Linda Munn Running for Tauranga City Council
Well-known Maori artist, Linda Munn, is standing for one
of four Councillor-at-large seats in the Tauranga
electorate, in what is shaping up to be a wholesale overhaul
of City Council.
Linda, a prolific artist, is well-known as one of the creators of the now ubiquitous Tino Rangatiratanga flag, and for having her facial moko emblazoned on a wall in Los Angeles by Tauranga artist Owen Dippie, and is also a longtime supporter of Tauranga Women's Refuge.
Campaign Pillars
Linda is
running on 3 main campaign pillars:
People –
community, whanau, tamariki, women and the
homeless
Land – whenua, moana, housing and the
environment
Voice – integrity, ethics and
transparency in council, and advocacy for the
disenfranchised
Quotes
“I always
talk about 'people' and 'land' together, because you cannot
focus on one without the other: you have to nurture both. If
you have shelter, food and running water, you have
everything you need. But you can't have that without a
place, and without taking care of the
environment”
“One of the most profound things that made me want to run for council, was coming out of Pak 'n' Save on Cameron Rd, and there was an elderly gentleman on the ground, with a cardboard sign, begging for help; the look in his eyes, of complete desperation and no hope. I thought to myself, “When did this become normal for Tauranga? I am so sick of this shit, I've got to do something”
Substance
A staunch and
selfless pragmatist, Linda cites the need for a culture
change in Tauranga City Council, and that this cannot happen
without a clean out of the entrenched personalities and
their methods. She vows to be the 'conscience' of Council,
always asking questions of why, where and how ratepayers'
money is being spent, and reminding council who they are
actually working for.
Particularly over the last three years, TCC has come under withering criticism for a raft of uncompleted projects, rampant spending, institutional incompetence - notably the Bella Vista Homes debacle that cost ratepayers a $6.7 million bailout - and a total lack of both transparency and vision. Despite this, incumbent Mayor Greg Brownless, and Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout, continue to give themselves a generous 'pass' mark, and are both optimistically seeking re-election in 2019.
Campaign
Linda has a small
handful of volunteers in her team, and is running a mainly
online-based campaign, for reasons of both frugality and
effectiveness. All content drives people to use the hashtag
#oneformunn. Eschewing the outdated use of roadside
hoardings, Linda jokes “If I put this face on a
sign, with the Tino flag, it would probably get pinched, and
then they'd probably have the cheek to bring it back and ask
me to sign it”.
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @oneformunn