Auckland Entrust Election – today is the last day

Written By: - Date published: 11:53 am, October 24th, 2024 - 5 comments
Categories: elections - Tags:

If you’re in Auckland and are the first named electricity holder for a household power account, then you should be able to vote in the Entrust election. But you will have to post TODAY. The damn election got around 9% turnout last time, so putting in a vote is actually significiant. I posted mine last week for More for You, Better for Auckland. Statement from Patrick Reynolds for them (and blogger at Greater Auckland blog).

Critically important election for our electricity system ends at 5pm on Friday 25 October

This election is critically important, as there are pressing challenges but also greater opportunities for our electricity system now more than ever before. New, proven technologies and new threats are here. Both are currently missed by the incumbent EntrustTrustees – often wilfully. Entrust is a community owned asset run for over 30 years by the same C&R ticket like a private fiefdom with a suppressed election every three years. Despite the claims of the current chair, there is no budget to publicise or educate voters about the election nor has any attempt been made to modernise the election (C&R’s own factsheet confirms the only election promotion is a “link” on the Entrust website).  The 2024 Entrust AGM is being held the evening before Election Day (7pm on Thursday 24 October) further limiting the ability of voters to be fully informed before voting.  In 2021 the AGM lasted just 34 minutes. 

At the core of C&R’s mismanagement, which has seen a 27.5% decrease in the real value of the dividend in the last 18 years,  is a determinedly narrow reading of their roles and responsibilities, they claim they have no power to do anything, however they have a controlling 75% ownership of Vector yet fail entirely to guide it strategically. And admit as much! Claiming to do so would disadvantage minority shareholders. This is nothing but an excuse for inaction. 

More for You, Better for Auckland, the independent progressive team challenging C&R for the leadership of Entrust, offers a clear alternative. Over the last 5 weeks we have clearly set out how we will actively work to lower power bills and secure power supply.  We will modernise the election and make Entrust accountable.  Our policies are evidenced-based and backed by expert research. 

Instead of Trustees who see their role only in passing on the dividend (and paying out just before voting starts) we could have dynamic and future- focused leadership. It is possible to deliver the dividend AND a solar future.  Vision and ambition matters to set Vector on a strategic path able to absorb the shocks and demands of our age, affordably and efficiently. Entrust with new leadership can aspire to a world- leading, secure distributed network making the best of proven,  cost effective, new technology for the benefit of all Aucklanders.   

HOW TO VOTE

Completed Entrust ballot papers can be posted in the self addressed envelope in either a DX mail box OR NZ post mail box up until 5pm on Thursday 24 October.  

Alternatively, voting papers can be dropped off to the orange ballot bins at 9 Woolworths supermarkets across the Entrust District (Waiheke Island, Quay Street, Mt Eden, Mt Roskill, Greenlane, Mangere Mall, Manukau City Centre, Botany Downs, Pakuranga) or at the Election Office: Marketing Impact, Level 1, 79 Hugo Johnston Drive, Penrose right up until 5pm on Election Day Friday 25 October.

CONTACT

Patrick Reynolds, spokesperson More for You, Better for Auckland 

Phone 0274 722 388   patrick@patrickreynolds.co.nz

Entrust Election FAQ

Media release 21 October Auckland’s Solar Future: good for people, the planet – and your pocket, says More for You, Better for Auckland

Media release 16 October Fresh leadership will modernise the Entrust election so it’s democratic and fit for purpose

Media release 6 October  New Entrust leadership will bring down power prices 

Media release 23 September  Cynically-timed “windfall” hides C&R’s poor performance governing Entrust

Media release 14 September  Fresh team taking on the Entrust Election to bring down power bills

5 comments on “Auckland Entrust Election – today is the last day ”

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  1. lprent 1
    24 October 2024 at 12:13 pm

    I have to say that postal voting now really sucks.

    I went online to find out the nearest post-box. NZ Post doesn't appear to have a map locator anymore. So they even have postboxes on the street anymore? Ones not outside NZ post shops. I couldn't find the one that I vaguely remember used to be up the road from my place. My bad toe did not appreciate the walk up the hill, and I was pissed off when it was gone.

    Looked at the DX box locator and found the PDF for Auckland. The closest was down at Grey Lynn in a location that sucks to get to on a bike.

    Eventually I just e-biked down Ponsonby Road to Three Lamps and found the post box outside the postshop. I get a better grade of coffee than I make at home and went home.

    Postal voting needs to relegated to the dustbin of history. As a professional programmer I still don't trust internet voting. It is simply not safe enough for one-off setups as important as voting.

    The entrust election needs to be attached to other elections like local body elections and we need to go back to polling stations. Postal voting has been a ongoing disaster for decades.

      • lprent 1.1.1
        24 October 2024 at 1:05 pm

        Useful – thanks for that.

        The Local Electoral Reform Issues paper will be released on Thursday 24 October. Submissions close at midnight on Sunday 19 January 2025, with the final position paper to be released in July 2025.

        I probably need to submit on that. Because I am sure that the penny-pinchers will try for a online solution. Personally I favour local polling booths rather than the alternative, which is some kind of online secure system.

        Unless the electoral commission or a national body sets up a country wide at scale system and maintain it at a running level essentially all of the time to handle things like referendums, entrust elections or whatever there will be failures.

        What we will get is every local body trying to maintain a secure system for 3 tears between elections and failing. Or they will try to setup a new system every 3 years and fail. Even the electoral commission has problems with it.

        Look at the online roll debacle at the last general election. The issues with the census over the last couple of cycles. It almost went ok last time – but that could just be sheer luck. Or even MyMSD and MyIRD which I have had to interact with this year – they work most of the time.

        If I was doing this professionally (not that I would be interested in the risks) for the electoral commission, I'd advise hooking up with a organisation that does have secure all the time client facing capabilities at scale. ie a Banking system. I'd piggy back on the top of their systems.

        However I suspect there would be some pretty severe issues getting that into legislation and having it available at need with those organisations.

        Plus you’d still have to have local booths for the people without online access or an aversion to working online. About 1 in 10 would be my guess these days.

    • Pippa Coom 1.2
      24 October 2024 at 2:06 pm

      Thanks for going to all that effort.

      Entrust is the last of the community trusts to still run a postal vote. It is completely within the power of the Trustees to purse the modenisation if the election and at least extend the voting period but of course it suits the C&R incumbents to maintain the status quo. (they also don't campaign in person relying mainly on an expensive direct mail out to the National party database). C&R are lying like flatfish claiming that there is "promotion" and "advertising" of the election. There is ZERO budget and only a link on the Entrust website hidden behind a large ad for the dividend (other trusts also do not pay out a dividend just before voting and don't spend over $1m distributing and advertising the dividend).

      The returning officers relies on the retailers to supply the mailing addresses for sending out voting papers. There is no incentive to keep the addresses up to date because every power account has an email address. This is why many people have not received voting papers (or voting papers have gone to the developer of new subdivisions)
      The election is only on for 16 days (compared with 33 for local government) – some people only received Entrust voting papers 6 days after voting had started.
      There are so many barriers! C&R is willfully suppressing the vote . So every vote really does count – postal today until 5pm. And tomorrow at drop off ballot boxes until 5pm (only 10 locations for the whole Entrust district so will take a lot of motivation to find a ballot box tomorrow)

  2. Bruce 2
    24 October 2024 at 4:35 pm

    Thanks great post but as painted on the wall "general apathy has a large army"

    "The core of C&R’s mismanagement, which has seen a 27.5% decrease in the real value of the dividend in the last 18 years," needed to be painted on some walls because holding onto your $350 dividend was the only message C&R had and Im sure sucked alot of people in.

    My only conversation in past weeks has been "are you voting" and a blank stare is the overwhelming response.

    So it goes.