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: 12:00 pm, October 14th, 2010 - 34 comments
When you boil it down, John Key’s much-vaunted political nous is about keeping his personal brand clean. He farms out anything controversial to ministers and leaving them to it. The problem with that approach is muppets are left to run things with no oversight resulting in political cock-ups. Case in point: the Supercity.
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: 3:57 pm, March 6th, 2010 - 11 comments
Come on Granny Herald. You’re almost there…
Written By: - Date published: 2:52 pm, September 8th, 2009 - 16 comments
Last Friday the report of the Select Committee on Auckland was tabled in Parliament. The lack of media attention is a measure of how almost irrelevant this committee was. It has been clear for a long time that the decisions are being made by a small group around Key and Hide. The indefatigable Phil Twyford …
Written By: - Date published: 10:31 pm, August 19th, 2009 - 84 comments
An email leaked to 3News suggests that Rodney Hide is holding the government to ransom over denying guaranteed Supercity representation for Maori. The email – reportedly from a senior National Party MP and sent to the whole caucus – reads, in part: Clearly we are at a crossroads. The ACT party has threatened to end …
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, June 9th, 2009 - 2 comments
Red Alert, the Labour MPs’ blog, has a list of upcoming meetings on the supercity. Mt Albert – 5.30pm Tuesday 9 June, Owairaka District Primary School, 113 Richardson Rd, Owairaka, hosted by Phil Goff and David Shearer Waitakere – 7.30pm, Wednesday 10 June, Kelston Community Centre, Cnr Great North Road and Awaroa Rd, hosted by …
Written By: - Date published: 3:04 pm, May 26th, 2009 - 22 comments
It’s a disgrace that the supercity agenda is being foisted on Auckland undemocratically, and it is an additional disgrace that it is being bulldozed through uncosted. The government cannot tell Aucklanders what this reorganisation is going to cost them on their rates bills – though some estimates put it at over $550 each. Whatever happened to …
Written By: - Date published: 5:56 pm, April 26th, 2009 - 39 comments
David Farrar, head of the Free Speech Coalition and renowned democracy fighter, has outlined the Right’s reasons for opposing letting the people of Auckland decide whether they want the Government’s proposed supercity. The post contains a bizarre level of personal abuse against Phil Goff but all that does is highlight the weakness of the actual …
Written By: - Date published: 12:45 pm, April 23rd, 2009 - 8 comments
The government’s refusal to listen on its fast-tracked Supercity plans is already resulting in protests. The unrest that’s building should hardly come as a surprise. I can certainly understand Aucklanders not wanting to be dictated to by Wellington – especially when the outcome is ACT running their city. I’m still at a loss as to …
Written By: - Date published: 10:38 am, April 22nd, 2009 - 30 comments
UMR has just released a poll [PDF link] measuring support for a supercity. Stuff reports on it under the headline “Voters back Auckland supercity”: Though the poll’s sample of just 483 is small, it is the first real indicator of support for the supercity concept, with 45 percent of Aucklanders in favour, and 43 percent …
Written By: - Date published: 5:07 am, April 22nd, 2009 - 25 comments
In 1999, Napier and Hastings had a referendum over whether their councils should merge. They voted against it. In 2005, there was a referendum on Banks Peninsula and Christchurch City merging. The people voted for it. The Royal Commission report says that the normal process for council mergers set by the Local Government Act (schedule …
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