local government

Categories under local government

The Government thinks that Local Government should determine what works best for them*

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, April 5th, 2024 - 22 comments

* unless they want to set up Maori wards.

National and the Gutting of Local Democracy

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 pm, February 13th, 2024 - 16 comments

We have remarkably little democracy left in New Zealand. 

Simeon Brown works to make transport system less sustainable

Written By: - Date published: 2:10 pm, February 10th, 2024 - 6 comments

This week we have seen National confirm it will cancel the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax and this will cause the cancellation or suspension of many projects designed to address congestion. And it has been confirmed that axing the clean car discount has seen sales of electric vehicles plummet. And that electric vehicles will shortly pay more to use the road than petrol vehicles.

National’s complete indifference to climate change

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 pm, December 18th, 2023 - 18 comments

This is the only possible explanation.  As well as celebrating all things car National has a pathological hatred of cycleways and walkways and public transport.

100 days of chaos

Written By: - Date published: 10:58 am, December 1st, 2023 - 18 comments

National’s 100 days of action is to address the rhetoric of economic difficulties but the announced policies will do nothing to help the pressure that ordinary people are feeling.

Why is the right so afraid of Tory Whanau?

Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, December 1st, 2023 - 119 comments

Tory Whanau is the latest high ranking female Politician to be the subject of a media onslaught based on rumour and innuendo.

Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments

It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.

Why Public Ownership Is Great

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 10 comments

In the absence of any political party stating clearly that public ownership of major infrastructure is a very good idea, here’s 10 good things public ownership of infrastructure does that private ownership doesn’t.

Brown wants to privatise Ports of Auckland Operations

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, June 23rd, 2023 - 22 comments

Fresh from his success at selling off part of Auckland Council’s Airport shares Wayne Brown has proposed another privatisation, that of Ports of Auckland Operations by way of the granting of an operating lease for the Port’s activities.

NZ history of voting systems in elections

Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, May 13th, 2023 - 33 comments

A guest post by Seddonville Miner outlining the history of voting rights in New Zealand and how Christopher Luxon’s recent claims about our voting system are hopelessly incorrect.

About Wayne Brown’s dereliction of duty

Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, April 15th, 2023 - 22 comments

Dear journalists, please do not let Mayor Wayne Brown off the hook regarding his appalling dereliction of duty.

Three Waters becomes Affordable Water

Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, April 14th, 2023 - 72 comments

Three Waters mark two has been announced.  And Kieran McAnulty has given a text book example of clarity in political speak when making the announcement.

Wayne’s budget has nothing to do with saving money

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, March 26th, 2023 - 53 comments

We have heard numerous claims from Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and his supporters that the proposed budget is about saving money and getting rid of a nearly $300 million hole. This is a huge disservice to Aucklanders and hugely misleading.

Is it too early to talk about climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 13th, 2023 - 50 comments

Two unprecedented summertime storms in Auckland suggest that the threats posed by climate change are not in our future but are here now.

A week in the life of Mayor Wayne Brown

Written By: - Date published: 12:09 pm, February 3rd, 2023 - 34 comments

The Mayor of Supercity this week has given a textbook example of how not to communicate in a crisis.

National’s Brown problem

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, February 2nd, 2023 - 71 comments

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is providing National strategists with a rather large headache.

2023: Year of the Long Grind

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, February 1st, 2023 - 30 comments

There will be no respite for any of us this year; it’s a politics and a society of endurance.

Super City’s handling of the storm event

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, January 29th, 2023 - 135 comments

As Auckland slowly recovers but ready itself for further storms there is some attention being given to review Council’s response to the super storm. The initial impression, and this is held widely is that the response was sub optimal.

Why selling Auckland Airport shares is a silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, December 20th, 2022 - 34 comments

Wayne Brown is proposing the sale of Auckland Council’s Airport shares to plug a budget hole.  He thinks it is a simple decision and a rational way to take care of the deficit.  I beg to differ.

Co-Governance is Orthodox Policy for both National and Labour

Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, November 30th, 2022 - 412 comments

National, the party which enacted legislation that gave Waikato command over the allocation of the Waikato River, iwi command over the Taupo catchment and full Maori control over the massive Uruwera water catchment, has not traditionally been opposed to co governance.

What happened to National’s policy machine?

Written By: - Date published: 8:34 am, November 16th, 2022 - 70 comments

Remember when a few leaders ago then National Leader Simon Bridges promised that National would be a 56 MP policy machine? Judging by its response to the Government’s release of two bills at the centre of RMA reform the machine has major problems.

The Striking Similarities Between Elon Musk and Wayne Brown

Written By: - Date published: 9:02 pm, November 9th, 2022 - 17 comments

Elon Musk and Wayne Brown both deliberately promote chaos.

Wayne Brown’s letters

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 20th, 2022 - 50 comments

Wayne Brown (or is that Matthew Hooton) has over the past few days released a series of letters that are astonishing in their audacity.  His latest on transport proposes business as usual at a time when dramatic change is required.

 

The Auckland Mayor’s powers

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, October 18th, 2022 - 72 comments

Wayne Brown has by Mayoral decree ordered Watercare to stop working on the Three Waters reform.  But he should take legal advice because his decree has absolutely no legal force.

We needed Wayne Brown

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, October 11th, 2022 - 81 comments

The left and the Ardern government need to start appreciating the new Auckland mayor.

The people have spoken

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, October 10th, 2022 - 147 comments

The people have spoken and with appallingly low turnout levels grumpy campaigns have succeeded and Auckland and other areas have moved to the right.

Local Government election results

Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, October 8th, 2022 - 256 comments

Live updates and discussion post

Own our future

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 6th, 2022 - 43 comments

This year’s Local Government election is reaching a critical stage.  And it is vital to get the right people elected.  Please make sure that your families and friends vote for progressive candidates.  Your kids and your grandkids futures depend on it.

The difference between Simon Wilson and Mike Hosking

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 47 comments

Wayne Brown’s mayoral campaign hit a really big pothole on the weekend when he was caught bad mouthing Herald reporter Simon Wilson.  His comments received a lot of support from the right on social media who made comments about Wilson similar to the comments the left make about Mike Hosking. Are these examples of the same phenomenon, political bias against critical commentators?

What is Paul Eagle doing?

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, September 22nd, 2022 - 17 comments

Some concerning reports have emerged about Paul Eagle’s mayoral campaign. This week there have been reports that he snubbed a Labour Council candidate while endorsing a right wing candidate.  And that he has been working behind the scenes supporting a team of independents.

The right’s last desperate throw of the dice in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 16th, 2022 - 18 comments

Even though her name is on the ballot paper and people can vote for her National aligned Mayoral candidate Viv Beck has purported to withdraw from the Auckland Mayoral race.

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