Kapiti’s Mayor slated over lack of publicity for National Day

By Alan Tristram

The former moderator of the Presbyterian Church of NZ, the Very Reverend John Murray, is taking Kapiti’s new Mayor to task for allegedly neglecting to publicise this year’s Waitangi Day.

Mr Murray, who has taken a leading role in Kapiti Coast community affairs for many years, asks Mayor  Ross Church why there has been a ‘seeming  disregard of the National Day honouring the founding Treaty of our New Zealand history?’

In an open letter to Mayor Church, elected as mayor for the first time last year, Mr Murray states:

“Greetings   kia ora ki a koe,  Ross

“I am writing this  email to you as our new Mayor to ask why our Council has not taken a leading role in advertising the celebration of Waitangi Day this year?

“I have searched our newspapers and found no mention – among a hundred other

less important events! – of our official Kapiti celebrations.”

Mention on website

Mr Murray acknowledges that there ihas been mention on the KCDC website ‘but who looks there?’

He adds: “I am disappointed because — as the person who raised this issue with our Mayors, beginning

some 15 years ago– I urged that our Council, together with Te Whakaminenga,

make this historic Day something to be proud of here in Kapiti.

“Please Mr Mayor – why this silence, this lack of public advertising and this seeming

disregard of the National Day honouring the founding Treaty of our New Zealand history?”

“Nga mihi aroha ki a koe, John Murray.”