Well, blow me down! I was minding my own business, ambling down Kitchener Street and noticed that the South Wairarapa District Council was, as usual, flying the flag.
It struck me that, following the previous weekend’s catastrophic cycle v car disaster in Martinborough, it might be respectful for it to be at half-mast.
I figured it was worth a suggestion. You never know, not flying the flag at half-mast may have been a simple oversight and a gentle hint may have been appreciated.
In I went:
“In view of the recent disaster and subsequent death in Martinborough, would it not be respectful to fly the flag at half-mast for the weekend”?
Said an official: “That decision is out of our hands; we can’t decide that.”
Somewhat confused as to who decides where the flag should be on the flagpole, I enquired:
“Oh really, who makes that decision for you”?
“The Minister of Arts and Culture.”
Wow!! So now you know.
When the flag is at half mast a directive has come from Paul Goldsmith, The Minister of Arts and Culture at the Beehive. (good quiz night question).
Naively I thought we had been told that “top heavy government and unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape” was going to be a thing of the past with local councils being given more autonomy.
I seem to remember the word of the day was “devolvement” or “devolution.” To local level?
