Earnshaw to Run For Mayoralty

Running Mate Tierney Would Become Deputy

Timaru District Councillor Steve Earnshaw is to run for the mayoralty in October’s local government elections.

Cr Earnshaw announced his candidacy today signalling a significant departure from previous Timaru District election protocol – by standing in partnership with fellow first-term councillor Tracy Tierney, who would become deputy mayor.

Cr Earnshaw and Cr Tierney’s joint bid for the leadership adopts a model encouraged by recent changes to the Local Government Act, but which is thought to be a first for this district.

Cr Earnshaw said today his decision to stand in partnership with Tracy offered Timaru voters extra clarity into whom they were voting for and their intentions. That is traditionally not the case, with the deputy normally being chosen by the new mayor after the election.

“It is my style to be open and inclusive,” Cr Earnshaw said. “This is the way I intend to lead our council – open, democratic and enabling all councillors to shine in a consensus-based team environment.

“We believe that people must come before politics and personalities.”

Cr Earnshaw, who is an orthopaedic surgeon at Timaru Hospital, brings to the mayoral race wide leadership experience and a strong sense of human values and caring for people and the communities they live and work in.

“I have leadership experience across a wide range of organisations including large public health organisations, not-for-profit community groups, sporting associations, and businesses,” he said.

“I have learnt that the common factor behind the most successful projects and organisations is open, inclusive leadership that works to create effective teamwork.

“This style of leadership has been at the core of my many recent successes including making the orthopaedic surgery department in Timaru one of the top performing departments in New Zealand, introducing three-bin recycling throughout Timaru Hospital, successfully installing 28 defibrillators across the Timaru District, raising $3 million for the South Canterbury MRI scanner campaign, founding the Timaru Farmers Market, and chairing the SC International Festival charitable trust.”

Cr Earnshaw said Timaru District showed strong community mettle and he enjoyed living and working here.

“I am passionate about Timaru District and I am very motivated to do my best for our community. Although I grew up and trained in the United Kingdom and have travelled extensively, I chose to move here 10 years ago and consider Timaru to be my home.

“South Canterbury is a wonderful place to live, work and raise a family and we have an incredibly strong community who pull together well when the need arises.”

He said the joint approach to the mayoralty was exciting, offering wide experience across many levels including business acumen, community and people well-being, environmental sustainability and local government values.

“I am delighted Tracy Tierney has agreed to run with me, and to be the deputy mayor.  Tracy and I make a great team with different, but complimentary skills. We have very different professional and personal backgrounds and political views, and have some very robust debates.

“We do, however, share a common belief in openness and transparency, good governance, and the importance of effective leadership which embraces diversity and healthy dissent in an environment of open-mindedness, collaboration and innovation.”

ENDS

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