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Banks desperate
Written By: - Date published: 12:54 pm, October 6th, 2010 - 60 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.
Wade-Brown with a chance to beat Prendergast
Written By: - Date published: 3:05 pm, October 4th, 2010 - 13 comments
Everyone had pretty much assumed that Kerry Prendergast was a sure thing to win another term as Wellington’s mayor. But a Dompost poll shows Celia Wade-Brown is in the hunt. With a small gap and low turn-out every vote matters – so cast yours for Wade-Brown today.
No rest for team Brown
Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, October 4th, 2010 - 19 comments
The weekend headlines make it seem like Brown has the Auckland Mayoral election all but won. That’s an invitation to self-defeating complacency. Team Brown needs to keep up the hard work — it ain’t over ’till it’s over.
Be rad: vote Yani and James
Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, October 3rd, 2010 - 10 comments
OK, so it’s quite up with the best campaign ad ever, but Yani Johanson and James Dann’s anti-Bob Parker rap brought a smile to my face. Yani is running for councillor in the Hagley-Ferrymead ward and James is going for the Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board, both on the People’s Choice ticket.
Banks and the South Auckland bashers
Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, October 2nd, 2010 - 27 comments
John Banks has made bashing South Auckland part of his campaign “strategy”. That didn’t work out so well for Melissa Lee, and it won’t work out so well for others that are now trying the same tactic…
John Banks – another Melissa Lee
Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, October 1st, 2010 - 74 comments
John Banks has been slagging off South Auckland. Ooops. That’s the same mistake that Melissa Lee made in the Mt Albert by election. The same mistake deserves the same fate. Banks cannot credibly operate as mayor of the SuperCity.
Que CERRA, CERRA?
Written By: - Date published: 6:30 pm, September 29th, 2010 - 63 comments
After picking up my award for worst ever ‘Standard’ post title, I’d just like to say that there seems to a penchant these days to leave too many things up to higher powers, or perceived authorities. And authorities and those who are ideologically aligned with them or reliant upon them, naturally enough encourage such a giving away of agency. It’s not always deliberate. And it’s certainly not a conspiracy. It’s just the way it is and is borne of habit. This morning afforded a fairly clear example of it.
A suggestion for students
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, September 27th, 2010 - 154 comments
The voluntary student union membership bill is based on a false premise, and a reflexive tory hatred for the word “union”. I have a suggestion for students…
Vote fraud fallout
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, September 26th, 2010 - 35 comments
It looks like a Labour candidate may be involved in electoral fraud.
If this is the case the party says it will come down on them hard.
But it may also have to take a look at how local body candidates get on the Labour ticket.
Super City Picks
Written By: - Date published: 1:46 pm, September 26th, 2010 - 18 comments
Matt McCarten’s website for who to pick for a progressive Super City is finally up. If you’re in Auckland and haven’t voted yet – make sure to have a look.
Left voting guide to DCC elections
Written By: - Date published: 11:13 am, September 25th, 2010 - 57 comments
A reader has sent us a Lefty’s guide to voting in the Dunedin City Council elections. With the huge numbers of candidates and the relatively small amount of information we get on them, this kind of guide is really useful. If anyone else wants to put together a voting guide for their local bodies we’ll (almost certainly) publish it.
John Banks: Signs I’d like to see
Written By: - Date published: 7:29 am, September 22nd, 2010 - 33 comments
John Banks has gone big on billboards in his campaign for mayor. So I thought I’d show some that I’d like to see…
The first diktats
Written By: - Date published: 8:07 am, September 21st, 2010 - 29 comments
On Thursday, our new dictator Gerry Brownlee decreed by Order in Council that the following Acts of Parliament were amended: the Building Act, the Local Government Act, the Resource Management Act, various pieces of transport legislation, and the Civil Defence Act. Most of the changes deal with minutiae of government. Some are less innocuous.
Brown to beat Banks, don’t tell Granny
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, September 16th, 2010 - 11 comments
Two more Supercity polls. Brown ahead 29% v 17% in a Horizon poll. Herald’s Digipoll has it closer – 29.8% v 27.8%. Brown still ahead. Naturally, the Herald calls it too close to call. Looks like the Right’s plan for an Auckland coup is coming unstuck. Guess they’re lucky Labour and the Greens supported their nation-wide coup instead.
Losing Momentum
Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, September 15th, 2010 - 32 comments
Momentum Recruitment is in the gun yet again, this time for placing a woman in an accounting firm when she did not have the qualifications she claimed. The fake accountant then went on to defraud the company Momentum had placed her with of $60,000. Momentum is the same company that placed fantasist Stephen Wilce in […]
Desperation from Banks team
Written By: - Date published: 12:29 pm, September 14th, 2010 - 32 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.
Election in the shadow of the Christchurch earthquake
Written By: - Date published: 6:59 am, September 14th, 2010 - 39 comments
Jim Anderton’s mayoral campaign got a lot harder last week. He had been the favourite by a long, long way but Bob Parker has handled the disaster recovery well and he will win votes for that. But it doesn’t change why the people wanted shot of Parker and Anderton in his place. All’s not lost. Jim’s holding a community forum tonight in Woolston.
Where do you stand
Written By: - Date published: 8:10 pm, September 13th, 2010 - 8 comments
Obviously tired of politicians saying one thing on the campaign trail and then doing the exact opposite when they’re in office (which reminds me of a a great George Bush joke ) the PSA have just launched a nice and simple website Where do you stand designed to hold local government candidates to account over community […]
Ralston Attempts Hijack of Radio NZ SuperCity Debate
Written By: - Date published: 1:57 pm, September 13th, 2010 - 36 comments
In the lecture theatre that the Radio NZ SuperCity debate was held this morning Len Brown clearly and easily won – but how did it appear on radio?
Bill Ralston and his coterie did his best to even up the perceptions…
Banks lays down with dogs, Brown comes up smelling of roses
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, September 10th, 2010 - 15 comments
It’s been interesting to watch the Nats’ smear machine switch focus from Len Brown to Andrew Williams in recent days. I guess that’s what you get for letting Cameron Slater become your de facto chief strategist. Maybe the Nats have worked out that they’re not going to beat Brown. This article in the Herald certainly won’t help Banks one iota.
Another broken Supercity promise
Written By: - Date published: 2:28 pm, August 28th, 2010 - 18 comments
Yet another broken promise on the Auckland Supercity, as ministers fail to consult on the directors of council-controlled organisations. Will The Herald stand by its earlier thundering editorial?
John Banks: Knucklescraper
Written By: - Date published: 12:02 pm, August 6th, 2010 - 17 comments
A story in the Heralds Sideswipe offers and interesting insight into veteran professional politician John Banks, and his priorities and social evolution. I’d suggest that women and any males who aren’t still living in the 19th century take note – and vote against the knuckle scraper.
C&R: A risky misuse of rates
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, August 4th, 2010 - 73 comments
Why in hell are John Banks and the irresponsible Citizens and Ratepayers dominated Auckland City Council giving me (as a ratepayer) the risks of rebuilding Eden Park. They (and I) already have more than enough risks to handle in the massive costs of the leaky building liabilities.
Sucking up to Banksie
Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, July 31st, 2010 - 17 comments
I know that The Herald likes to campaign for the Right, but surely this overdose of sucking up to “Banksie” sets new records?
Brown for democracy
Written By: - Date published: 7:30 am, July 30th, 2010 - 25 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?
Key gambles with Aucklanders’ future
Written By: - Date published: 11:51 am, July 27th, 2010 - 53 comments
John Key glibly admitted yesterday that the Supercity is “risky”. We’ve been saying it all along and the evidence is all that the Supercity will be expensive, unrepresentative, and unresponsive to local needs.
So, if it’s so risky, why the hell is Key doing it?
Can we talk about the issues please?
Written By: - Date published: 10:42 am, July 14th, 2010 - 25 comments
Can we pease have some reporting on the actual issues in the super-major race and where the candidates stand? I’m so sick and tired of loading the news-sites to be told who spent what on what (with the implication that there’s all a massive scandal somewhere) or a factual piece reporting on the opinion of some supposed expert on how the candiates are doing as if it’s a horse race.
A flower too far?
Written By: - Date published: 9:20 am, July 14th, 2010 - 14 comments
John Banks has put his foot in it again, and his sanctimonious claims about ratepayers’ money are looking ever more hypocritical. But I don’t want to know how much other politicians are spending on flowers, I really don’t care. I think the pendulum has swung too far in terms of examining the minute of the spending of public figures.
Williams and Haden
Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, July 11th, 2010 - 6 comments
Minor bits of “people news” this weekend. Andrew Williams has thrown his hat in to the ring for Supercity Mayor. And Andy Haden has finally been fired resigned from his role as RWC Ambassador (exit stage right, still blaming the media).
Party failure
Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, July 11th, 2010 - 21 comments
“Why, if you are an international rugby fan, would you leave Eden Park and hop on a train, eschewing the delights of Kingsland’s cafes, going directly past the thriving night life of Ponsonby and taking a right on to a bleak windswept wharf instead of a left to the maelstrom that is the Viaduct?”
Indeed!
Blubbering into oblivion
Written By: - Date published: 4:47 pm, July 7th, 2010 - 47 comments
I had to laugh at this comment by Mako about my least favorite wingnut… More desperate anti-Brown smearing from Slater. His latest allegation is that ‘Looney Len’ wants every school to plant 500 trees a year. A waste of our precious education budget! he wails. Child slave labour! he howls. ‘Surely one of his backers […]
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