I wonder if that is such a wise call. Remember Cameron Slater is the son of Citrat president John Slater, so he should be well aware of Banks’ infamous track record in office. Perhaps he’d like to consider the fact that Auckland’s unstable far-right Remuera mayor might have been tossed out on his arse for decisions such as:
– Privatising half of Auckland City Council’s share of Auckland Airport
– Selling off pensioner housing because the elderly living in them were a ‘non-core’ activity
– Pushing a failed V8 race in downtown Auckland against the wishes of local residents and costing ratepayers $750,000
– Trying to ram a $4 billion highway through the eastern suburbs
– Trying to close down Auckland nightlife by bringing in an 11pm closing time and admitting ‘my fingerprints’ were all over the policy
– Making people pay for after-hours car parks, meaning you’ll have to pay to park when you see a movie or visit a restaurant in Auckland’s CBD (plus a secret plan to extend to Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell)
– Threatening to fire 2,700 employees in the new super-city, meaning council services such as libraries, pools, parks and community centres will need to be cut
– Being a toady of Wellington and not standing up for Aucklanders during any of the super-city changes
Banks might be trying to moderate his approach to leadership by allowing his council to almost become a do-nothing council, but given his recent statement that ‘If I wear my policy on my sleeve I won’t get elected’, Slater and son better be careful what they wish for.
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