I know that our economic and social systems have some serious issues, and am committed to be part of changing the systems so that they do actually work for everyone. I have been thinking and writing about this for 40 years, and working at many roles in the community so that I could have practical as well as theoretical knowledge of as many aspects as possible. I have worked as farm worker, lab worker, engineer, fisherman, technical advisor, consultant, system designer, teacher, auditor, compliance officer, adjudicator, politician, advisor, parent, and more.

Ailsa and I met here in Kaikoura 1991, we were married here 1994, and we have lived here since 1998, so I am local by choice, and intend to remain so. I run a small software and consulting company.

It seems clear to me that the rapid changes due to technology require a response like universal income. If that is thought of as a dividend on the accumulated knowledge and creativity of humanity, then it works.

A big part of me just wants to retire and enjoy working locally, but I have been working away at multiple levels trying to create systems that deliver reasonable levels of security and freedom to everyone, for so long, that I believe I have useful skills to contribute, and my sense of responsibility demands that I try. It is now your choice that matters. If you are interested in issues like world peace, then this answer demsontrates some of the complexity present.

These were my answers to various questions posed in the 2022 mayoral election campaign for Kaikoura.

I am interested in politics that actually serves the interests of all people for security and freedom, and meets the need of the environment, and that demands responsibility from all of us (each to the best of our limited and fallible abilities).

I started a small software business in 1986, and have run it ever since. In 2008 I found a melanoma on my temple, and in 2010 after 3 operations I was sent home "palliative care only" and told I could be dead in 6 weeks and had a 2% chance of living 2 years. Every day is special, and valuable. Click this link for want more details of my cancer journey.

I like working with people to solve complex problems in a way that benefits everyone. I am not a great fan of control, but I am a great advocate of cooperation.

The most complex problems at present seem to be around the sorts of governance structures and technologies that promote both security and freedom across all levels of complexity present.

We all have our conservative and our liberal sides, and both are necessary. Putting them in opposition to each other, rather than having them work cooperatively together, seems to be one of the serious failings of our current system.

Our society needs to be fundamentally cooperative if we are to have any real probability of long term security. Nothing wrong with a bit of competition, provided that it is firmly built on a cooperative base that acknowledges the rights to existence and reasonable levels of freedom for all sapient entities, and ensures that all have enough resources to achieve that.

Our current economic systems have many levels of incentives that are posing risk to us all.

Some sort of universal income seems to be the best short to medium term response.

You can see more of what I have written about since 2010 on my wordpress blog site, including subjects like politics, epistemology and risks and responses.

My highest values are individual sapient life, and the liberty of all such individuals. And if liberty is to survive then it comes with responsibilities: to take all reasonable measures to ensure the lives and liberties of others, and by implication to take reasonable steps to look after the social and ecological systems upon which we all depend.

Complex systems are always changed by every interaction. No set of rules can ever deliver consistent results in all contexts, it takes something much more, it takes responsibility from all of us. David Snowden gives a reasonable simple introduction to the management of complexity in his Cynefin Framework.

We all need to acknowledge those responsibilities, to be guardians (kaitiaki) of all around us. And for most people to accept that, the systems have to be actually looking after their needs in a way that they recognise as being reasonable. For those of us in Kaikoura Ngati Kuri gift the role of kaitiaki to all the community in 2008 as part of the Te Korowia process of gifts and gains.

And liberty in action leads to diversity. We must all accept the inescapable logic that real liberty results in diversity, and we must accept and respect that diversity (all levels), provided that it is demonstrating appropriate levels of responsibility. So nothing simple or easy.

I have been a member of our Zone Water committee since it formed, and enjoy being part of the team looking to see how we can sustain our water, our community and our ecosystems. Health water healthy life is our moto. The top 6 of these wetlands are ones that our zone committee have made a difference to in our district, in cooperation with land owners and others.