Just vote – Auckland Council version

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, September 18th, 2016 - 31 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, C&R, democratic participation, greens, labour, local body elections, local government, national, phil goff, supercity - Tags:

Keep calm vote left

Local Government ballot papers are being delivered right now.

If we follow what happened last time not enough people will vote. Last time in Auckland the turnout was about 35%, one in three of us.

I can understand the reasons. Life is so busy and between work and family there is so much to do.

And the local government elections are so complex. There are so many positions to be filled and so many bodies to consider. Between the Mayoral race, Council and Local Board or Community Board, Health Board and in some lucky areas licensing trusts there are a lot of decisions to make.

And the brands are so confusing. Labour and the Greens are the only parties that run clearly designated candidates in some areas but in other areas there are local coalitions. In Auckland for instance progressives worked out years ago that we are better and stronger together.

But there is so much at stake.  Our environment, our communities, our neighbourhoods, our city, good leadership can improve them dramatically and bad leadership can wreck them.

On the right there is usually an attempt to hide the brand and then talk about how we should keep politics out of local government.  Strange really as local government is absolutely rife with the worst sort of politics you can imagine.  But at least this year the pretense has dropped somewhat with Auckland Future aka National making a splash although its failure to reach an accord with the other National in drag organisation C&R will mean the right will not do as well as they may have hoped.

But if you need help with how to vote here is the simple easy way for all progressives to vote.

  1. For Mayor vote Phil Goff.  If for any reason you wish not to then Chloe Swarbrick presents a young principled alternative and the ever present Penny Bright is still campaigning the good campaign.
  2. In Albany ward Wayne Walker and John Watson are both progressive but are under challenge by Auckland Future.  They could represent the balance of power on the new Council.
  3. In Albert Eden it is really important to return the indominable Cathy Casey and getting Peter Haynes elected would be a real bonus.  Vote both of them.
  4. In Howick the unmissable Tofik Mamedov deserves a vote as does Gyanadra Kumar.  They are both standing under a Labour banner in a very National area.  All strength to them.
  5. Manukau is easy, vote Alf Filipaina and Efeso Collins both Labour.  Both should be elected.
  6. In Manurewa-Papakura I would suggest sticking with John Walker and Callum Penrose both independents.  The third candidate Daniel Newman is ex Labour but has gone over to the dark side big time.
  7. In Maungakiekie vote Patrick Cummuskey – Labour.
  8. In North Shore stick with Chris Darby but also vote Richard Hills, a young energetic campaigner who could surprise and would be a really good addition to Council.
  9. In Orakei – Richard Leckinger is a Green and would get my vote if I lived there.
  10. Rodney I have no suggestions …
  11. Waitakere – yours truly is standing under a Labour banner.  Penny Hulse has voted the right way on many important issues and the rest are various shades of right.
  12. Waitemata and Gulf – vote Mike Lee please.  He is a good old fashioned lefty.
  13. In Whau – vote Ross Clow Labour.  He is one of the more organised and thoughtful councillors.

For local boards vote Labour or Green, City Vision in the isthmus, Roskill Community Voice led by the amazing Julie Fairley in Puketapapa, Future West in Waitakere, Mike Cohen in Devonport, Kaipatiki Voice in Kaipatiki

Under no circumstances vote for anyone with Penlink in their description, especially if they are standing in Hibiscus.

And for the Health Boards vote Labour or City Vision or Sandra Coney in Waitemata.

I may have missed other progressive candidates.  It would be good if others who were aware of what was happening in other areas could submit comments or posts.

Disclaimer:  I am a member of Future West and the Labour candidate for the Waitakere Ward of Council.

31 comments on “Just vote – Auckland Council version ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    18 September 2016 at 8:46 am

    Labour and the Greens are the only parties that run clearly designated candidates…

    A family member’s method of choosing is to immediately cross off any connected with national political parties. She doesn’t believe that national politics should be connected to local councils. Although, what’s happened to Auckland over the last few years shows that national politics sticks its beak in anyway dictating what should be local decisions.

    I think this is a mistake as more and more people are looking for consistency across both national and local policies. People also have a tendency to vote for groups rather than individuals as it’s easier to understand what a group stands for rather than many individuals.

    IMO, It’s the major weakness of representative democracy and what makes it so easy to corrupt.

    • Ad 1.1
      18 September 2016 at 8:58 am

      She’s probably right outside of the main cities.

      Even Hamilton and Tauranga are still essentially provincial in their council mindset.

      • Garibaldi 1.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 10:35 am

        A warning for Hamilton…… Mr. ‘big billboard spender’ King is the Act party, though he tries to hide it.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 1.2
      18 September 2016 at 10:26 am

      I just hope she’s very well informed about the candidates then – because many of the people running as “Independents” up and down the country have very strong political party affiliations.

      I think it’s one of the things which drives voter disengagement – so many people are pretending not to have political opinions while running for political office, there seems to be nothing to choose between, so why bother?

  2. Ad 2
    18 September 2016 at 9:11 am

    Well overdue that you stopped being shy about this.

    Just to look at a possible Auckland Council scenario:

    1. Goff
    2. Maybe Walker…………….… but at least one lost there
    3. Casey………………………….….but Fletcher hangs in there
    4. …………………………………… Quax and that other one stay
    5. Alf and Collins
    6. Walker ………………………….Penrose stays
    7. Cummuskey make it on the miracle of the right splitting
    8. Darby and Hills
    9. ………………………………….…Oh God please help me
    10. ……………………………………Webster no problem
    11. Presland and Hulse
    12. Lee
    13. Clow

    That may be optimistic, but you could lose one or two and still have a much easier majority for the Mayor to deal with.

    Jus the little tilt of Collins and Presland will make the actual running and leadership of the Council so much easier.

    You can only imagine how much dumber Auckland Council would have been if Clow hadn’t worked very very hard for those last 80 votes that got him there last time over Raffils. Every vote you place, and every good Councillor gets in, makes a very large democratic difference.

  3. Nick 3
    18 September 2016 at 9:30 am

    Thanks…. Useful information and guidance 🙂

  4. AmaKiwi 4
    18 September 2016 at 10:04 am

    Thanks for the guidelines, Micky.

    It won’t take me so long to slog through all those p.r. statements.

  5. Penny Bright 5
    18 September 2016 at 10:33 am

    Come on Greg – you know full well that supporting corporate control for the 1% locally, nationally, and internationally via CCOs, PPPs and the TPPA, is NOT in the best interests of working people and the public majority 99%, so how on earth can fellow Mayoral candidate Phil Goff be described as ‘left’?

    Seriously?

    In my view – to suggest that is just misleading people.

    FYI – here is my Auckland Mayoral campaign video.

    I think you’ll enjoy my ‘dogged’ approach?

    Kind regards

    Her Warship 😉

    Please help stop the mainstream media censorship SHARE and help send around the WORLD!
    (Especially Auckland!)

    ‘Penny Bright for Mayor’!

    • Ad 5.1
      18 September 2016 at 11:18 am

      You are just creating a museum to yourself.

      • Penny Bright 5.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 11:34 am

        Really?

        Once upon a time you never heard the ‘c’ (corruption) word applied to Auckland (or NZ).

        I have yet to have ANY mainstream media interview over my Action Plan for ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local and central government and judiciary.

        Although I’ve put hundreds of hours of research and ‘practice’ into developing it.

        Why the mainstream media censorship?

        Because I’m effectively exposing the corporate 1% and those who serve their interests.

        Kind regards

        Penny Bright

        2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

        • Ad 5.1.1.1
          18 September 2016 at 11:59 am

          You lost your last three elections, you will lose this election, stand next time, lose the election, and stand the next time.

          That really is a personal cult of one.

          Get a job at an anti-corruption NGO somewhere if you’re that keen.

  6. Andre 6
    18 September 2016 at 10:34 am

    Anyone got any links to write-ups about the other people we’re voting for? I’m interested in the Portage Licensing Trust and the Waitemata District Health Board. All their blurbs in the pamphlet with the voting paper all use much the same blandly worthy weasel words I’m having trouble distinguishing any substantial differences.

    • Andre 6.1
      18 September 2016 at 10:39 am

      Or if any regular commenters want to offer endorsements – I think I know whose endorsements I’ll find credible.

      • mickysavage 6.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 5:50 pm

        Portage has a ticket of Labour and/or City Vision candidates. Waitemata DHB I would really recommend Monina Gesmundo, Brian Lythe and Sandra Coney.

  7. Andrew 7
    18 September 2016 at 11:18 am

    Where’s central?

  8. b waghorn 8
    18 September 2016 at 11:23 am

    Due to the fact that i don’t know any of our local ones i tend to use 3 methods to pick them , if they mention growth more than once their out, if they mention sustainability they are in, and if they look like they would stand out from the teachers at hogwarts they are definitely getting my vote (nothing says leftie more than looking like a wizard)

    • Wensleydale 8.1
      18 September 2016 at 4:39 pm

      Likewise candidates who say things like “as a long-time business owner, I understand the need for stream-lining and efficiency”. Why not just wear a rosette that says “corporate shill”?

  9. Vaughn 9
    18 September 2016 at 1:03 pm

    Thanks for heads-up, Mickey. However, for those of us beyond the Auckland boundaries, and that’s about two thirds of us, a similar overview would be extremely helpful. I suspect though,it would be somewhat impractical for you to the tackle on your own. But some guidance from the wider TS team would be greatly appreciated. Trying to navigate my around the candidates of Hawke’s Bay and their political leanings, is like trying navigate a maze in a blindfold. The lack of transparency is woeful.

    • mickysavage 9.1
      18 September 2016 at 5:54 pm

      Very happy to run other posts. Stephanie would be the ideal person to write one about Wellington.

      • why anonymity? 9.1.1
        19 September 2016 at 4:27 pm

        Everyone knows that you are Greg Presland, why pretend to be a great man like Micky Savage buddy.

        [I adopted the name so I could comment anonymously and not be attacked by the usual suspects. Someone guessed who I was though. In 2011 I elected to acknowledge it publicly (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-11102010/#comment-257649). It is a name I have written under for quite a few years and it is strange but it is my online identity and I prefer to keep it. I agree that the real MS was a much greater person than me – ms]

  10. infused 10
    18 September 2016 at 1:47 pm

    lol Penny Bright. You’d have to be a complete idiot to vote for her.

    • fender 10.1
      18 September 2016 at 2:01 pm

      Well I’m sure Penny will be grateful for your vote then.

      • seeker 10.1.1
        18 September 2016 at 3:06 pm

        oh how I laughed at your genius response to infused ! thanks fender@2.01pm ,am still chuckling.

        • fender 10.1.1.1
          18 September 2016 at 3:54 pm

          It’s rather michevious of me but as a resident at the other end of the island I’d like to see Penny win just to witness the media shitstorm over someone who refuses to pay her rates becoming mayor.
          To then see all other ratepayers also refuse to pay their rates would be comical in the extreme!

  11. Greg M 11
    18 September 2016 at 4:13 pm

    Good on you for standing.
    We all moan about various councils but very few of us have the balls to stand up and be counted. You make some very good points on your website, best of luck, Greg Moore.

  12. Irascible 12
    19 September 2016 at 7:39 am

    The Labour Party has a team contesting the Howick Local Board. Vote:
    For Botany sub-division: Mark Johnson, Baljit Kaur and Gynandry Kumar.
    For Pakuranga sub-division: Tania Mahoney and Allan Hawea
    For Howick sub-division: Alan Papprill and Tofik Mamedov.

    We’re up against another National Party in drag group which has been described by a disgruntled retiring board member as being the plaything of the local National Party MP.

    • mickysavage 12.1
      19 September 2016 at 8:43 pm

      Good luck Irascible. I did not want to get down to the detail of local board contests but I really hope you get people up. And if Tofik became a Councillor I would be beaming for days!

  13. Sacha 13
    19 September 2016 at 12:39 pm

    The Spinoff have endorsed some of Auckland’s candidates for Councillor:
    http://thespinoff.co.nz/auckland-2016/19-09-2016/spinoff-auckland-endorsement-tool/

    http://thespinoff.co.nz/voting-guides

    I tend to agree with them that in the Waitemata ward, Mike Lee’s behaviour and voting pattern in the unitary plan debates makes backing him unsound.

    • mickysavage 13.1
      19 September 2016 at 8:46 pm

      Mike’s left wing credentials are immaculate.

      I am also worried about how Spinoff and Generation Zero are saying that the Unitary Plan is the ultimate and anyone opposing it are some sort of urban sprawl opponents. I actually think it is too weak out west in that it will increase sprawl in the Waitakere foothills. They confuse opposition or concern with a desire to let Auckland expand which is not necessarily true.

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