Join the Super City hikoi

Written By: - Date published: 12:55 pm, May 20th, 2009 - 13 comments
Categories: activism, auckland supercity, democracy under attack, notices - Tags: ,

hikoi150IHI Aotearoa has put out the call for Aucklanders to join their hikoi against the Government’s undemocratic Super City proposal on Monday, May 25th:

“We want the Crown to honour its exisiting agreements with Tangata Whenua. To create better and more diverse representation in local government. To protect mana whenua rights. To protect the land, sea and people. Use your IHI (power) to influence all people around you to make Tamaki Makaurau Auckland the diverse, inclusive, soulful and energetic city it can be.”

The plan is to converge at the bottom of Queen Street by 12 noon before peacefully walking together to the Town Hall and Aotea Square.

There’s a full schedule and meeting points aross Auckland at their website here. Facebook supporters’ group is here.

Make sure you head on down this Monday.

13 comments on “Join the Super City hikoi ”

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  1. Pat 1
    20 May 2009 at 1:04 pm

    They are going to walk less than 1 km? Does this qualify as a Hikoi?

    I thought it would have more impact if they walked from Bastion Point to the Aotea centre. That would be about 8-10 km. Plus it would have more symbolism.

    • Wayne 1.1
      20 May 2009 at 1:22 pm

      That’s where the groups from around Auckland plan to meet up. Go look at the website Pat.

  2. tsmithfield 2
    20 May 2009 at 1:21 pm

    Hikoi as much as you like.

    Give it a year for the reforms to be bedded in, then everyone will wonder what the fuss was all about. Less bureaucracy and better co-ordination has got to be a good thing. The quicker the better.

    • Tigger 2.1
      20 May 2009 at 1:27 pm

      Actually ts, I was just explaining to a friend today how its one thing to grab power, another to hold it. The ‘fuss’ is not just what’s being done, it’s how it’s being done. Many of us like the idea of one council. We hate how it’s being forced on us and the details of what is being done.

      Never underestimate the power of simmering resentment at being locked out of the decision making.

      Nor a cranky Arab who will take the new council to court once they up his rates bill…

  3. IrishBill 3
    20 May 2009 at 1:26 pm

    Really. A snide comment about the length of the walk and a “nothing to see here”. You can do better than that lads. Chop chop!

  4. burt 4
    20 May 2009 at 1:44 pm

    When the anti EFB couple crowd marched on Parliament late 2007 there were Labour party activists shouting them down the whole way. These actions were condoned by various people on this blog. If there are fat & ugly people with mega-phones making sure that people cannot hear what this protest has to say about abuse of democracy will that interference be supported on this blog?

  5. Brian 5
    20 May 2009 at 2:29 pm

    For TS
    The problem is not the supercity. The Royal Commission said that but most of the rest of its report has been ignored. The council bodies, the social forum, the staffing issues etc etc.
    This is an excuse for Rodney and his mates to privatise everything. Water, rubbish, recreation, parks just watch them all go. Lots of busnessmen on the undemocratic transition board but no community people.
    Why? Community does not make money
    We need to fight to get our city back. See you Monday!

  6. Ron 6
    20 May 2009 at 2:44 pm

    From my cosy position on the mainland I’m thinking the Left really need to start now planning for the next election.

    If they’re to stop Banks, Hide et al in the long run they’ve got to use the submission process and the energy from things like the Hikoi to build a coalition of candidates that can sweep the board at the next election. No reason that can’t happen but the disenfranchised voters and candidates from each of the current cities that are going to get swallowed should start now to organise for that election.

    It would feel GREAT if Rodney’s mates went to all this trouble to set themselves up and you left no place at the table for them after the next election.

  7. tsmithfield 7
    20 May 2009 at 3:12 pm

    Brian “The problem is not the supercity. The Royal Commission said that but most of the rest of its report has been ignored. The council bodies, the social forum, the staffing issues etc etc.”

    I understand your concerns. However, I think the labour et al. has a real risk of falling flat on their face over this one. If the sky actually doesn’t fall in, and if people actually like what they get, then all the scaremongering could come back to bite the left big time.

    • Brian 7.1
      20 May 2009 at 3:21 pm

      True TS
      But what if we are paying private business for our libraries, parks, rec centres, swiming pools, theatres, art galleries, sports grounds.?

      What if the only thing the council does is water, rubbish, roads and planning? Is not that a real possibility and with no one from the left on the transition board who is going to stop it happening? The greatest Pacific city in the world run by a few white businessmen.

      Who is going to decide the new CEO, the new council structure, the recycling; you guessed it Rodney and his mates.

      This transition board is undemocratic and answers to Rodney not the people. The Royal Commission is now a distant memory. (I actually thought its ideas were good) If that was being implemented I would be a supporter. This is Rodney and his mates ideas. No democracy here. No select committee, no views of the people. Sounds like dictatorship to me.
      See you at the Hikoi! Let’s march

  8. tsmithfield 8
    20 May 2009 at 3:30 pm

    Brian “What if the only thing the council does is water, rubbish, roads and planning?”

    I think most ratepayers would be very happy if the council focussed on these basic responsibilities and did them really well before they launched into other cultural, artisitic, and social endevours of dubious value.

    We have numerous examples here in Christchurch of the council tipping rate-payers money down the toilet. I suspect the same is in Auckland.

  9. mike 9
    20 May 2009 at 7:33 pm

    “If there are fat & ugly people with mega-phones”

    No apparently there is a Union Organisers stop-work meeting in West Auckland at the same time thankfully

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