The left in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, October 25th, 2015 - 15 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, greens, labour, local government, political parties, Politics - Tags:

Auckland

We will all have to love Auckland. Not love-hate. Love. Because Auckland needs to be given a reason to love the left, if the left are ever to achieve power again.

Including Maori seats and resident list members, it’s about 4035% of Parliament. That big.

Since 2005, the left have been consistently losing seats and MPs to National’s share.

To mirror-image Mickey’s post about the Future Auckland grouping, Auckland’s local political grouping of the left – City Vision – should be able to act as a rehearsal for a future coalition government. That may sound strange until one realizes how tight, powerful and deep the networks between the central and local National hierarchy are already. By November 2016, party politics will be in full effect across Auckland’s Council chamber.

This political shift should reflect Auckland’s own growth and development. Auckland’s protracted change from adolescence to adulthood is underway. The great dual  motorway loops complete by early 2017. The City Rail Link starts construction in seven months. Pent up housing demand and CBD revival will see a construction boom for  many years to come. New suburbs, new transport systems, and economic growth, as far as is visible from One Tree Hill with the naked eye.

I see a gap for the Greens and Labour here. There should be a meeting of all Green and Labour MPs from Auckland with City Vision. Soon.

For two reasons. Firstly, to prepare for the 2016 and 2017 campaigns as if they are part of a single task. Which they are now. Secondly, the more adventurous bit, to develop a functioning mechanism for the left between Auckland and government. This relationship is the one dynamic absent for nearly two terms now.

If they are to win back power in either Auckland or parliament, in either 2016 or 2017, the left need to network across Auckland even better than the right. How should it be done?

15 comments on “The left in Auckland ”

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  1. Tracey 1
    25 October 2015 at 9:53 am

    I fear there will soon be nothing left in NZ 😉

  2. Draco T Bastard 2
    25 October 2015 at 9:55 am

    This relationship is the one dynamic absent for nearly two terms now.

    It’s pretty much always been absent. The thing is, it has to be done well. We want good communications between Auckland and Wellington but we don’t want Auckland being dictated to by Wellington which is what the RWNJs seem to be aiming for.

    • Madeleine 2.1
      25 October 2015 at 10:12 am

      Offering you a lifeline is not dictating- it’s an olive branch.

      I only get bolshie when you procrastinate.

      You make your own choices with ‘everything’ in your life, I’m just offering you a lifeline……on a golden platter.

      I’m not really in a ‘position’ to dictate anyway, just to ‘oversee’ and ‘protect’.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.1
        25 October 2015 at 10:49 am

        [citation needed]

        Smug self-serving mantras don’t reflect reality.

      • Draco T Bastard 2.1.2
        25 October 2015 at 11:22 am

        National and other RWNJ organisations aren’t offering a lifeline but are taking more from Auckland so as to enrich themselves. Hell, if Auckland stopped subsidising the rest of NZ to the tune of $1 billion per year we’d be a lot better off.

  3. weka 3
    25 October 2015 at 10:47 am

    If you want the rest of the country to love Auckland as well (and I’m not talking about Wellington), it would help if Auckland explained itself a bit better 😉 What is City Vision? Is it an existing organisation or one you are proposing.

  4. Lloyd 4
    25 October 2015 at 10:50 pm

    You mean City Vision , the Green Party members of Parliament and the Labour Party members of Parliament don’t have a regular meeting schedule already?

    What is wrong with the left in this country.?

    Organise! ORGANISE!

  5. Mike the Savage One 5
    26 October 2015 at 12:46 am

    Good grief, so much “love” for Auckland? I love to hate this place, I must say, given the fact it is being ruined, while the developer lobby is working more or less hand in hand with Council, to create more built up homes that will likely create a new disaster like the still not digested “leaky home disaster”.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11528352

    Super City equals a Super Disaster to come. It won’t matter whether a “left” or “right” leaning Mayor and Council will be in charge, it will be the rate payers and residents that have to pay for fixing it all.

    Check out who makes the bulk of submissions, and who dominates the hearings on the Auckland Unitary Plan, and you can see who runs the show. Where is Mayor Len, rather silent and keeping a low profile these days?

    https://hearings.aupihp.govt.nz/hearings

    Wellingtonians and their neighbours made the right decision, in view of what we have here!

    But I suppose Fletcher Residential, Ockham Holdings and the various developers and construction interests are working hand in hand with the Greens, Labour and “the left” now?! What a brilliant “brighter future”.

  6. Ad 6
    28 October 2015 at 9:16 am

    The NZHerald have finally picked up on the story that MickeySavage scooped a week ago.

    The right are organizing like we have never seen before in local government.