GREAT DEBATE: Students Madeleine Whalan, Makaela Bowman, Amie Parker Bree Smith, Alex Amos, Tim Gillham, Bill McLaughlan, Ryan Milham, Beth Clarke, Meaghan Kempson and Bella Fox with (front) mayor John Davis. Photo: NICOLE KUTER
THE community votes for popularity and councillors vote for ability, was the winning argument at yesterday’s mayoral debate.
Orange High School narrowly beat James Sheahan Catholic High School with the argument against a popularly-elected mayor.
Chairing the debate, mayor John Davis said it was like sitting in a glass box as the students debated his position. He said the students had convincing arguments but didn’t sway his set of ideas on the issue.
“I thought they did tremendously well. My ideas are that the position of mayor is about respect not about popularity,” he said.
Cr Davis said under a popularly-elected mayor, the position would be more of a chairperson role. The students said it was awkward debating the mayor’s role while he was sitting behind them.
“I didn’t want to say anything bad about him,” James Sheahan student Makaela Bowman said.
“I was busy watching his reactions,” Orange High School student Bella Fox said.
Orange High School argued that 38,000 people were not as reliable as 11 councillors to allocate such an important position.
The students argued that councillors understood what was required to be a mayor. They said that the status quo was working just fine.
