More opposition than ever to supercity

27 comments on “More opposition than ever to supercity ”

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1. Anita 1

   8 June 2009 at 8:02 am

   I expect the MSM ignored it because the respondent numbers are so low and it’s a self-selecting on-line survey not a standardised poll. For example Papakura is listed as having “0%” of their 2164 respondents, so there must be 10 or fewer Papakura residents in there.
   • merlin 1.1

     8 June 2009 at 9:55 am

     Actually, at least 590 Aucklanders took part in this poll – 27% of the total respondants are from the Auckland councils and they are more opposed on average to the supercity than the total NZ public.

     Anita selected the Papakura number because it looks low but she ignored that Papakura council’s population is just over 1% of the national total, so it’s not really significantly under-represented at all.

     The poll is internet-based but it is weighted for things like incomes, ethnicity, age, gender. Political party support and non-vote at the last election is correct too.

     The Herald regularly runs stories based on its self-selecting and unweighted online polls. It even runs stories based on readers’ comments in Your Views.

     Fairfax papers ran the poll. So it’s not all the msm who ignored it, just the big Auckland paper and the TV.

     So I think your idea that they ignored this poll because of objections to its scientific merit is unfair to the poll and gives too much credit to the Herald.
     • Anita 1.1.1

       8 June 2009 at 10:02 am

       Papakura might not be underrepresented in the national total number. But conclusions which purport to say what Papakura residents think based on ten or fewer people have such a huge margin of error as to make it bordering on dishonest.

       But yeah, I may well be giving too much cred to the Herald by saying that they recognise dodgy stats and would refuse to use them 🙂
     • BK Drinkwater 1.1.2

       8 June 2009 at 10:02 am

       Anita selected the Papakura number because it looks low but she ignored that Papakura council’s population is just over 1% of the national total, so it’s not really significantly under-represented at all.

       Um, yeah, but ten-or-fewer is far too small a number in absolute terms to generate meaningful results. The sample sizes from Rodney and Franklin weren’t much better. Only the Auckland-City subsection has a truly respectable number of responses.

       And self-selected + weighted is still far inferior to true random sample.

       I’m assuming the company runs on a shoe-string, in which case this methodology is about the best they could do. That doesn’t mean its good.

       EDIT: Anita beats me to it.
2. Mockdoc 2

   8 June 2009 at 8:21 am

   You expect the MSM ignored it- yet it is no different (maybe even better) to some of the stats they rely on for their stella decision making.
3. illuminatedtiger 3

   8 June 2009 at 8:49 am

   And it is for these reasons and more that Melissa Lee is going to go into the election this weekend and lose.
4. lprent 4

   8 June 2009 at 9:05 am

   As soon as I’m finished with this by election, I will write my submission to the whitewash committee, and start asking about the number of stalled development projects.
5. Tigger 5

   8 June 2009 at 9:28 am

   Expect even worse numbers after Key’s ‘super Mayor’ remark about Banks… I’m very glad to see the supercity stuff back in (some) headlines.
6. Zaphod Beeblebrox 6

   8 June 2009 at 9:30 am

   Good idea hijacked by an ideology and appallingly executed. I you ask businesses, builders and community workers what they want they will all say certainty and clarity in policy in decision making. This is exactly what they are not getting as we get new announcements every day giving us the impression the plan is getting made up on the run.
   The inevitable outcome is that we will be getting a lot of fractured centres of power (mayors office, council staff, councillors, community boards) and a lot of cynicism.
   • Nick 6.1

     8 June 2009 at 9:56 am

     Zaphod, agree with your line of thought about it all being on the run BUT you state “you ask businesses, builders and community workers what they want they will all say certainty and clarity in policy in decision making.”. I think they want something more subtle, perhaps involvement iin and access to a democratic process.

     In the whole fiasco to date all I can see is that the people of Auckland perchance might primarily want some grassroots democracy in local body politics (as opposed to a jack up by vested interests dressed up to look democratic). This is precisely what Hide and his business cronies in Auckland fear most and why they are in such a hurry.
     • Draco T Bastard 6.1.1

       8 June 2009 at 12:19 pm

       According to the guy that runs the trucking lobby businesses want to own the democratic process. That’s why, according to him, that they give donations to political parties. This SuperCity of RH is going to give it to them.
7. The GSK 7

   8 June 2009 at 9:32 am

   Hey you guys, I know what I sounded like this morning, and that audio aucks are talking about – along with whole flocks of others – pronounced the definite article to my roost..

   Of course with the above blog’s conclusions coming out the way they are by June 13 — actually the longer this drags on the greater the recorded utterer gets to the indefinite state of political existence.

   Need I say more.. no, oh good, so we agree about that then. Gee, this voice work is hard on the hard-lipped and untongued… is it ever.
8. jarbury 8

   8 June 2009 at 9:44 am

   I read somewhere that John Key had prepared a private member’s bill about Auckland’s amalgamation prior to the last election that involved creating a structure very similar to the one that has been proposed in this legislation.

   If that’s true then it seems like the government really did just ignore the Royal Commission and went back to what Key had previously thought should be done. Trying to remember where I read that – perhaps on the Red Alert blog.
   • Tigger 8.1

     8 June 2009 at 10:00 am

     Read that recently myself – here http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2009/05/john-keys-2006-supercity-private.html

     Great stuff – again, love seeing the supercity get some ink again!
     • jarbury 8.1.1

       8 June 2009 at 10:11 am

       Ah thanks Tigger – yes that’s where I would have read it. Joel Cayford has some incredibly interesting insights on his blog – makes for great reading.
     • jarbury 8.1.2

       8 June 2009 at 12:19 pm

       Is there a way to find that Bill somewhere on the parliament website?
9. Rich 9

   8 June 2009 at 10:03 am

   I also notice that the Herald has taken a vow of silence on the Mt Albert election now that it’s clear that the Nats are going to lose badly.

   The only way through our tory media monoculture at the moment is to make so much noise that they have to listen. The Hikoi and the get-across protest, for instance.
10. the sprout 10

    8 June 2009 at 10:47 am

    it is somewhat understandable TV1 and TV3 aren’t Super Interested because their audience is nationwide and they don’t want to bore too many non-Aucklanders with Auckland business – although really this precedent affects everyone in metro NZ. but then they’ve never been strong on big picture stuff since the days of Fred Shook.

    for the Herald however, whose primary audience is Auckland, it’s unforgivable that they ignore such a massive issue just to try and keep the Key Titanic afloat.
    • Zaphod Beeblebrox 10.1

      8 June 2009 at 11:21 am

      The Herald does report, its just that they are about two weeks behind the times.

      “Grim poll result caps bad week for Nats” this morning pretty well sums up what has been happening for the past month or so.

      Read you local paper or The Aucklander if you want to know what is going on.
      • the sprout 10.1.1

        8 June 2009 at 11:55 am

        agreed Zaphod, the local papers have been doing a much better job of timely coverage of the issues than the Herald. it could be the makings of their rennaisance.
11. coolas 11

    8 June 2009 at 11:23 am

    So Key thinks Banksie will make a Supa Mayor.
    Seems they, Rodney & few other Auckland swell heads have been planning this for quite awhile and think the public so thick we can’t see the collusion (appreciate the link Tigger) Heard Carter on morning report saying how much consultation was going on. Totally deluded. They’ve shafted the LGA which requires a referendum and ridden roughshod over Section 6. There will be legal challenges in the High Court over process. It seems amazing these Hollow Men can be so arrogant as if they were born to rule and Aucklanders are a pack of peasants.
12. Rodel 12

    8 June 2009 at 9:30 pm

    Mr Key’s judgment on Dr Worth was flawed.
    His judgment in supporting Ms Rankin’s appointment to the families commission was bizarre.
    His judgment in selecting Ms Lee to represent the people of Mt Albert is flawed,
    but his judgment in handing over the future of Auckland and Aucklanders to someone like Rodney Hide (let’s face it; nobody really wanted him in government)
    is beyond belief.

    Bill English must be gloating inside.
    • Mockdoc 12.1

      9 June 2009 at 12:31 pm

      Rodel -You mean he’s gloating in the inside that the maggots have not eaten?
      • Rodel 12.1.1

        9 June 2009 at 11:19 pm

        Mockdoc
        No I didn’t mean that- just that I think Mr English would like to see the demise of Mr Key and he’s probably happy to see these flawed judgments so he can take over when the usual factors are present. i.e. when public opinion turns against JK and when JK is out of the country-that’s all I meant.
13. jarbury 13

    9 June 2009 at 12:36 pm

    First half of my submission is here:

    http://transportblog.co.nz/2009/06/09/super-city-submission-part-one/

    (Friendly) feedback more than welcome!

Links to post

1. Watercare - stupid minons of the dictator at The Standard: posted on 12 June 2009 at 12:00 pm
2. Owning Auckland at The Standard: posted on 8 September 2009 at 2:53 pm

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