“No taxation without representation” was the slogan of the American revolution. American colonists felt deeply aggrieved that taxes were imposed without their involvement and without proper democratic representation. Colonists expressed their feelings by tarring and feathering tax collectors. They were so aggrieved that they went to war over the issue.
ACT leader Rodney Hide is responsible for ramming through legislation establishing the Auckland “Super City” and for the shape of the planned structure. The ACT party received a tiny 3.65% of the party vote in the 2008 elections, however, it has been enabled to control the structure and direction of New Zealand’s largest city and economic powerhouse.
The Herald reports that much of the power in the new Super City will be held by council controlled organisations. These organisations will be responsible for approximately 75% of Auckland services and their unelected directors will have free rein to make important city decisions. The organisations will have no obligation to consult and no responsibility to the public if things go wrong. The existence of these powerful organisations will deny the people of Auckland fair democratic representation and water down the power of the elected mayor.
War is not an appropriate response to this dictatorial imposition; however, it is to be hoped that Aucklanders will not have forgotten who is responsible, for giving them rates taxation without proper representation, at election time.
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