Have your say, make them listen

Written By: - Date published: 5:03 am, May 12th, 2009 - 14 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, democracy under attack, democratic participation - Tags:

democracy-under-attack1

The government has announced its legislative plan for the supercity in a press release from John Carter, rather than Rodney Hide whose arrogant mishandling of the issue is privately blamed by National for the growing unrest in Auckland. The press release says:

Now that the Government has announced our position on the Royal Commission’s Report into Auckland’s Governance, we’re taking the next step.

You play a big part in that.

OK, how?

We will pass the first Bill into law under Urgency this week.

So, no part for the public there then, just a quick rubber stamp from Parliament.

As the second and third Bills go through select committee, Aucklanders will get a chance to have a say about the region’s structure.

Ah, here we go.

If you feel strongly, I urge you to contribute to this process. I’m interested to know what you think about the number of at-large councillors and the responsibilities you think the Local Boards should have.

Ah, so Aucklanders part is limited to saying what they think about how many at-large councillors there should be and the powers of Local Boards? Nothing about the local councils. Nothing about Maori seats. Nothing about limits on the power of the mayor. Nothing anti-supercity. They don’t want to hear it and we all know that submissions to the select committee will just be ignored.

It’s not good enough. Let’s talk about what we can do to make them listen.

14 comments on “Have your say, make them listen ”

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  1. lprent 1
    12 May 2009 at 8:14 am

    Arrogant pricks. Don’t think that I’ll bother with the select committee consultation, it is so obviously just a figleaf. I’ll just move to straight resistance.

    Since ‘democracy’ has been violated it looks like some direct action is required.

  2. bilbo 2
    12 May 2009 at 8:35 am

    When if ever are we going to be told what this means for the ratepayers rates bill.

    I would think most people will be for or ‘agin’ the Supercity based on what it’ll cost them in the back pocket under a supercity council vs our current councils setup…….. as it is we’re supposed to make a decision based on what ?

    • Tigger 2.1
      12 May 2009 at 8:36 am

      As a non-resident ratepayer that’s what I want to know.

      Still waiting for some answers NACT….

    • mickysavage 2.2
      12 May 2009 at 8:42 am

      The ratepayer’s bill for this is the sleeping giant in this matter. Waitakere City did an estimate and thought that it would cost $550 per ratepayer.

      Remind me again why we are going through with this?

      • lprent 2.2.1
        12 May 2009 at 9:07 am

        That was on the Royal Commissions proposal which was considerably less of a shift than Rodney’s one – which isn’t costed. It was also just for the first year where most of the substantial cost would happen under the RC’s proposal because it is a relatively simple shuffle from the existing system to a similar system with 6 councils.

        Given the additional complexity of the radical shift that NACT is proposing and the longer time that it is likely to take, it wouldn’t surprise me that a conservative cost would be in the order of $2000 per household over 3-4 years.

        However in the absence of information this is speculation. You’d think that NACT would have costed the proposal before putting it up and rushing through legislation. But apparently because it doesn’t come out of the government coffers, no-one in Wellington is all that concerned with governmental best practices or Auckland rate-payers.

        captcha: un- eureka
        It is what I wish Rodney would do….

        • bilbo 2.2.1.1
          12 May 2009 at 9:38 am

          Are you saying a relatively simple shuffle from 6 councils to 1 biggie costs upwards of half a billion dollars of ratepayers money – if so I have a few suggestions how the money might better spent ……… unless of course our rates bills will be coming down over time by more than that half billion …… fat fecking chance of that.

  3. jarbury 3
    12 May 2009 at 9:55 am

    The single main reason why the Royal Commission went with the 6 councils rather than the 20 odd councils/boards/whatevers was the cost and disruption of that option. So if their recommendation was $550 per person then I’d hate to know what they rejected as being too expensive and disrupted…. oh that’s right, that’s what we’re getting.

    What happened to Rodney Hide being the Minister for Ratepayers?

  4. Kim 4
    12 May 2009 at 10:09 am

    Yellow collar crime.

  5. jarbury 5
    12 May 2009 at 11:55 am

    Question time today should be interesting:

    Hon PHIL GOFF to the Prime Minister: Does he intend to deny Aucklanders the right to vote on the reorganisation of local government in Auckland as they would have if the reorganisation was carried out under the Local Government Act 2002; if so, why?

  6. r0b 6
    12 May 2009 at 12:11 pm

    No surprises here. This government has been very clear right from the start that it doesn’t intend to listen. From 16 April:

    But Mr Hide made it clear those who opposed the plans for the Super City and how it was being structured should prepare to be disappointed.

    Also:

    Auckland Mayor John Banks said Mr Hide was prepared to listen to everyone who had something sound and sensible to add to the debate. “The structure of the proposition won’t change. What will happen now is we’re going to get a coalition of agreement on how we should build more democracy into those community boards.

    Mmmm yes, community boards with no powers. Very democratic.

  7. infused 7
    12 May 2009 at 2:53 pm

    Man, labour are very poor in the house today.

  8. Akldnut 8
    12 May 2009 at 7:37 pm

    Wonder if Nact is prepared to offer a 50+ per month rebate on the rates to anyone who supports this stupid fucking Super Shitty – might catch the support of all those swing voters from last November.

    Capcha: humping housed – poetic rephrase for “fucking the rate payers”

  9. Welly Mason 9
    13 May 2009 at 10:17 pm

    Did anyone notice that neither TV1 or TV3 bothered to carry a story tonight about one of the most the draconican pieces of legislation – The Local Government (Auckland Reorganisation) Bill which is before the House tonight and will be rushed through under urgency.

    They are setting up a new select committee, heavly weighted towards themselves with 5 Nats, 1 ACT, 1 Maori, 1 Green and 3 Labour MP sitting on it. Hide will be the Chair. They actually already have a select committee to deal with this but NO they can’t control that one so they create a new one instead.

    Who knows, who is going to be appointed to the tranistional board, with almost no accountability to the people of Auckland let alone the rest of us.

    Where is the accountability and openness that National promised us all.

    If the right thought that the EFA was democracy under attack, then how can they justify this as true democracy.

    Shame on you !!!

    • r0b 9.1
      13 May 2009 at 10:51 pm

      how can they justify this as true democracy.

      They can’t, They’re not even trying. But they’re going to get away with it unless Aucklanders stand up for themselves…