Written By: - Date published: 1:40 pm, June 19th, 2010 - 24 comments
My new poll shows Len Brown will get 90% of the vote. Even though the survey is unscientific and consisted of a self-selected group most of whom think like me, it provides an interesting take on the two weeks of intense political and media scrutiny of Mr Brown’s credit card expenses.
Written By: - Date published: 1:48 pm, June 17th, 2010 - 22 comments
So, you’re the mayor of a council with nearly a billion dollars of debt. Your council is about to be abolished and you’re running to be the mayor of the new supercity. Your attack dogs are fixed on your opponent, who has been beating you hands-down in the race. Now what? How about getting your soon-to-be former council pay $120,000 for a book saying how great you are?
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 pm, June 6th, 2010 - 51 comments
With Len Brown beating Banks in the polls the right have come out swinging.
Let’s take a quick look at the anatomy of this dirt digging beast.
Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, May 26th, 2010 - 44 comments
While it rains, thousands of homes are rotting, a legacy of the stupid deregulation of the building industry by National in the 1990s. The current government is proposing that huge costs be passed on to ratepayers, and tonight Wellington City Council votes on the plan. There are no good solutions to this mess.
Written By: - Date published: 11:22 am, May 16th, 2010 - 9 comments
Sam Cash writes it’s good news for Auckland with Len Brown opening up a strong lead over John Banks. Len Brown’s campaign seems to have been quietly gathering momentum since he launched his insurgency last year.
Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, May 14th, 2010 - 37 comments
The Right has forced the Supercity on Aucklanders who don’t want it, don’t need it, and won’t benefit from it. Aucklanders were denied their legal right to a referendum on amalgamation into the Supercity. But they’re getting a vote soon. And they’re going to punish the Right’s candidates. And, of course, Brown is also just a far better candidate.
Aucklanders – check OurAuckland and vote.
Written By: - Date published: 12:32 pm, May 13th, 2010 - 18 comments
Sam Cash has spotted a possible issue with Dodgy John “if I wear my policy on my sleeve, I won’t get elected†Banks’ most recent mayoral poll. Could it be Banks is just polling ratepayers to boost his numbers?
Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, April 27th, 2010 - 11 comments
Sam Cash takes a look at John Banks’ latest poll and doesn’t find too much to crow about for the Mayor for Remuera – noting he has only managed to draw even with Len Brown in spite of the huge profile lead he has over his challenger.
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, April 16th, 2010 - 19 comments
Voters of the Auckland region should be very concerned with the news that the Auckland City CBD-based Citrat political party looks set to run a single whipped slate of candidates at this year’s supercity election. The fear is that the C&R CBD old boys are gonna do in Waitakere, Manukau, Franklin, Rodney and the North Shore what they did in Otahuhu. Talk about crushing local voice.
Written By: - Date published: 6:38 am, March 23rd, 2010 - 29 comments
National Party MP Nikki Kaye is hitting out at her own leader John Key’s plan to mine Great Barrier Island. She joins the growing list of conservative opponents against the plan, with Auckland Mayor John Banks also voicing his opposition. It shows just how toxic this mining plan is.
Written By: - Date published: 9:42 am, March 22nd, 2010 - 13 comments
How much is the Huljich Kiwisaver figure-fudging scandal hurting John “the dodgy-director†Banks’ mayoral chances? Answer: a lot.O’Sullivan then explicitly writes off Banks – saying he’ll lose to Len Brown – and joins the long list of commentators criticizing the Huljich rip-off and noting it has damaged Banks’ chances. Think this story is only getting play in the business pages? It’s not.
Written By: - Date published: 10:56 am, March 21st, 2010 - 52 comments
What a cynical and politically-driven process this whole Supercity process has been. It is undemocratic to its core. It is not about ‘growth’ or creating a better city. It is about securing power (and, thereby, wealth) for the city’s right-wing elite. Now their plans are falling apart around them. A female candidate to replace Banks is their last gasp attempt to stop Len Brown winning.
Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, February 23rd, 2010 - 21 comments
Recent polls highlight how important turnout will be at this year’s local body election.
Sam Cash takes a look at recent history and how attitudes to the supercity and the themes of this election could increase participation.
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 pm, February 2nd, 2010 - 31 comments
In a sure sign that the political phone is off the hook for John ‘Mayor for Remuera’ Banks, the deputy mayor of Rodney John Kirikiri has a scathing letter in yesterday’s Herald criticising the super-mayoral candidate’s cynical electioneering. After a couple of high-profile high-cost staff hires (he has ex 3 News political reporter Scott Campbell […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:46 pm, January 16th, 2010 - 22 comments
There is a story in today’s Herald noting that current C&R Hobson councillor Aaron Bhatnagar is not going to stand for the new super-council. He is taking on the running of Banks’ faltering mayoral campaign and has been offered a job in the new mayoral office should they turn around Len Brown’s momentum. But the […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:55 am, December 21st, 2009 - 11 comments
The UMR poll for the Auckland super-city mayoral race is interesting reading. The headline difference (PDF) of 11% towards Len Brown over John Banks has been extensively reported. The poll of 482 people, while small, is even more interesting when you see the breakdown of figures – and a lot worse for John Banks. The […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:20 pm, December 15th, 2009 - 29 comments
It’s interesting to look at the trend behind the headline 11 point poll lead Len Brown has opened up over John Banks as reported in today’s Herald. In April Brown was only rated as preferred mayor by 6% of Aucklanders verse 17% for Banks. A head-to-head poll in late July put him one point ahead […]
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, November 30th, 2009 - 32 comments
There is a very revealing article in this month’s Metro magazine (not online) that takes a look at the strengths of the campaigns of the two declared candidates for the Auckland mayoralty. Interestingly the piece states that National and ACT are ready to dump John Banks if he doesn’t start to gain traction. It seems […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 25th, 2009 - 2 comments
John ‘Mayor for Remuera’ Banks would’ve been gagging on his morning gruel after reading this headline on page two of Monday’s Herald: Jeers and boos greet Banks’ stand-in at debate. Ouch. Citrats councillor, and Don Brash/John Banks hagiographer, Paul Goldsmith turned up to a super-city conference to outline his party’s bleak view for services in […]
Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, November 10th, 2009 - 4 comments
Lord Mayor of Remuera John ‘barking mad’ Banks has (mis)fired the first shots of his campaign by producing some strip advertisements outlining the planned expansion of his duchy he claims he’s Mayor of Takanini! – and taking out a full page ad promising he will build the Sydney Opera House on Auckland’s waterfront. Welcome to […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:40 pm, November 6th, 2009 - 6 comments
Fresh from pulling the pin (then blaming others) on a Queen’s Wharf redesign competition he himself conceived, led and championed, Remuera mayor John ‘in your guts you know he’s nuts’ Banks has again flip-flopped on a policy proposal from his council. Yesterday the Banks’ and C&R led proposal for after-hours car parking charges for Auckland’s […]
Written By: - Date published: 4:49 pm, November 3rd, 2009 - 3 comments
Yesterday the Auckland Transition Agency (ATA) released its draft structure for the new Auckland council. Fortunately for the staff, and service levels in the new Auckland council, the ATA has a ‘commitment to maintaining or enhancing council service delivery.’ This means: ‘A prudent approach will be taken to staff reduction where services are reorganised to […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 28th, 2009 - 2 comments
John ‘in your guts you know he’s nuts’ Banks has isolated himself out to the right of Rodney Hide when it comes to the activities of local government. Yesterday Rodney Hide started to backtrack on his promise to restrict local government to providing ‘core services’ (although I’ll reserve judgement until I see his final policy), which […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:21 pm, October 23rd, 2009 - 9 comments
Last night C&R councillor and National Party MP Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga ended his double-dipping charade and quit the Auckland City Council. By way of background, Sam was elected as a councillor for Tamaki-Maungakiekie in the 2007 local body election. He used this position to leverage his way into parliament as a National MP at the […]
Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 23rd, 2009 - 8 comments
John ‘barking mad’ Banks’ cheerleader WhaleOil has called for Rodney Hide to introduce the power of recall into the legislation for the new Auckland super-city. 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 […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:02 pm, October 18th, 2009 - 9 comments
Len Brown seems to have the Right in a bit of panic. Remuera Mayor John ‘in your guts you know he’s nuts’ Banks is speculating that Brown’s already toted up $150-$200k of campaign spending. Banks has always been screwy but he seems to have just made this up. That hasn’t stopped acolytes like Farrer from […]
Written By: - Date published: 3:00 pm, October 6th, 2009 - 23 comments
There is a very revealing quote from John Banks in the weekend’s Dominion Post where he talks about his campaign strategy: Uptown, Auckland Mayor John Banks, a former police minister and radio talkback host, is doing his best to soften his public image. “If I wear my policy on my sleeve, I won’t get elected. […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:29 pm, October 2nd, 2009 - 28 comments
There is an astounding editorial in today’s business newspaper The Independent (not online) titled Foolish idea spirited away. Commenting on the recent 11pm closing time fiasco for Auckland restaurants and bars, the paper slams Banks’ leadership saying, ‘the embarrassing back down by Auckland City Mayor John Banks on proposed liquor-law changes doesn’t bode well for […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:08 pm, September 27th, 2009 - 18 comments
This week John Banks took his faltering super mayoralty campaign to the Takapuna Rotary Club on Auckland’s North Shore. Banks tried to butter up the locals by talking about the time he was elected to the Birkenhead Borough Council waaaaaaaaaay back in 1977 (hint: you’re almost at retirement age Mr Banks time to step down). […]
Written By: - Date published: 2:13 pm, September 10th, 2009 - 31 comments
Former National Party leader Dr Don Brash and Auckland Mayor John Banks love making the big bucks. And what better way to do it than hitting the most vulnerable in society. Today the National Party stalwarts are after mental patients. The Herald notes: KiwiSaver targets mental patient An Auckland woman is dismayed her 25-year-old son […]
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, July 23rd, 2009 - 30 comments
UMR’s just released a poll showing Manukau mayor Len Brown as the preferred mayor of the Auckland Super City, slightly ahead of John Banks. The poll shows Brown on 35%, Banks on 34%, and 31% undecided. They’ve also done a matchup between Banks and Auckland Regional Council chair Mike Lee. Banks left Lee in the […]
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