Banks’ leadership takes battering
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- Date published:
2:40 pm, November 6th, 2009 - 6 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, john banks -
Tags: aaron bhatnagar, auckland supercity, john banks
Fresh from pulling the pin (then blaming others) on a Queen’s Wharf redesign competition he himself conceived, led and championed, Remuera mayor John ‘in your guts you know he’s nuts’ Banks has again flip-flopped on a policy proposal from his council.
Yesterday the Banks’ and C&R led proposal for after-hours car parking charges for Auckland’s CBD was formally withdrawn by the council’s Transport Committee.
However, as City Vision leader Richard Northey notes: C&R Deputy-Mayor David Hay told the Transport Committee he ‘wouldn’t be surprised if charges for parking after 6pm weren’t brought in parts of the CBD’ after a promised reconsideration in February.
Perhaps that’s part of their secret plan to extend the charges to Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell. So look out the rest of Auckland – Banks and the Citrats are coming for you.
It seems, yet again, Banks has arrogantly pushed an un-popular policy on the people of Auckland without properly considering the consequences, then having to back down (perhaps it was this 11,000 person strong Facebook group that scared him off, given the only reason his bumbling sidekick Cr Aaron Bhatnager could give for dropping his 11pm bar closing time policy was this 6,000 person Facebook group – have a listen to him on this disaster of an interview).
People visiting the CBD shouldn’t have to leave their movie, dinner or after work drink to pay Banks’ revenue-gathering parking meters.
This flip-flop adds to the mounting examples of Banks’ failed leadership (and must be doing real damage to his super-mayoralty chances next year), which currently include:
- Leading a flawed design competition for Queen’s wharf, then trying to blame other people when Aucklanders didn’t like the ideas
- Trying to close down Auckland nightlife by imposing an 11pm closing time on bars and restaurants, noting ‘my fingerprints’ were all over the policy
- His council wasting $1.5 million failing to clean up a street
- The lax oversight of his council leading to paying twice for footpaths, then forgetting to pay the same contractor for other work (then, oddly, pleading/issuing a thinly veiled threat to the contractor to not ask to be paid, given the $100 million of footpath work they have been awarded)
- Voting in secret to underwrite My Fair Lady which eventually lost $2.5 million, then refusing to acknowledge any incompetence by the council or The Edge for the losses
- Being the director of a company (along with Don Brash) that is under investigation by the securities commission for illegal selling practices (in any other country a person in a position of public responsibility would do the honourable thing and step down from their position while the investigation was undertaken)
- Promising to fire 2,700 employees in the new super-city, meaning council services such as libraries, pools, parks and community centres will need to be cut
- Promising to tell lies about his secret agenda for the super-city saying ‘if I wear my policy on my sleeve, I won’t get elected’
Along with Banks’ shameful first term record of: privatising half of Auckland City Council’s share of Auckland Airport, selling off pensioner housing because the elderly living in them were a ‘non-core’ activity, pushing a failed V8 race in downtown Auckland against the wishes of local residents and costing ratepayers $750,000, and trying to ram a $4 billion highway through the eastern suburbs, it is clear Banks hasn’t learnt anything and his self-described vaunted strong leadership is deserting him.
Then again, I don’t actually recall Banks leading anything much in his terms as mayor…
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The Government has used its final post-Cabinet press conference of the year to punch down on local government without offering any credible solutions to the issues our councils are facing. ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt breaks promise on EV chargers
The Government has failed to keep its promise to ‘super charge’ the EV network, delivering just 292 chargers - less than half of the 670 chargers needed to meet its target. ...6 days ago
- Greens call for end to subsidies for Methanex
The Green Party is calling for the Government to stop subsidising the largest user of the country’s gas supplies, Methanex, following a report highlighting the multi-national’s disproportionate influence on energy prices in Aotearoa. ...6 days ago
- Govt child poverty targets allow for increase in poverty
The Green Party is appalled with the Government’s new child poverty targets that are based on a new ‘persistent poverty’ measure that could be met even with an increase in child poverty. ...1 week ago
- Release: Four weeks annual leave under threat
The Government’s attack on workers continues with news it is scrapping work on the Holidays Act. ...1 week ago
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- Greens stand in solidarity with Whakaata Māori on sad day
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- Release: National Party urged to support modern slavery legislation
Labour is urging the Prime Minister to walk the talk and support legislation combating modern slavery. ...1 week ago
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The Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament made an unprecedented decision on the government amendment to the Fast Track Approvals Bill last night. ...1 week ago
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- Release: Labour fully supports greyhound racing ban
The Government has done the right thing in moving to ban greyhound racing. ...2 weeks ago
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The Green Party is appalled at the Government introducing legislation that will make it easier to penalise workers fighting for better pay and conditions. ...2 weeks ago
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Auckland Central MP, Chlöe Swarbrick, has written to Mayor Wayne Brown requesting he stop the unnecessary delays on St James Theatre’s restoration. ...2 weeks ago
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- Internationally-trained doctors jump at chance to boost health workforce
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has appointed Sarah Ottrey to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). “At my first APEC Summit in Lima, I experienced firsthand the role that ABAC plays in guaranteeing political leaders hear the voice of business,” Mr Luxon says. “New Zealand’s ABAC representatives are very well respected and ...2 days ago
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The Government’s measures to reduce airport wait times, and better transparency around flight disruptions is delivering encouraging early results for passengers ahead of the busy summer period, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Improving the efficiency of air travel is a priority for the Government to give passengers a smoother, more reliable ...2 days ago
- Ending contracted emergency housing in Rotorua
The Government today announced the intended closure of the Apollo Hotel as Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) in Rotorua, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. This follows a 30 per cent reduction in the number of households in CEH in Rotorua since National came into Government. “Our focus is on ending CEH in the Whakarewarewa area starting ...2 days ago
- Vocational education and training decisions support return to regions
The Government will reshape vocational education and training to return decision making to regions and enable greater industry input into work-based learning Tertiary Education and Skills Minister, Penny Simmonds says. “The redesigned system will better meet the needs of learners, industry, and the economy. It includes re-establishing regional polytechnics that ...2 days ago
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The Government is taking action to better manage synthetic refrigerants and reduce emissions caused by greenhouse gases found in heating and cooling products, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Regulations will be drafted to support a product stewardship scheme for synthetic refrigerants, Ms. Simmonds says. “Synthetic refrigerants are found in a ...2 days ago
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People travelling on State Highway 1 north of Hamilton will be relieved that remedial works and safety improvements on the Ngāruawāhia section of the Waikato Expressway were finished today, with all lanes now open to traffic, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“I would like to acknowledge the patience of road users ...2 days ago
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- Government to celebrate Waitangi Day around NZ
The Government will have senior representatives at Waitangi Day events around the country, including at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but next year Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has chosen to take part in celebrations elsewhere. “It has always been my intention to celebrate Waitangi Day around the country with different ...3 days ago
- More gangs added to Gangs Act list
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Fixed the bullet points…
Pretty unfair to blame the Queen’s Wharf thing on him. He was surprised as anyone when Key suddenly announced it. ACC are upgrading Aotea Square- am pretty siure that’s where they want to put party central.
Personally I don’t agree with his limited vision of what local government can do, but I agree with him on this one.
It’s ironic that the Banks led council are one of the reasons for creating supercity as they don’t play nicely with the others and have no vision or coherent plan for urban development and associated infrastructure…..my street was recently resealed by the lowest bid contractor and is effectively buggered now with rippling and loose seal over what used to be a nice ashpalt surface…..thanks banks.
As for his leadership taking a battering…….there isn’t much left to beat up after a below average career as an MP and a cavalcade of incompetance as mayor.
What does it matter anyway, supermayor will be a toothless tiger……to ensure plonkers like Banks even can’t screw up NACT’s agenda.
tc Are you sure that Banks as supermayor would be a toothless tiger? The position could encourage presidential style elections, costing lots and going to celebrities with no real interest in serving the interests of all the people. Then he would have such a large population. And there is big money in it, that would draw in lots of ambitious people. Then I see the old rivalry between Auckland and government in Wellington arising. All together there is power in that Auckland position.
Sam, you forgot the water charges and dividend from Watercare subsidising rates that was to end under JB reign version ii. That promise did not last long.
tc if you only knew how councils “utilise” our money. I have found that it was better to be nieve and not know than to have contact/battles with councils on how they spend/waste our money. Who ever said “Ignorage is Bliss” was right on the mark.