chamber president rejects criticism

chamber president rejects criticism

Some homes may still be getting rid of the last of cyclone rubbish, as with this shot taken last week.
At the chamber of commerce, however, things are just starting to hot up.
Early criticism has been made about procedure at Monday's meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to chose nominations for the Tourism Corporation board, for approval by the minister of tourism.
One critic said that the procedure followed was flawed.
This is denied.
"It was the meeting that decided," said chamber president Theresa Manarangi-Trott about procedures set by members.
Criticism centres on the fact that sectors previously represented on the board of the tourism corporation have now been replaced by one sector, on one island: Rarotonga accomodators.
One chamber member said some nominations were left off a blackboard of names. Others
Questions from avaiki nius agency: Some nominations were not written on the board, while others were?
Answers from Trott: "No. What names? What names were left off the board?"
So to your knowledge, all names were on the board?
"Yes. There were a number of times it was asked during the meeting whether there were any further nominations and no one put any further names forward so it was moved to close nominations."
Some claim some nominations were read out, others not?
"No. What ones were not read out?"
So to your knowledge all nominations received were read out?
"Yes."
Has there been any complaints about the election process?
"Yes. I have just received something from Mrs. [Helen] Wong, copied to Mr Wong."
What are your reactions to those complaints?
"I have only just received it and haven't actually made a response."
In the interests of transparency, can we have the vote counts for all of the candidates?
"That's something that needs to go back to the meeting. Nothing to say you can't. But the meeting didn't say you can. In the end they end up at the tourist authority."
So we can't have access to the actual numbers?
"They've actually been destroyed."
Why was a decision made to limit the numbers of candidates to 5?
"It was a decision made at the meeting. And the meeting agreed that is what should happen."
Do you think as a general matter of transparency that the names and votes should be given out?
"No, because it is the meeting that decides. If the meeting decides, its a procedural matter, then that issue does not arrise."
The act only requires a "minimum" of five nominations? Wouldn't more transparency on voting figures give the minister a better idea of how much support each has?
"That is something you will have to raise with the minister. In any case, it was the meeting that decided on that procedure."
Manarangi-Trott has given the chamber a much higher public profile than any other presidency since being elected late last year.
There have been more public meetings on business issues in the last four months than possibly the previous four years.
Every high profile, however, attracts criticism sooner or later.
Like most fires, the criticism dies out.

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