Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

If the Coalition was looking for an endorsement of its rates cap idea, it got one over the weekend. Of the 18 councils that hit ratepayers with double-digit hikes this year, 13 elected new mayors. Newsroom had great coverage of the results. Tim Macindoe won in Hamilton. If the name sounds familiar — he’s a former National MP. Rates there rose 41% in three years. Go figure. Voters aren’t stupid and should never be taken for granted. Rates hikes are driving domestic inflation. Not only are you paying more to your council — they’re helping to keep interest rates higher. It’s a double burn in the back pocket. Our most important city councils — Auckland, Christchurch, and Hamilton — are now led by right-of-centre mayors. The results speak for themselves. But the problem, of course, is the sample size. Seventy percent of us didn’t bother voting. Ask ten pundits why, and you’ll get ten different answers. I think the problem is simple: the size and scope of local government is out of control. In a small Pacific islan