With friends like these…

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 25th, 2009 - 2 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, john banks - Tags: , ,

agouti-ratJohn ‘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 Auckland.

Obviously he was just taking his cue from Lord Mayor Banks’ threat to fire 2,700 employees, meaning council services such as libraries, pools, parks and community centres will need to be cut, alongside his history of privatising half of Auckland City Council’s share of Auckland Airport.

Banks and C&R are doing everything they can to prove they’re not hard right ideologues who will strip services from the rest of the city and flog off Auckland’s public assets. But, as they say, you can’t polish a turd.

Just like when Banks promised to lie in the campaign saying, ‘If I wear my policy on my sleeve, I won’t get elected’, Councillor Goldsmith has again let the poll-tested mask slip by promising to gut the workings of local government across the Auckland region. Be afraid.

2 comments on “With friends like these… ”

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  1. randal 1
    25 November 2009 at 2:50 pm

    I ask myself how come in this time of unlimited abundance and unstoppable progress the tories (gnats) have to shave everything to the bone.
    Is it the times or just them?

  2. Armchair Critic 2
    25 November 2009 at 10:23 pm

    Indeed, Sam, you seem to have said it all. The privatisation and large scale redundancies are well known, and even expected, amongst my acquaintances at the various local authorities around Auckland. All they are waiting for is the Herald to make it public.
    It is too late to be afraid, the decisions have been made and the plan is in progress…
    Next step is for the new owners to run down the assets and strip out the profits. So in ten years time the same assets, in worse condition, can be repurchased for twice the price.
    Another victory for ideology over common sense.

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