The Taxpayers' Union is telling Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst to 'grow up' after she used her casting vote to give committee voting rights, and a salary, to members of the Hastings District Youth Council: school-aged kids.

"We vote for a mayor and councillors to be adult decision makers and here they are literally outsourcing to kids," says Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Taxpayers' Union.

“This move is either a sign of utter ineptitude or a cynical move to manipulate young people so that the political balance on the council is shifted. Either way, it is utterly disgraceful."

"It's bad enough being a so-called 'youth councillor'. These school age, clipboard-bearing loners are now going to be introduced to the ratepayer tit before they're even old enough to have paid rent on a flat, let alone seen a rates bill."

"Let's get real. It's a thinly-veiled move by left-leaning councillors to stack council committees with even more idealism and inexperience. Using kids for political leverage needs to be called out for what it is."

“It's also undemocratic. These children have no democratic mandate or accountability. It's a blatant attempt to 'screw the scrum' by cynical politicians and grifters."

"Local government is in crisis and instead of the adults prevailing, Mayor Hazlehurst is inviting kids with, at best, year 10 business studies, to cast votes on governance matters of an organisation with total assets of nearly three billion."

“And what are the parameters of the Mayor's anti-democratic logic? Surely the senile and bewildered sitting in Hastings' old folks' homes should be represented too. Perhaps Grey Power should get a seat at the table? It's nonsense."

“If the councillors that supported this masquerade had a shred of decency, they would have gone to a referendum – because residents have woken up to news that literal 15-year olds are making decisions on things they know nothing about."

"Will these well-paid kids front up and be accountable to ratepayers? Or is this just a charade of politicians using kids for political ends. Time will tell."

Disclosure: Jordan Williams is a former Hastings District Youth Councillor.
 

© Scoop Media