Ross Church, Mayoral Candidate for Kāpiti, says the ‘them and us’ attitude among a small minority of Kāpiti residents must stop.
“People want to see a united Kāpiti so that we can work together to overcome issues of concern. People want the negativity to stop.”
“The public are being emotionally blackmailed by sayings like “the road will destroy our community.” No-one is going to let anything be destroyed. That’s far too strong a word. Things will change, and change takes us out of our comfort zone. We need to work together to ensure that our communities are enhanced and valued as we progress. Strong, inclusive leadership is needed as we change and grow,” says Mr Church.
Mr Church, who has lived in Paekākāariki, Raumati, Paraparaumu and Waikanae over the last 30 years, says he loves Kāpiti, and no-body is going to destroy anything that he has enjoyed in that time. Change is inevitable, and people need to embrace it.
“We need to move forward, and we need to leave the current divisive attitudes behind,” says Mr Church. “We need to start thinking positively, and we need to get together, to face the issues, with genuine commitment, on a united front.”