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AT is to be gutted

Written By: - Date published: 6:35 pm, December 4th, 2024 - 3 comments

The Government announced reform of AT, effectively conceding that the behemouth National created in 2010 was the wrong structure.

How does the left win the Auckland Mayoralty?

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, October 8th, 2024 - 28 comments

I think the left should find a Mayoral candidate to advance progressive principles and policies. And with a muscular fight on the right there may be the opportunity for a candidate to come through the middle and win.

National and the Gutting of Local Democracy

Written By: - Date published: 7:57 pm, February 13th, 2024 - 16 comments

We have remarkably little democracy left in New Zealand. 

Why selling Auckland Port Operations is a particularly silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 4:30 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 4 comments

It is a given that the right in power want to sell public assets off and the left want to retain those assets. And it appears that the right’s eyes are on Ports of Auckland.

Why Public Ownership Is Great

Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, June 25th, 2023 - 10 comments

In the absence of any political party stating clearly that public ownership of major infrastructure is a very good idea, here’s 10 good things public ownership of infrastructure does that private ownership doesn’t.

Brown wants to privatise Ports of Auckland Operations

Written By: - Date published: 10:59 am, June 23rd, 2023 - 22 comments

Fresh from his success at selling off part of Auckland Council’s Airport shares Wayne Brown has proposed another privatisation, that of Ports of Auckland Operations by way of the granting of an operating lease for the Port’s activities.

About Wayne Brown’s dereliction of duty

Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, April 15th, 2023 - 22 comments

Dear journalists, please do not let Mayor Wayne Brown off the hook regarding his appalling dereliction of duty.

Wayne’s budget has nothing to do with saving money

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, March 26th, 2023 - 53 comments

We have heard numerous claims from Auckland mayor Wayne Brown and his supporters that the proposed budget is about saving money and getting rid of a nearly $300 million hole. This is a huge disservice to Aucklanders and hugely misleading.

Is it too early to talk about climate change?

Written By: - Date published: 8:58 am, February 13th, 2023 - 50 comments

Two unprecedented summertime storms in Auckland suggest that the threats posed by climate change are not in our future but are here now.

A week in the life of Mayor Wayne Brown

Written By: - Date published: 12:09 pm, February 3rd, 2023 - 34 comments

The Mayor of Supercity this week has given a textbook example of how not to communicate in a crisis.

National’s Brown problem

Written By: - Date published: 9:07 am, February 2nd, 2023 - 71 comments

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown is providing National strategists with a rather large headache.

2023: Year of the Long Grind

Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, February 1st, 2023 - 30 comments

There will be no respite for any of us this year; it’s a politics and a society of endurance.

Super City’s handling of the storm event

Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, January 29th, 2023 - 135 comments

As Auckland slowly recovers but ready itself for further storms there is some attention being given to review Council’s response to the super storm. The initial impression, and this is held widely is that the response was sub optimal.

Why selling Auckland Airport shares is a silly thing to do

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 am, December 20th, 2022 - 34 comments

Wayne Brown is proposing the sale of Auckland Council’s Airport shares to plug a budget hole.  He thinks it is a simple decision and a rational way to take care of the deficit.  I beg to differ.

Wayne Brown’s letters

Written By: - Date published: 8:52 am, October 20th, 2022 - 50 comments

Wayne Brown (or is that Matthew Hooton) has over the past few days released a series of letters that are astonishing in their audacity.  His latest on transport proposes business as usual at a time when dramatic change is required.

 

The Auckland Mayor’s powers

Written By: - Date published: 9:29 am, October 18th, 2022 - 72 comments

Wayne Brown has by Mayoral decree ordered Watercare to stop working on the Three Waters reform.  But he should take legal advice because his decree has absolutely no legal force.

We needed Wayne Brown

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, October 11th, 2022 - 81 comments

The left and the Ardern government need to start appreciating the new Auckland mayor.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.