Hide plays dictator of local government

Written By: - Date published: 12:24 pm, March 28th, 2010 - 79 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, local government, rodney hide, scoundrels - Tags:

Andrew Williams, mayor of North Shore, is clearly a bit of an odd-ball. Getting drunk and having a wee on his council building is the kind of behaviour that voters on the North Shore may well view dimly.

But it is totally beyond his power and right for Local Government Minister Rodney Hide to call for Williams to resign over it.

The Minister of Local Government is not some judge of the worthiness of elected local government officials to remain in their jobs. His job is just to administer central government’s local government legislation and act as a liaison between central and local government.

It’s outrageous, frankly, to see Hide once again over-stepping the constitutional limitations on his office. And it is clear his call for Williams’ resignation is politically motivated because Williams has been such a strong opponent of Hide’s undemocratic Supercity. I don’t see him calling for Michael Laws to step down despite his bizarre behaviour – in his private life, in his role as mayor, and in his media appearances.

If the people of North Shore want Williams to resign, they can pressure him to do or so or, at worst, not elect him to any super-council role he stands for. Maybe the people of North Shore simply feel that a bit of public urination is a small price to pay for having a good mayor. I don’t know or care. It is the business of the people of North Shore and no-one else’s.

Hide should butt out, try to do his own job well for once, and stop trying to interfere in the democratic process.

79 comments on “Hide plays dictator of local government ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Tigger 1
    28 March 2010 at 1:02 pm

    Glass house, meet stone.

  2. bill brown 2
    28 March 2010 at 1:06 pm

    Who put the SST up to creeping around after him anyway?

    Surely we should concentrate on the source of the leak (pun intended)

  3. Anne 3
    28 March 2010 at 1:19 pm

    If a few of Rodney Hide’s previous activities during the early days of his parliamentary career ever saw the light of day, then be assured it is he who would be having to “consider his options”.

  4. John Dalley 4
    28 March 2010 at 1:40 pm

    Tell us more!
    Carefully!

  5. the dude abides 5
    28 March 2010 at 1:41 pm

    Having grown up on the Shore, I can attest that getting hammered in a pub, taking a slash on the street and driving home with a skinful isn’t considered out of the ordinary.

    • felix 5.1
      28 March 2010 at 5:00 pm

      Indeed. It’d be a shock if anyone could get elected on the Shore without doing so.

  6. Michael Laws 6
    28 March 2010 at 2:04 pm

    Gee, I’d be intrigued to know what is so “bizarre” about my “private life” … more made up crap from the Left??

  7. northshoreratepayer 7
    28 March 2010 at 2:21 pm

    Williams is

    A. a buffoon
    B. a drunken tool
    C. a trougher
    D. ALL OF THE ABOVE

    • Patrick Baron 7.1
      28 March 2010 at 7:01 pm

      Leaves no room for a more nuanced opinon on Andrew Williams’ tenure as the last mayor of North Shore City. I voted for the incumbent in 2007 and was aghast when Andrew Williams won the mayoral chains. However against all my fears and expectations I think Mr Williams has been doing a reasonable job as mayor. However I think he may need to reassess how the “dignity of the office” could be managed more effectively.

      • northshoreratepayer 7.1.1
        29 March 2010 at 7:54 am

        Is that you Callum ?

        Andrew has repeatedly behaved like a complete egotist Dickhead and made a repeated fool of himself ……….. but you’re right that is considered reasonable for mayors in NZ.

        • Patrick Baron 7.1.1.1
          29 March 2010 at 6:11 pm

          No its not Callum. Andrew Williams is not quite the disaster zone people feared he would be (or suggest he is). The latest chapter added to “William’s Years” is essentially a textbook media beatup However if North Shore City was still extant during this year’s election I would be casting my vote for a candidate who is likely to be progressive thinking and acting in all the leadership dimensions of the mayoral office.

          • northshoreratepayer 7.1.1.1.1
            29 March 2010 at 9:17 pm

            Yes textbook media beatup… even though all sorts are making fun of the twat now including Ann Hartley and Labour .

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Williams_(New_Zealand)
            http://andrewwilliamsismad.blogspot.com/
            http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2010/03/29/williams-for-lords/

            We’ve certainly had some diddles as Northshore mayor but he really does take the cake.. jolly good that you’re defending his honour at Redalert.

            • lprent 7.1.1.1.1.1
              29 March 2010 at 10:56 pm

              It seems to me that what we are seeing are the usual morons from the lynch mob getting excited.

              At this point it is hard do see anything apart from some statements in the press, that appear to be problematic, and the usual idiotic personal attacks that blubber boy and his father seem to have been launching for the last year against anyone that they don’t like – including Williams. Rodney Hide is hamming it up against one of his most vocal critics. Basically just another wingnut con job is all that it looks like at present by the nasty little buggers.

              Of course there is a bit of humour around about the topic. It is a pity that you humourless numbnuts from the lynch mob don’t seem to get it…. But then you’re not exactly very smart.

              • luva …
                30 March 2010 at 1:42 am

                “,,, and the usual idiotic personal attacks that blubber boy and his father seem to have been launching for the last year against anyone that they don’t like..”

                haa – the irony of this statement coming from someone who calls those who he disagrees with the oh so charming and intelligent title “fuckwit”.

                Blubber is idiotic and personal, lprent is reasoned and objective.

                • lprent …
                  30 March 2010 at 8:38 am

                  Perhaps I should have said ‘unprovoked’..

                  As far as I can see this latest set of personal attacks against Williams (who I don’t know) has been running since the middle of last year, and is simply because he has been vocal against the super-city. In other words, over a question of policy.

                  • northshoreratepayer …
                    30 March 2010 at 9:19 am

                    The man has problems Lynn, I’ve seen his behaviour first hand and by all accounts what has been reported is the tip of the iceberg, I don’t know what it is about mayors in NZ but it seems to attract some pretty odd fish.

                    • Jenny …
                      4 April 2010 at 10:41 pm

                      In reply to nsrp, maybe our mayors only look weird because they are the most widely recognised politicians most closest to the the communities that they represent and live in, so we know them best.

                      (national politicians being remote and city councillors, either unknown, or not widely recognised on the street.)

                      Because we recognise them so often and are therefore witness to their “behaviour first hand”, I think this is why our mayors can so easily fall into the following definition of weird;

                      http://www.viruscomix.com/page500.html

                    • Lew []
                      4 April 2010 at 11:02 pm

                      I reckon you have it backwards. They’re elected mayors due to weirdness. Weirdness gets you cut-through. Most people, if they even bother to vote in local body elections, look at the ballot and scratch their heads saying — now, who the hell are these people? Oh, he’s the bloke who wears eyeliner and hates brown people.

                      L

              • northshoreratepayer …
                30 March 2010 at 8:01 am

                My enemy’s enemy is …

                a. my friend
                b. an egotistical buffoon with a drinking problem.

  8. Bill 8
    28 March 2010 at 2:22 pm

    So, just another fucking hatchet job.

    You might want to google Jonathan Marshall and cast a critical eye over the headlines he tends to run with. He’s a gutter journalist and not averse to a bit of stalking if that SST piece is anything to go by.

    And when was the last time you saw a guy who had ‘pulled down his trousers to urinate’?

    Maybe Hide is annoyed that he’s allegedly pissing on trees rather than people?

  9. Daveosaurus 9
    28 March 2010 at 2:27 pm

    Bit of a poor choice Williams made there.

    He should have just hopped on radio and gone on about how he wanted to vandalise road signs, and the media would have lapped it up…

    (captcha: “TOWN”)

  10. Anne 10
    28 March 2010 at 2:53 pm

    @ John Dalley
    They were more of a political nature… before he became well known as a perk buster and ‘receptacle’ of information.

  11. jason rika 11
    28 March 2010 at 3:28 pm

    Good one whella!

  12. Olwyn 12
    28 March 2010 at 3:58 pm

    This pursuit of the North Shore mayor is reminiscent of the pursuit of Winston Peters prior to the 2008 election, and reeks of the same sort of mixture of innuendo and thuggery. For one thing, you can in fact sit in a bar drinking slowly and chatting for 6 hours without being drunk when you leave. And if I remember correctly, I seem to recall that mayor challenging Hide, etc to come up with evidence for his allegedly untimely texts, which he for the most part denied. And you are right Marty, Hide has no authority to call for a mayor’s resignation.

  13. Michael Laws 13
    28 March 2010 at 4:06 pm

    You haven’t disappointed me: I did not think I would receive an intelligible reply to the defamation posted. Typical of the Left.

    [lprent:
    You have a rather strange idea about what defamation is. I suggest you look up some law, or better still consult a lawyer.
    But I’m unsure that you have sufficient intelligence for understanding the basic legal principles. Intelligence certainly doesn’t appear to be a major component in your columns. You insinuations there are somewhat worse than a simple comment here, and probably have less of a basis in fact. ]

    • Chris 13.1
      28 March 2010 at 4:11 pm

      Or one at least that you could possibly, just possibly, with the merest scrape of intelligence, understand.

      Oh. Wait. You’re Michael Lhaws, right.

      Umm forget what I said.

    • Ianmac 13.2
      28 March 2010 at 4:17 pm

      Should anyone who pisses on the tree of tolerance and fairplay be instructed by Hide to resign as mayor? Now which mayor would qualify for that? Someone in the North Island but south of Hamilton. Ummmm…

    • Pascal's bookie 13.3
      28 March 2010 at 4:31 pm

      You haven’t disappointed me: I did not think I would receive an intelligible reply to the defamation posted.

      You apparently posted some defamation, and were not disappointed by the lack of intelligible response?

      This is a moral failing of the left!!eleventy1

      Honestly, good luck with that.

    • pollywog 13.4
      28 March 2010 at 4:33 pm

      So ummm Michael…

      Do you really wear eyeliner or is that some bizarre highly evolved occular shit you got going on ?

      and do you pronounce Wanganui according to the local dialect, with the H before the W ?

      • Pascal's bookie 13.4.1
        28 March 2010 at 4:47 pm

        Do you really wear eyeliner or is that some bizarre highly evolved occular shit you got going on ?

        Na Polly. My guess is that he likes to think of himself as a Lord Vetinari
        type.

        Which wouldn’t be bizarre at all of course.

      • felix 13.4.2
        28 March 2010 at 4:49 pm

        I don’t find anything bizarre about Michael’s choice of facial adornment – in fact I’ve been known at times to sport some fairly advanced face paint, hairstyles, costumes, tattoos, and indulge in a bit of public nudity and ritual which could be considered antisocial by some.

        Ultimately though, I like to think that Michael, myself, and all the rest of us should be able to be assessed according to the shit that comes out of our mouths rather than the shit we wear.

    • Sam 13.5
      28 March 2010 at 6:18 pm

      You’re not one to speak about intelligible replies, Mr. Laws, until you learn how to spell.

  14. Jum 14
    28 March 2010 at 4:30 pm

    I think Michael Laws is right about Rodney Hide being able to call for the Mayor of the North Shore’s resignation, because Hide stole the Auckland democracy from everyone in the Auckland region and that includes the North Shore. So now he is the boss of Auckland.

    Michael Laws pre-2008 election announced on the radio that all Labour supporters smelled. I think that everything about Michael Laws smells including his opinion. He’s just another Crosby/Textor w’ore. Everyone should ignore this nasty little creep. Attacking an H on a road sign – how utterly childish. H-off you school pupils’ letter abuser.

    Rodney Hide is a dangerous man. All joking aside, he has real levers on power. Why do you think Douglas is so keen to get the leader job off Hide; Douglas sits there like Voldemort watching, waiting his chance to take over the head of Hide. No wonder Key is s’itting ‘imself. The whole country should be worried, but no they just allowed Auckland to be delivered up into the hands of another ‘gold digger’.

  15. prism 15
    28 March 2010 at 4:55 pm

    Where does Rodney Hide urinate? Anywhere he likes.

  16. illuminatedtiger 16
    28 March 2010 at 5:59 pm

    That’s a bit rich coming from Hide. Williams took a piss on the side of the building while Hide took his girlfriend around the world on my fucking dime. Rodney Hide, you’re a disgrace!

  17. Anne 17
    28 March 2010 at 6:18 pm

    @ 2.53pm I requested a comment be deleted. It’s gone into moderation instead. PLEASE DELETE.

  18. Sam 18
    28 March 2010 at 6:21 pm

    Makes a change to Rodney pissing all over the city I guess…

    But seriously, is there any proof of this? They’re all getting the pitchforks out and setting sticks on fire, based on an allegation that he went to the pub, pissed against a tree or wall or something, and then at some point, drove home. Your voice in your city is about to be vanquished and replace by a bottom line and this is what you’re getting upset about? What the fuck?

  19. Jum 19
    28 March 2010 at 6:58 pm

    This is what happens in dictatorships.

    ‘Jail for freelancer
    A Burmese court has handed down a 20-year jail term to a freelance reporter for using an illegally imported motorbike and for working with foreign media. Freelance video reporter Hla Hla Win was sentenced last month by a court in Pakokku, where she was first charged with offences under the Export Import Act.’

    Perhaps Rodney Hide style…

  20. Jum 20
    28 March 2010 at 6:59 pm

    You go Sam.

  21. Rich 21
    28 March 2010 at 7:44 pm

    *All* the mayors in NZ are dicks (well, maybe Taupo or someplace has a sensible mayor who isn’t a publicity mad wingnut who couldn’t cut it in national politics).

    A sensible way to deal with this would be to introduce a better system. Like having council leaders elected indirectly by a majority from a proportionately elected council. That way, they’d need to be someone who could build a consensus rather than polarise.

  22. jcuknz 22
    28 March 2010 at 8:26 pm

    The defence of the North Shore mayor is on a par with Rodney’s request. Both are very likely to be politically motivated in view of the frequent red panels on this blog … those silly demoncracy in danger [ or something].

    Further to Bill 2.22 …. perhap in view of the drought he was trying to save a poor tree bound up in the concrete jungle of North Shore? A worthy public service?

  23. Sanctuary 23
    28 March 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Interesting how the right wing character assassination machine is working overtime around opponents to the super city.

  24. bobo 24
    28 March 2010 at 9:11 pm

    Who saw the mayor urinating outside the council office ? has Act got him under surveillance ? Len Brown better watch out too it wont be long before the smear campaign starts on him as was the case with Hubbard a few years back.

    Maybe a golden shower would make a good supercity logo..

  25. Fabregas4 25
    28 March 2010 at 9:15 pm

    M Laws

    “Seriously! Seriously! Seriously! No, hold on – you are an idiot- you must be you don’t agree with me!” Seriously! Seriously Seriously”.

    Tosser of the nth degree. Shame on Radio Live to keep paying his wages. Personally I switch over to NatRad from 9-12.

  26. tc 26
    28 March 2010 at 9:32 pm

    One idiot asks for another idiots resignation…….zzzzzzzzzzzz

  27. Jenny 27
    28 March 2010 at 9:32 pm

    So the Mayor of North Shore allegedly illegally urinated on a tree.

    George Washington illicitly cut one down altogether. This never precluded him from high office.

    Which crime was worse.

    • TightyRighty 27.1
      29 March 2010 at 8:59 am

      probably williams driving home pissed, then denying being out drinking. a sure sign he’s been on the razz.

      • Jenny 27.1.1
        29 March 2010 at 6:53 pm

        This is all innuendo T.R.
        Williams had a meal while meeting with several others. According to witnesses the group shared 2 bottles of wine between 6 people over several hours.
        One of the employees serving their table was reported on National Radio this morning as saying that Williams was drinking water near the end of the evening.

        I think, it is long bow to draw to conclude, that because unaware that he was being stalked (and probably ill advisedly and not exactly hygienic) he weed on a tree, ipso facto he was drunk. And therefore, had broken the law by driving home.

        If the person spying on Williams sincerely believed he was drunk before getting behind the wheel. The question is, why didn’t he make any move to stop him?
        “After all” as the ad. says “It’s what a friend would do.”

        The fact that he did nothing of the sort, suggests that in his (the spy’s) opinion Williams was not over the limit. But he did catch him peeing on a tree. Maybe if he keeps on the case he might catch him picking his nose.

    • Armchair Critic 27.2
      29 March 2010 at 9:41 am

      I expect the crime that Andrew Williams committed was to have the council he is mayor of release a report stating that the leaky homes issue is the biggest disaster to impact NZ, and this attack on his credibility is to hide the fact that this government has absolutely no idea what to do about it.
      Or maybe it is just coincidence.

  28. Anthony B 28
    28 March 2010 at 10:13 pm

    O a good argument.

    I’m an northshore voter and an Act member. Which kind of sux cause I think Mr Williams started his Mayoral role really well. He stands up for North Shore.

    This is all becoming a bit sad. It was originally intended for Auckland to have more power and not have wellington stealth control.

    Michael Law’s coming on into the conversation, Gee this is getting a bit more exciting.
    I want to stir it up a bit more.
    I think if Hamilton became the capital we would have a more progressive country.

  29. Anthony B 29
    28 March 2010 at 10:14 pm

    O a good argument.

    I’m a Northshore voter and an Act member. Which kind of sux cause I think Mr Williams started his Mayoral role really well. He stands up for North Shore.

    This is all becoming a bit sad. It was originally intended for Auckland to have more power and not have wellington stealth control.

    Michael Law’s coming on into the conversation, Gee this is getting a bit more exciting.
    I want to add one new thing.
    I think if Hamilton became the capital we would have a more progressive country.

  30. Jum 30
    29 March 2010 at 9:27 am

    Hide is living up to his JKeyll and Hide name – causing mayhem and division for one of Key’s supercity opponents and then disappearing into his subterranean pit while the ‘right wing character assassination machine’ Sanctuary talked about continues.

    Hide and Key are proactive in using this ‘machine’ and their type of dirty politics threaten any sort of democratic vote in the upcoming Local Government elections.

    We’ve seen Banks’ previous misleading campaign tactics re Hubbard – this will be 8 times worse; eight councils to the power of one. The backers will be practising for the general election in 2011.

  31. bobo 31
    29 March 2010 at 2:11 pm

    Look at the papers go to town on Mayor Williams today getting peoples feedback on a claim yet to be fronted by the supposed witness, who one would ask .

    1) were you following the mayor most of the night?
    2) If you thought he was drunk why didnt you call the police straight the way as he left the car park?

    This beatup is the same as Charlies “Shut up kids” smear but more damaging where the complainant is in the background hiding their political links. Is this the same smear machine that John Banks and the Act party use, the one and the same ?

    • Jum 31.1
      29 March 2010 at 6:22 pm

      Yes and we need to attack as and when it happens. Make no mistake. There is far more at stake for this country than a mayor or a city. This is war.

      • bobo 31.1.1
        29 March 2010 at 7:47 pm

        Whats ironic is that most public toilets are closed at night or they are where I live on the shore judging from the odd time Ive been caught short. Now Tv3 says there is a photo of him pissing, so who was following him with a camera ready? that’s borderline stalking one would think.

    • Rich 31.2
      29 March 2010 at 7:26 pm

      He should sue for libel. They made a pretty clear insinuation that he drove drunk and don’t seem to have any evidence to prove it.

      • Pascal's bookie 31.2.1
        29 March 2010 at 9:50 pm

        Campbell asked Hide to come on his show to talk about Williams, and Hide replied something like “maybe you should get someone from AA instead”.

        I seem to remember talk about ‘personal politics’ and it being bad thing; over much less than what we’ve been seeing this week.

        I don’t know or care too much about the North Shore, or it’s council, but the Mayor’s enemies are making me like him.

  32. handle 32
    29 March 2010 at 8:27 pm

    But facts don’t matter for those who have already decided — http://www.thestandard.org.nz/facts-dont-matter/

  33. Sanctuary 33
    29 March 2010 at 9:24 pm

    So it seems that between four men two bottles of wine were drunk over three hours. “Ah!” cry the smear machine “But now we know he had lunch at Portofino!” Never mind the allegations of drinking solidly from 4pm to 9pm have be totally debunked; The smear is merely smoothly extended backwards in time.

    • Nosanctuaryontheshore 33.1
      29 March 2010 at 9:33 pm

      [deleted]

      [lprent: You’re banned for a few weeks – check your previous comments. ]

  34. Penny Bright 34
    4 April 2010 at 6:55 pm

    I DON’T CARE ABOUT NORTH SHORE CITY COUNCIL MAYOR ANDREW WILLIAMS PEEING ON A TREE!

    I CARE ABOUT UP TO $28 BILLION WORTH OF AUCKLAND REGIONAL PUBLIC ASSETS BEING PLACED UNDER THE CCO (COUNCIL CONTROLLED ORGANISATION) MODEL – WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO ANY ‘COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS PROVING ITS ‘COST-EFFECTIVENESS’ FOR THE PUBLIC MAJORITY.

    WHERE IS ALL THE IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATION AND ANALYSIS ON THIS MATTER BY PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS??

    (Or bloggers of any variety?)

    Isn’t it time the mainstream media (and ‘political commentators’) took some of the KEY FACTS which unpaid ‘Public Watchdogs’ have discovered through ‘investigative activism’ and helped deliver the TRUTH to the public?

    Surely the unbelievable lack of fiscal responsibility by both local and central government on this matter – not to mention the spectacular USELESSNESS of ‘third party Public Watchdogs’ – who receive both public monies and have statutory duties to look after the public interest and OUR public monies – deserves SOME mention?

    Hey – check out my blog!

    http://waterpressure.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=52&message=1

    It has the EVIDENCE that NOBODY who is ANYBODY has carried out any ‘cost-benefit’ analysis of the ‘cost-effectiveness’ of the CCO model for the public majority – including:

    The Royal Commission for Auckland Regional Governance
    The Office of the Auditor-General (OAG)
    The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA)
    The NZ TREASURY
    The NZ State Services Commission
    The Auckland Transition Agency (ATA)
    The eight Auckland City, District and Regional Councils.

    WHO IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD INVEST BILLIONS OF THEIR PRIVATE MONEY INTO A ‘CONCEPT’ / ‘BUSINESS PLAN’ WHICH COULD NOT BE SUPPORTED WITH FACTS AND EVIDENCE?

    HOW IS THIS OK WITH BILLION$ OF PUBLIC MONIES/ ASSETS???

    Media Spokesperson
    Water Pressure Group
    Judicially recognised ‘Public watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland regional governance matters.
    “Anti-corruption campaigner”

    [email deleted]

    [lprent: Hi Penny. You don’t need to SHOUT. People will either read and comment or they won’t based on your content.. ]

The server will be getting hardware changes this evening starting at 10pm NZDT.
The site will be off line for some hours.