Jarvis Withdraws

Robert Jarvis has withdrawn his candidacy for the Hastings District Council, citing potential conflicts of interest with his consultancy business and clients. He will continue to stand for the District Health Board.

Jarvis’ “take no prisoners” style might indeed be more called for at the Health Board. The never-ending list of headlines in the press suggest over and over that our health care system is sick. Someone needs to shake things up … maybe he’s the bull that china shop needs!

But we do confess to being curious about how a potential conflict of interest could bar one from running for the HDC. The only situation that is clearly “verboten” is holding a contract with the HDC worth more than $25,000. Any other potential financial conflict is dealt with simply by the officeholder recusing himself or herself from participating in Council discussion and voting on the matter in conflict.

Here’s a wild stab — and only a hypothetical one — at the kind of scenario that could trigger a disqualification … a business with which Jarvis is associated could be announced as an anchor tenant in, or builder of, the new large-format retail center that’s replacing Nelson Park. Announcement of anchor tenants is coming on Friday. Such a deal would be worth more than $25K and, if HDC were a party, would trigger the exclusion from HDC office.

Election Trivia

TV3 reported in July on the ABC phenomenon. It seems that most Health Boards (including Hastings) use a simple alphabetical listing of candidates on their election ballots. And guess who seems most likely — by far — to get elected? The candidates whose surnames begin with a top-of-the-alphabet letter … A, B, C, D!! Here’s a link to the video report on TV3.

Don’t be a lazy voter this year … give the XYZ’s a fighting chance.

And exactly when will you vote during the three-week voting window?

In 2004, 40.4% of the Hastings electorate voted. Almost 41% of those votes came in the first week … call them the “dead certains.” Another 28% of the total arrived in week two … call them the “head scratchers.”

So almost 70% of the vote in during the first two weeks.

The final 30% are cast in week three … call them the “totally befuddled.”

There’s undoubtedly some sort of psychological profiling that would predict who falls into which category. Which are you?

Tom

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