Written By: - Date published: 6:31 am, April 5th, 2012 - 81 comments
Update: Labour had accused Banks of not declaring the $15,000 donation from SkyCity as required under local government electoral law. The law is strict. If he is charged and convicted he’ll be kicked out of Parliament. Key will have to take his portfolios if Banks didn’t declare the money.
Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, March 31st, 2012 - 50 comments
The PoAL management looks as incompetent and divided as the Nats after their ‘bullet-proof’ contracting out plans were shot down by the Employment Court and a director resigned publicly admonishment management’s strategy. Time to use that bully pulpit, Len. Say you have no confidence in Pearson and Gibson, demand they drop their plans, and get the port back to work.
Written By: - Date published: 9:02 am, March 23rd, 2012 - 178 comments
The Port of Auckland’s refusal to let the stevedores return to work now that they have lifted their strike notice is a lock-out. There are specific legal requirements around strikes and lock-outs at ports and other essential services – notice must be given in writing and with 14 days’ notice. The Port’s lock-out is illegal. And it’s costing Auckland millions.
Written By: - Date published: 8:02 am, March 22nd, 2012 - 167 comments
Despite the court making them return to the bargaining table, PoAL Chair Richard Pearson seems to fail to understand some basic principles of employment law.
His comments on morning report suggest he’s either ignorant of some basic legal issues or still has no regard for good faith bargaining.
I’d suggest that either case indicates there’s a need for the council to step in and put some responsible adults in charge of this company.
Written By: - Date published: 12:25 pm, March 9th, 2012 - 35 comments
A contrite Mayor Len Brown today offered his apology to Port workers for causing their redundancies by demanding higher port profits then giving them the cold shoulder. “I turned my back on the working class. That ‘we’re on a journey’ BS on RNZ was the final straw. I am donating to the workers the $2,000 they gave my election campaign, and the $270,000 3-year payrise they helped me get when I became Auckland mayor.”
Written By: - Date published: 11:20 am, March 8th, 2012 - 103 comments
Len Brown gets a Dear Len over his performance over the Ports of Auckland dispute.
“I delivered your leaflets in the rain. I erected your hoardings across Auckland. I phoned and canvassed support for you. I encouraged my friends to vote for you. But it’s over. Frankly, I find your protestations that you could not help the 292 sacked wharfies asking to be able to work to live and not live to work offensive. Don’t play the victim: your salary is too big.”
Written By: - Date published: 3:10 pm, November 16th, 2010 - 6 comments
National’s handling of the Auckland SuperCity process was profoundly undemocratic in a multitude of ways. Thank goodness, and the common sense of Aucklanders, that a “Labour Mayor from South Auckland” was elected to sort out at least some of the resulting mess. Len Brown has pledged to hold talks on dedicated Maori seats on the Council. It’s great to see that Brown is open to correcting National’s injustice on this matter.
Written By: - Date published: 12:01 am, November 1st, 2010 - 7 comments
Happy Birthday Auckland! The new Supercity is now in effect, with Mayor Len Brown at the helm. How is the tension between a left wing mayor representing a third of the country, and a right wing central government, going to play out? The Nats can’t afford to let Auckland fail…
Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, October 21st, 2010 - 10 comments
Gordon Campbell on central government’s reaction to the local government elections. Campbell argues that National has a vested interest in the failure of both Len Brown in Auckland and Celia Wade-Brown in Wellington, and that voters have rejected the “1980s model of political leadership”.
Written By: - Date published: 4:44 pm, October 11th, 2010 - 36 comments
Be captivating…
Written By: - Date published: 11:03 pm, October 9th, 2010 - 11 comments
Len’s in in Auckland, but it’s not just the man at the top the left can be happy with. Auckland may have provided a few new seats to National at the last general election, and Hide may have done his best to set up the SuperCity for his mates to win – but the Council doesn’t look so bad either. Add in the Local Boards, and it wasn’t a big day of celebration for the right.
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, October 9th, 2010 - 119 comments
It’s official, Len Brown is the first ever super city mayor. My congratulations to him and to his team who have worked so hard to get this result. It’s a great victory for the people. The Right thought they had stitched up Auckland very nicely with their undemocratic supercity but the people have rejected them …
Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 6th, 2010 - 59 comments
As it goes down to the wire in Auckland, John Banks’ desperation is on full display. It’s not a pretty sight. Banks seem to have nothing to offer but negative campaigning, personal attacks, and South Auckland dogwhistles. He deserves to lose.
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, September 14th, 2010 - 30 comments
John Banks’ team really jumped the shark yesterday with their bizarre ‘poll tax’ attack on Len Brown. Banks claimed Brown was proposing a Thatcher-style poll tax to fund the Supercity instead of rates. Of course, Brown is proposing no such thing – he is saying we should look at replacing rates with income tax. Desperate, Banksie, desperate.
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, July 31st, 2010 - 16 comments
I know that The Herald likes to campaign for the Right, but surely this overdose of sucking up to “Banksie” sets new records?
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 30th, 2010 - 24 comments
I’d vote Brown for Mayor of the Supercity. He got me with his first big policy announcement, to strengthen the role of local boards in Auckland.
That puts the ball in John Banks’ court. Will there a bidding war to restore local democracy?
Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, July 4th, 2010 - 41 comments
Things really are getting desperate for the Right in the super-mayor race. National and its allies keep up the attack but the public aren’t buying. Now, John Banks’ campaign is facing more right-wing candidates and is crapping itself that Stephen Tindell might enter the race.
Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, June 28th, 2010 - 19 comments
Rule 1: Don’t compare yourself to Jesus in any way. Didn’t work for Lennon. Won’t work for you. Rule 2: Don’t keep talking about a negative issue once its reached a conclusion. Rule 3: If you’re going to reduce your entire campaign to smearing your opponent, you better make sure your own house is in order
Written By: - Date published: 10:49 am, June 25th, 2010 - 51 comments
With the supercity campaign of their handpicked man, John Banks, in tatters, the Nats have desperately tried to smear Len Brown. Now, the Auditor-General has found there is nothing to warrant investigation. I doubt we’ll be waiting long until the next smear will be from the Nats, because they sure as hell don’t have any other shot at winning.
Written By: - Date published: 11:06 pm, June 22nd, 2010 - 5 comments
John Banks’ supercity mayor campaign is failing. A month of smears hasn’t worked. The rot is so deep competition from the Right is emerging. The guy who spent $100 per marcher on on the anti-smacking march, Colin Craig, looks set to run. I’ve obtained a copy of the transcript of Banks’ call to Craig when he heard the news.
Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, June 19th, 2010 - 23 comments
My new poll shows Len Brown will get 90% of the vote. Even though the survey is unscientific and consisted of a self-selected group most of whom think like me, it provides an interesting take on the two weeks of intense political and media scrutiny of Mr Brown’s credit card expenses.
Written By: - Date published: 12:27 pm, June 18th, 2010 - 27 comments
The Herald will be disappointed. Over the last two weeks it has been a willing soldier in John Bank’s smear campaign against Len Brown. It’s a desperate last ditch strategy by the right as it faces defeat. And it’s not working. Even the Herald’s on online poll still has Brown beating Banks.
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, June 13th, 2010 - 77 comments
The National Party smear machine is stepping up its attack on soon-to-be Auckland mayor Len Brown. Worried that Key’s handpicked candidate John Banks is falling behind, the right is resorting to smearing his left-wing rival. The National Party’s David Farrar is even suggesting a “cover-up” and “fraud” at the Manukau Council. Is panic setting in at the thought of losing Auckland?
Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, May 16th, 2010 - 9 comments
Sam Cash writes it’s good news for Auckland with Len Brown opening up a strong lead over John Banks. Len Brown’s campaign seems to have been quietly gathering momentum since he launched his insurgency last year.
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, May 14th, 2010 - 37 comments
The Right has forced the Supercity on Aucklanders who don’t want it, don’t need it, and won’t benefit from it. Aucklanders were denied their legal right to a referendum on amalgamation into the Supercity. But they’re getting a vote soon. And they’re going to punish the Right’s candidates. And, of course, Brown is also just a far better candidate.
Aucklanders – check OurAuckland and vote.
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, May 13th, 2010 - 17 comments
Sam Cash has spotted a possible issue with Dodgy John “if I wear my policy on my sleeve, I won’t get elected†Banks’ most recent mayoral poll. Could it be Banks is just polling ratepayers to boost his numbers?
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, April 27th, 2010 - 10 comments
Sam Cash takes a look at John Banks’ latest poll and doesn’t find too much to crow about for the Mayor for Remuera – noting he has only managed to draw even with Len Brown in spite of the huge profile lead he has over his challenger.
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, March 22nd, 2010 - 12 comments
How much is the Huljich Kiwisaver figure-fudging scandal hurting John “the dodgy-director†Banks’ mayoral chances? Answer: a lot.O’Sullivan then explicitly writes off Banks – saying he’ll lose to Len Brown – and joins the long list of commentators criticizing the Huljich rip-off and noting it has damaged Banks’ chances. Think this story is only getting play in the business pages? It’s not.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, March 21st, 2010 - 52 comments
What a cynical and politically-driven process this whole Supercity process has been. It is undemocratic to its core. It is not about ‘growth’ or creating a better city. It is about securing power (and, thereby, wealth) for the city’s right-wing elite. Now their plans are falling apart around them. A female candidate to replace Banks is their last gasp attempt to stop Len Brown winning.
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, February 23rd, 2010 - 8 comments
Recent polls highlight how important turnout will be at this year’s local body election.
Sam Cash takes a look at recent history and how attitudes to the supercity and the themes of this election could increase participation.
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, December 21st, 2009 - 11 comments
The UMR poll for the Auckland super-city mayoral race is interesting reading. The headline difference (PDF) of 11% towards Len Brown over John Banks has been extensively reported. The poll of 482 people, while small, is even more interesting when you see the breakdown of figures – and a lot worse for John Banks. The …
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