The Right unravels in Auckland

Written By: - Date published: 10:07 am, July 4th, 2010 - 43 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, local body elections - Tags: ,

Things really are getting desperate for the Right in the super-mayor race. Granny Herald launched yet another round of attacks on Len Brown last weekend but the public aren’t buying it (maybe because fewer and fewer Aucklanders are bothering to read Granny’s rants?). The business community is abandoning John Banks, more rightwing candidates are joining the field and there is a palpable fear from Banks’ enormous 15-person campaign leadership team of a new major business candidate – Stephen Tindall.

Fran O’Sullivan’s piece is full of spite towards Brown but that’s to be expected. What is informative is what she has to say about Banks:

“The ability of the Auckland council mayor to fund such flights of fancy [as an Olympics bid] from ratepayers’ cash was never in the prescription for the new Super City. But the fact that Banks believes this would be within his mayoral capacities is surely reason enough for the Government to amend the legislation giving rise to the Super City to ensure that the Auckland council cannot commit funds to pursuing mega-billion projects that are clearly outside the capacity of New Zealand, let alone Auckland, to fund.”

The right on right fighting is getting intense.

But that’s nothing compared to Matthew Hooton’s savage attack on Tindall. There was a clear message in Hooton’s rant – ‘if you run we will stop at nothing to destroy your reputation’. The man isn’t even in the race (yet) but Team Banks is clearly crapping themselves at the thought of Tindall splitting the race and stealing most of his votes from Banks. Hence, Hooton’s all-out effort to scare him out of running at all.

Brown would be best to rise above all the smears from National and its allies. If he keeps focused on the issues, he’s going to win this thin hands down.

43 comments on “The Right unravels in Auckland ”

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  1. PETER 1
    4 July 2010 at 10:45 am

    As Mr Burns would say “Excellent” !!

  2. Graeme Edgeler 2
    4 July 2010 at 11:15 am

    Maybe this will be what is needed to get the right in Auckland to come in behind STV…

  3. ghostwhowalksnz 3
    4 July 2010 at 11:39 am

    The link to Hootens ‘rant’ is incorrect, it must have been a different day

  4. ianmac 4
    4 July 2010 at 11:48 am

    “I am am concerned at who might get elected to ECan at the next Local Body Elections,” said Nick Smith. This lead to the cancelling of the elected ECan body.

    “I am concerned at the prospect of the outcome if Len Brown was elected to the Auckland Mayoralty. Therefore a new Act will be passed shortly which delays the election, and the Government will appoint an interim Mayor to hold that position for 5 years. This will allow the new Super City to become properly established, ” said today by ………..

  5. Gooner 5
    4 July 2010 at 12:19 pm

    Marty, if Tindall stands he’ll win – it’ll be goodnight Brown & Banks. I wouldn’t be so happy at that thought considering what happened to the last Labour business flunky, Dick Hubbard, when he thought he could be mayor.

    • I dreamed a dream 5.1
      4 July 2010 at 6:11 pm

      “if Tindall stands he’ll win it’ll be goodnight Brown & Banks.”

      I don’t that you can easily draw such a conclusion. Sure, he’ll draw votes from Banks. But to beat Brown, I don’t think so. For example, I have great respect for Tindall but I’d still be voting Brown. Besides, there’s an easy argument against someone like Tindall, “Do you want the whole Auckland Council to be complete corporatised, in addition to the CCOs?” Remember that much of the support for Brown is also due to the anti-corporatisation of the Auckland Council. Tindall would be perceived as more corporatisation.

      Imagine Tindall as mayor, it’ll be Corporate Mayor, Corporate CEO, Corporate CCOs. Sure, that’s the dream scenario for the right and NACT. But it won’t happen. The left and the Auckland population are not that stupid.

  6. Max Walker 6
    4 July 2010 at 12:21 pm

    Hope you guys are right, because Len Brown didn’t look good in the Sunday herald today over his arguing with his campaign advisor.

    • BLiP 6.1
      4 July 2010 at 1:01 pm

      Banksy didn’t look too hot failing to know – let along being able to pronounce – the surname of the Captain of the Blues.

      • Pascal's bookie 6.1.1
        4 July 2010 at 2:26 pm

        Why does John bBnks hate Rugby?

        Nah, that’s unfair, I guess he just supports the Crusaders.

  7. Colvin 7
    4 July 2010 at 12:32 pm

    Hooton had some good points as to why the left shouldn’t want Tindall to be mayor. But he clearly wouldn’t have launched that attack if he was a preferred candidate for him and his buds.

  8. G8 8
    4 July 2010 at 1:49 pm

    Max take a cold shower, clear your head and read the Sunday Star article again. No argument at all just another cheap headline.

  9. Russell Brown 9
    4 July 2010 at 2:00 pm

    Hope you guys are right, because Len Brown didn’t look good in the Sunday herald today over his arguing with his campaign advisor

    And sweet Jesus, what a made-up story that was.

    Brown and Lewis have been saying from the get-go that Lewis hadn’t meant that Brown’s face-slapping was a traditional gesture, he’d simply used the phrase “kanohi ti kanohi” and Orsman wrote it up that way. It was over-explaining blather on Lewis’s part — something Brown himself has been guilty of — but I really don’t think this has caused some sudden “split” in the campaign.

  10. Santi 10
    4 July 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Tindall could win.

    As far as I’m concerned, Brown is mentally unstable, whose antics have disqualified him. He should give way to Tindall to help defeat Banks.

    • Craig Glen Eden 10.1
      4 July 2010 at 4:27 pm

      And you think Banks is mentally stable Santi. Nice try, next thing you will be saying some thing crazy like Auckland should put in a bid to hold the Olympics, shit now that would really have us all thinking that you are unhinged.

      Banks is looking like Melissa Lee at the moment and we all now what happen to her.

  11. G8 11
    4 July 2010 at 4:25 pm

    Tindall would only stand if he was mentally unstable which he isn’t

  12. RobertM 12
    4 July 2010 at 4:44 pm

    Look I read the papers and blogs. I have no impression of Brown and know little about his policies, but the impression he is an identikid leftie a sort of sub Maharey and I don’t want people obsessed with poor issues running Auckland. I like the Chinese, and am neutral about Indians. Think there is too much immigration from the Pacific Islands and think Browns likely focus on Pacifica disastrous for Auckland. Too me the issue in Auckland is transport even the Link bus is far too slow and unreliable. Furthur out public transport is infrequent and unreliable, stops at 11pm and hour earlier than Christchurch and at 9 on the rail.

    • felix 12.1
      4 July 2010 at 5:24 pm

      “I like the Chinese, and am neutral about Indians. Think there is too much immigration from the Pacific Islands…”

      But Robert, you forgot to tell us what you think about Somalis, Arabs, and the Irish.

  13. Rich 13
    4 July 2010 at 5:04 pm

    Something people might not know (and I assume that if you read this, you probably want to vote).

    The last day to register in order to get a vote in local elections is **tomorrow**. To enrol, go to Elections NZ and fill out the form. **Do it now!**

    (If you think this is a bit of a rort and disenfranchises younger, mobile, voters, you’d be right).

    (I haven’t seen anything about this apart from one little article in Stuff, so I’m spamming the world and encourage others to do the same).

    • loota 13.1
      4 July 2010 at 5:16 pm

      Just checked, and according to Elections.org.nz the enrolment drive only starts tomorrow, and the electoral roll for local elections is open until Friday 20 Aug…did I miss something?

      • Rich 13.1.1
        4 July 2010 at 5:36 pm

        It says:

        “Everyone enrolled has been sent an enrolment update pack in the mail to check that their details are correct. If anything needs changing, please fill in the form, then sign, date and return it.

        Anyone who hasn’t received an enrolment update pack by Thursday 8 July is not ready to vote.”

        and Stuff said:
        Mr Wicks [of elections NZ] warned that anyone who did not receive a pack by Thursday would not be enrolled, and would not be sent voting papers for local council and district health board elections.

        I read that as meaning that if you didn’t sign up straight away and get a pack, you lose out. But maybe you’re right, and if you don’t get a pack, you can then sign up until 20th August.

        • Graeme Edgeler 13.1.1.1
          5 July 2010 at 12:14 am

          You read wrong.

          If you receive an enrolment update pack, that means they have you at your correct address (the address they’ll send your voting papers).

          If you don’t receive one, it means either you’re not enrolled, or you’re enrolled at the wrong address (which either means they’ll send your voting papers to the wrong address, which kinda prevents you voting, or if the enrolment pack is returned as not known at the address, they’ll know not to send your voting papers there, but not know where to send them, so can’t send them anywhere until you update them with your current address).

          In short: enrol. but this is not some rort.

        • Graeme Edgeler 13.1.1.2
          5 July 2010 at 7:49 am

          And because this seems to be spreading…

          Voting papers start to be sent on 17 September. They must be back by midday on October 9. The last day to enrol and cast a special vote is October 8. The last day to enrol and receive voting papers automatically in the post is August 20.

    • Bunji 13.2
      4 July 2010 at 5:22 pm

      Good on ya Rich.

      I always have a paranoid fear that I’m not enrolled, because there’s nothing to tell me I am. I want to know why we don’t have it like in Britain, where before every election (general or local) every house has a letter sent to them with who is enrolled to vote at that address (including if nobody is). You can then amend it (adding and deleting) and send it back if anything’s wrong. Very easy, makes sure a minimum number of people are disenfranchised.

      Participation in democracy is important – we should do better.

      • jaymam 13.2.1
        5 July 2010 at 2:50 pm

        I received a letter today to say that I am enrolled for the election. This has always happened in the past.

  14. G8 14
    4 July 2010 at 5:35 pm

    National pulled funds on an enrollment campaign which also was to focus on PI enrollment. Gee they must have worked out at the last minute that Len will clean out Banks with a voter turn out of 40% +

    Make sure you vote and get as many of your networks to do the same.

  15. Ian 15
    4 July 2010 at 6:28 pm

    I don’t want Tindall to split the left vote. And I’m a frigging Wellingtonian! By rights I shouldn’t care but in fact I care a shitload. Auckland is where I grew up and it deserves better than the right wing bullshit that is being served up to it at the moment.

    • prism 15.1
      5 July 2010 at 10:32 am

      I was a kid in Auckland though have shifted away. And what is going on there concerns me. The way this supercity has been formed has been a challenge to the democracy and protections of convention if not law, that we all thought were sacrosanct.

      We had Roger Douglas and his cohorts who are still around and often in well-paid jobs close to government. We struggled to get MMP and a wider representation in parliament and thought this would stop the cataclysmic overturning of our systems. Yet MMP is still under attack from well-heeled types who can make over-throwing democracy a hobby for their retirement years.

      And now we have Auckland spreading out like a vast ink blot on the map, doing a territorial grab similar to countries in Europe in the 20th century. (That neighbouring province should be part of our country, let’s annexe it).

  16. big bruv 16
    4 July 2010 at 6:49 pm

    So you guys don’t care how much Brown steals from the rate payer, you don’t care that he has been exposed as a lair, just as long as he wins.

  17. big bruv 17
    4 July 2010 at 7:20 pm

    Not me BLiP, I am a man of my word, unlike that fake thief Len Brown.

    Tell me BLiP, it is compulsory to steal if you are a member of the Labour party?

    • felix 17.1
      4 July 2010 at 7:27 pm

      A man of your word?

      If your word is “liar” or “cheat” or “welcher”, then yep.

  18. I dreamed a dream 18
    4 July 2010 at 7:29 pm

    Your name is Brown,

    I’m in your town,

    this place is jumping,

    your heart is pumping,

    do me a favour,

    be my Mayor!

    (modified from a Len Brown rap) 🙂

  19. coolas 19
    4 July 2010 at 7:53 pm

    so cooool

    a honkey rapper

    with a dicky ticker

    gets no thanks

    for standing up to Banks

    loose with the card

    but no tub of lard

    He has the vision

    He’s on a mission

    ‘cos he’s like Jesus yeah

    • BLiP 19.1
      4 July 2010 at 8:23 pm

      ‘cos he’s like Jesus yeah

      Well, he’s certainly going to be throwing the money lenders out of the town hall. About time we heaved them out of the Beehive too.

      • Mac1 19.1.1
        4 July 2010 at 8:30 pm

        The interesting thing about the money lenders in the Temple story is what drove them out. Was it one man against many, including the lenders and their heavies, who achieved this with violence? Or was it the righteous anger against which the wrong-doers could not stand?

        I prefer the second opinion. Watch out for 2011 when righteous anger drives us to the polls.

        • ianmac 19.1.1.1
          4 July 2010 at 11:56 pm

          Mind you it probably cost the poor man his life. Once the Jewish traders/money lenders got to press for crucifiction it was all over Rover.

          • Sanctuary 19.1.1.1.1
            5 July 2010 at 8:35 am

            Que screaming headline in the Herald:

            “Brown campaigner claims Jew’s killed Jesus in shock online revelation.”

          • Mac1 19.1.1.1.2
            5 July 2010 at 10:31 am

            Ianmac. ‘Crucifiction?’ Not a believer, then?

          • prism 19.1.1.1.3
            5 July 2010 at 10:38 am

            I like your clever term ianmac – crucifiction – What happens to politicians in NZ when pursued by slavering journos. Not as painful as crucifixion, but a sort of ordeal by fire all the same.

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