Laois TD Brian Stanley. After he left, he described an inquiry into a complaint made against him as 'seriously flawed'. A Sinn Fein draft report into a complaint made against Stanley came to the opinion that his conduct in an incident constituted 'sexual harassment', something he strongly denied. The internal inquiry into the complaint dragged on from late July of last year until early October, with claims and counter-claims being made. The second big piece of work as part of the overhaul was to look at how Sinn Fein disciplines its members. Barry Mulqueen, a Belfast barrister, undertook an in-depth review, looking at how the disciplinary committee had handled complaints to date. He was due to supply a report to Sinn Fein at the end of May. Sources say that what has emerged is that the party's disciplinary processes are not fit for purpose. Issues that are likely to be addressed will be the structure of internal inquiries, who carries them out and, crucially, the amount of time an inquiry takes. There is a view that complaints drag on for far too long, and that a structure needs to be put around the 'back and forth' nature of serious complaints. The third serious blow for Sinn Fein last year was the controversy over a former senator who was secretly suspended and later resigned from the party over inappropriate messages sent to a teenager. Niall Ó Donnghaile, a former Belfast lord mayor, was suspended by Sinn Fein over the issue but the party let him resign on health grounds without revealing the complaint against him. The teenager in question then said McDonald's tribute to Ó Donnghaile was 'like a mental stab'. At the time, she issued a statement thanking him for his service to the party, something she later apologised for. On foot of all of this, Gareth McGibbon, a registered social worker, has completed a new draft of the party's child protection policy. A source said that a part of this work involved making sure that everyone in Sinn Fein knew exactly what steps to take, and how to conduct themselves, if a matter of concern involving a minor arose. There has also been work done to make sure the policies are aligned north and south. All of these revelations, and the resulting follow-up questions, emerged for Sinn Fein in a drip-feed manner that created a huge sense of dread, especially as the country was on the verge of a general election. One party member described the period as the party being 'in a death spiral'. Although Sinn Fein painted the results of the election as a triumph, it failed to replicate its quota-smashing performance of 2020, and ultimately failed to cross the threshold into Government Buildings. Since then, the results of the election have been studied carefully by strategists. Sinn Fein is ultra-secretive by nature and prefers to keep a tight lid on what is happening behind the scenes. However, The Sunday Times spoke to sources at all levels of the party to get a detailed insight into the mood within the camp. Sinn Fein's decision to present a united front with the rest of the 'combined opposition' of Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and others has gone down well with supporters, who feel voters might, in future, buy into the idea of a government made up of a left-wing bloc. 'Grassroots members are happy with this strategy, and with Mary Lou being front and centre of that. It was good red meat,' a local party member said. Close observers of Sinn Fein's daily attacks during leaders' questions may also have noticed a subtle shift. While TDs spent the five years leading up to last November's general election presenting the public with credible alternative policies, this time the plan of action is attack, attack, attack. There was, a source said, 'a certain amount of preparing for government that went on in recent years but now we are sticking to the principles of equality for the working class. It is going back to our roots on issues like neutrality, housing and health and disability services.' Away from the Dail chamber, the party is refocusing itself on its bread-and-butter issues. 'We are in a period of regrowth,' the insider said. 'Our focus from an activism and membership point of view is unity and the unity message. There is a big, big push now to focus on unity in messaging, for discussion and in terms of organising events. Party members have been asked to coalesce around this again.' Another criticism of Sinn Fein made after last year's elections came from John Hearne, the respected Waterford councillor. He said the party was being run by 'armchair generals'. Sinn Fein is actively trying to re-engage its membership base, and the decision-making process around the presidential campaign has been a case in point. 'There has been an interesting shift in attitude from the hierarchy,' a party source said. 'Every member was asked to consider making a submission to the party or through the structures to give their thoughts based on four scenarios.' The first option was Sinn Fein running its own candidate; the second was Sinn Fein promoting and backing a candidate with the united left; the third was giving tacit support to that candidate on the left; the fourth involved the party sitting it out on the sidelines. Some of the feedback so far has indicated strong support for option two: fully backing a candidate of the left. One decision from the top that has not gone down quite so well is the decision to cancel the ard fheis this year, and hold an annual conference in April 2026, which will happen in Belfast. The party cited 'logistical and strategic challenges' and said it was 'increasingly difficult' to find a suitable venue for the autumn and 'particularly one large enough to accommodate our growing attendance'. Party members who spoke to The Sunday Times said they were not consulted about this decision and they also said they had doubts about the reasons given for putting it off. A source with knowledge of the decision said it was taken because the party simply would not get enough media attention for an ard fheis when a presidential election is happening and a budget was being announced, particularly on TV shows. There are other pressing decisions to be made, however — decisions which may yet divide the party. On Saturday, July 5, in Dublin, selected party members will gather for a special conference on gender policy. It comes after Sinn Fein was banned from taking part in a trans Pride march in Dublin next month over its stance on rights for transgender people, despite meetings with LGBT+ groups. These groups want Sinn Fein to clarify its stance on puberty blockers in Northern Ireland, but also on the UK Supreme Court ruling on sex, gender and equality. David Cullinane, the Sinn Fein health spokesman, was 'rapped on the knuckles' by the party leadership after he posted on X that a Supreme Court ruling defining women by their biological sex was a 'common sense judgment'. He later deleted the message and apologised. The issue is particularly sensitive for McDonald given that she has a trans woman for a sibling. More liberal members within Sinn Fein are pushing for clear change and more conservative members are urging the party 'not to get involved', as one person put it, adding: 'It is not coming up on the ground.' Beyond this, members around the country are reporting that Sinn Fein remains under serious local pressure on immigration. 'We are still bruised from last year. Misinformation continues to fly across social media,' one said. There is a push among the membership for Sinn Fein to formulate a very clear and accessible immigration policy, but the sense is that, like many of the party's big plans, this is some way off in the future.
Telegraph
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Has Reform peaked?
A couple of days ago, I spotted Nigel Farage on the terrace of the House of Commons, enjoying a late afternoon drink in the sun with his fellow Reform MPs. I could hardly complain about his work ethic, as I should have been in the office myself. I saw him looking out across the Thames – content, relaxed, and surrounded by friends, all of whom agree with the bookies' suggestion that he is set to become our next Prime Minister. On top of the polls, on top of the world, the master of all he surveyed. And yet, only six weeks or so after Reform's triumph at the local elections, is the shine starting to come off Farage? A YouGov poll this week had the party down two points to 27 per cent, with Labour up one to 24 per cent. Reform's lead over Labour has halved in a single week. As relaxed as Farage seemed as he tucked into his pint, is he worried that his momentum is starting to stall? It's hardly been a peaceful month at Reform HQ. Just as the party was basking in its seizure of ten councils, two mayoralties, and the constituency of Runcorn and Helsby, Farage came under steady attack for his latest pie-in-the-sky policy package: scrapping the two-child limit and introducing a new transferable marriage tax allowance to his already costly plan to lift the income tax threshold to £20,000. Then we had Zia Yusuf's two-day resignation and his replacement as the party's chairman by self-styled paranormal expert Dr David Bull; a man who has claimed that 'immigration is the lifeblood of this country.' Endless in-fighting, ideological incoherence, a shallow policy platform: the general impression created by Reform is one of unseriousness. I bet Farage still can't believe his luck: a doubling of his party's vote share in a year, the implosion of the Tories (languishing on 17 per cent in that same YouGov poll), and an utterly useless Labour Government. Downing Street beckons. But if the last year has proven anything, it is how quickly political fortunes can change. One day you're cock of the walk, the next a feather duster. Could voters dump Farage just as quickly as they picked him up? Certainly. But one hesitates to write off Reform because of only one poll – especially as other pollsters have the party topping 30 per cent. The reasons for Farage's success are structural. Voters hated the Tories, and now they hate Labour for much of the same reasons. With both old parties discredited, why not take a punt on something different? It helps when that this new party is led by one of the best-known politicians in Britain – and one of the few with any credibility on the salient topic of immigration. A day after I spied Farage on the Commons terrace, I saw him again at a Tufton Street talk on the future of net zero. He was by turns charming, insightful and profound, especially when tracing climate extremism to a broader crisis of godlessness. Between calling for escalation in the Middle East, and pledging an end to the fracking ban, he seemed confident and unchanged. He will never become a statesman in the traditional mould. But it is always a pleasure to see him at work.
