local government

Categories under local government

The people have spoken

Written By: - Date published: 8:21 am, October 10th, 2022 - 147 comments

The people have spoken and with appallingly low turnout levels grumpy campaigns have succeeded and Auckland and other areas have moved to the right.

Local Government election results

Written By: - Date published: 1:52 pm, October 8th, 2022 - 256 comments

Live updates and discussion post

Own our future

Written By: - Date published: 8:48 am, October 6th, 2022 - 43 comments

This year’s Local Government election is reaching a critical stage.  And it is vital to get the right people elected.  Please make sure that your families and friends vote for progressive candidates.  Your kids and your grandkids futures depend on it.

The difference between Simon Wilson and Mike Hosking

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, October 3rd, 2022 - 47 comments

Wayne Brown’s mayoral campaign hit a really big pothole on the weekend when he was caught bad mouthing Herald reporter Simon Wilson.  His comments received a lot of support from the right on social media who made comments about Wilson similar to the comments the left make about Mike Hosking. Are these examples of the same phenomenon, political bias against critical commentators?

What is Paul Eagle doing?

Written By: - Date published: 12:33 pm, September 22nd, 2022 - 17 comments

Some concerning reports have emerged about Paul Eagle’s mayoral campaign. This week there have been reports that he snubbed a Labour Council candidate while endorsing a right wing candidate.  And that he has been working behind the scenes supporting a team of independents.

The right’s last desperate throw of the dice in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, September 16th, 2022 - 18 comments

Even though her name is on the ballot paper and people can vote for her National aligned Mayoral candidate Viv Beck has purported to withdraw from the Auckland Mayoral race.

Viv Beck going full Trump backfires

Written By: - Date published: 10:48 am, August 31st, 2022 - 28 comments

Recent leaks and publicity have caused huge damage to Viv Beck’s campaign to become Auckland’s next mayor.  They also highlight the stark difference between the left and the right in terms of campaigning.

Who will be Wellington’s next Mayor?

Written By: - Date published: 8:40 am, August 23rd, 2022 - 24 comments

The Wellington Mayoralty is shaping up to be a contest between the incumbent Andy Foster, Labour candidate Paul Eagle who will be a direct challenge to Foster’s support base and Tory Whanau who is standing on a policy basis strong on sustainability including the construction of a comprehensive connected bike network.

Molloy drops out of Mayoralty race

Written By: - Date published: 12:57 pm, August 12th, 2022 - 35 comments

Self described tough man Leo Molloy has found the going too tough and has pulled out of the Auckland mayoralty race.

Was This The Change We Needed?

Written By: - Date published: 1:07 pm, August 9th, 2022 - 11 comments

Crises that profoundly test a small developed state like New Zealand have required huge growth in state strength and policy power. But was it the change we needed?

Nonsense Auckland Council PR

Written By: - Date published: 12:34 pm, June 30th, 2022 - 19 comments

Sometimes the egregious spin gets too much.  And when developers who want a compact urban form are telling Auckland Council that its plans are not working you know Auckland Council has a problem.

The dodgy Auckland Mayoralty Curia poll

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, June 21st, 2022 - 104 comments

An Auckland Ratepayers Alliance Curia poll that was trumpeted as claiming that Efeso Collins and Leo Molloy were neck and neck in terms of public support has attracted criticism after it was disclosed that the poll of 500 persons had 53% stating that they did not know who they would vote for.

Tamaki Makaurau’s very own wannabe Trump

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, June 20th, 2022 - 41 comments

What started out as an ego driven campaign is now developing into full blown Trumism as Leo Molloy thrashes around attempting to court attention in the belief, Trump like, that it will convert into political support.

Selling Henderson Film Studios is Actually Good

Written By: - Date published: 8:15 am, June 15th, 2022 - Comments Off on Selling Henderson Film Studios is Actually Good

In 2003 Mayor Bob Harvey drove the formation of Film Auckland and the construction of the Henderson Valley Studios. Now they are being sold.  But this is a good thing.

The Auckland Mayoralty campaign

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, May 15th, 2022 - 9 comments

The Auckland mayoralty campaign promises to be a fascinating contest between a right winger promising to spend $1.5 million on the campaign and wants to turn sprinklers on the homeless and Efeso Collins who promises to run an inclusive respectful campaign.

The politics of opposition to cycleways

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, May 8th, 2022 - 53 comments

Opposition to Auckland Council’s Cycling and Micromobility Programme Business Case appears to be motivated by the belief that plans to have more of the population walk and cycle instead of using cars will be unpopular.  Overseas experience suggests that not only can these types of projects contribute significantly to sustainability but they can also be very popular.

3 Waters Reform Must Happen

Written By: - Date published: 5:22 pm, April 3rd, 2022 - 147 comments

If you’re out there in ZB land and believe that water management should be democratically elected, you won’t find respite here.  Local Government has done a terrible job dealing with water and change is urgently needed.

Free public transport for Auckland is a very good idea

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, February 23rd, 2022 - 66 comments

Efeso Collins has announced his first Mayoral campaign policy and it is a biggie, free public transport for Auckland.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff to Retire

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, February 15th, 2022 - 6 comments

Some thoughts on the contribution of Phil Goff to Auckland during his term as Mayor.

Goff retiring as super city mayor

Written By: - Date published: 11:04 am, February 14th, 2022 - 52 comments

Phil Goff has announced that he will not seek re-election as Auckland’s Mayor.

Light Rail: The State Is Back

Written By: - Date published: 9:46 am, January 31st, 2022 - 30 comments

The light rail route and mode decision this week shows something new. It’s in the nature of the state itself.

Goodbye, Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, December 14th, 2021 - 21 comments

For the hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders who have decided to holiday at a town near you, just be careful: they may never leave.

Who will be the next Auckland Mayor?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, December 4th, 2021 - 35 comments

Efeso Collins has announced that if Phil Goff does not stand as Mayor and Labour runs a selection process for the next Mayoralty he would be keen to nominate.

New Zealand’s New Low Carbon Economy Stays Difficult

Written By: - Date published: 9:52 am, November 7th, 2021 - 36 comments

Southland Mayor Gary Tong has justified felling a forest to construct a coal mine by saying “[w]e all want to make a cleaner, greener planet, but we can’t do it in five minutes.”

Covid alters Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, November 3rd, 2021 - 22 comments

With in-person shopping about to re-start in Auckland next week, this is the best moment we will have to reinvent Auckland: one customer at a time.

The Entrust election debacle

Written By: - Date published: 10:43 am, October 31st, 2021 - 56 comments

National aligned C&R has shown how bad it is at running elections by running an election where less than one in ten eligible people voted.

Who are these angry Aucklanders?

Written By: - Date published: 10:31 am, October 3rd, 2021 - 243 comments

This weekend there have been two attempts to undermine the current Auckland Covid lock down.  Brian Tamaki’s was not the most ludicrous.

Lockdown decision – which way will it go?

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, September 20th, 2021 - 171 comments

Cabinet meets today to decide on the future of the lockdown levels in Aotearoa and more specifically on Tamaki Makaurau.  Which way will it go?

COVID, We Need To Talk About Class

Written By: - Date published: 9:51 am, September 14th, 2021 - 27 comments

We’ve never seen a nationwide disease illustrate class and deprivation like the future of the country depended on it. Not like this. This should change us.

Delta Covid – the battle so far

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, September 14th, 2021 - 65 comments

As Tamaki Makaurau enters week four of lockdown things are at an interesting stage.

No Right Turn: Spy cameras literally are

Written By: - Date published: 6:05 am, June 29th, 2021 - 21 comments

Its time for our local authorities (and other bodies such as NZTA) to come clean, and confess whether they allow the SIS to access their camera networks in this way. That would allow the people to judge whether it is acceptable, and hold them accountable if they feel it necessary. But I suspect that that prospect is precisely why the SIS has kept this secret for so long.

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