Discussion: Regarding Auckland
318 Responses
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What is happening in the house today is a demonstration of just how strong our democracy is. Despite the fact that NACT has a majority in the house does not mean they can "Railroad" through any legislation they chose on a whim, they cannot.
For any that believe that Labour and their allies are "Wasting tax payers money' may I point out that this analysis relies on the misguided belief that this country should be run for the profit of the few and all aspects of governance should adhere to strict accounting principles, this is a crock.The people of the Auckland region are the rightful beneficiaries of the more than 27 billion Dollars in assets. These assets are not the private property of the member for Epsom for him to sell off to his mates, this legislation does just that, it gifts our assets to the asset stripping vultures of the right.
The deal done between ACT and National in Epsom was a blatant rigging of our democracy, it seemed like a good idea to national at the time, I hope now that those in that electorate are now seeing this deal with the devil for what it was, a tragic mistake, as many in the National party must also be seeing.
If I were a resident of Epsom I would be hanging my head in shame at the association with this mean little man and the agenda he stands for.
What is happening in the house today and for the next week if sense does not prevail, lies at the feet of the National party in its mind numbing stupidity and arrogance. The people of Auckland make up one third of the population, to ignore their voice through consultation and submissions is tantamount to a putsch against the people of New Zealand.
Here's hoping that Labour and friends can talk the hind legs off this donkey and than convince it to take a very long walk afterwards, preferably with the rt. Hon. Dr Jekyll on its back.
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Somebody may have mentioned this but there is some great real time blogging from the House going on by the Labour MPs on their new red alert blog. Phil Twyford has just blogged about the potential privatisation of Auckland's assets as a result of this legislation.
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Somebody may have mentioned this but there is some great real time blogging from the House going on by the Labour MPs on their new red alert blog.
Moana Mackey just plugged the blog in the House
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For any that believe that Labour and their allies are "Wasting tax payers money' may I point out that this analysis relies on the misguided belief that this country should be run for the profit of the few and all aspects of governance should adhere to strict accounting principles, this is a crock.
What's a crock, Steve, is that Labour may be perfectly entitled to filibuster their arses off (as National and ACT did with the Employment Relations Act) but please spare me the bullshit about the grand triumph of democracy.
The deal done between ACT and National in Epsom was a blatant rigging of our democracy
Where, it seems, making shit up is an essential part of democrazy.
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What's a crock, Steve, is that Labour may be perfectly entitled to filibuster their arses off (as National and ACT did with the Employment Relations Act) but please spare me the bullshit about the grand triumph of democracy. Where, it seems, making shit up is an essential part of democracy.
Craig's right Madam, Democracy is wasted on the ignorant masses. People like those that live in Epsom have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that important decisions should not be left to them. They must have all their assets handed over to Rodney and his mates immediately.
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Craig's right Madam, Democracy is wasted on the ignorant masses. People like those that live in Epsom have proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that important decisions should not be left to them. They must have all their assets handed over to Rodney and his mates immediately.
Steve: I'm sorry if you don't like how the electorate race in Epsom ended up. As I said to the various rightwing-nuts who had problems dealing with the results of the 2005 election: Go sit in the corner, sip your fuckupachino and go through you grieving process where I don't have to see or listen to you.
Meanwhile, Steve, if you think larding bills with hundreds -- even thousands -- of trivial and meaningless amendments that aren't meant to substantively improve the bill is something to be admired, we shall just have to agree to disagree.
Still, to look on the bright side of things, I am glad that Labour and the Greens have had a conversion to concepts of property rights, fiscal restraint and limited government that would have Ayn Rand jizzing in her pants.
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Go sit in the corner, sip your fuckupachino and go through you grieving process where I don't have to see or listen to you.
Just like Hide effectively said to Labour when trying to suggest a serious concern this morning (Marian Street, Hansard, in case you think it made up). This is our City, Craig. Aren't you appalled at least at the blatant disregard for any of us that live here, oh except for 4 mates of Hide's.
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So, Craig. Still suffering from that blocked up head full of cotton wool feeling then? Perhaps you should consult a Doctor. Oh, that's right, you don't consider consultation to be important.
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Steve: Believe me (or not) far from there being some nefarious plot to stitch up Epsom for Rodney, you can still hear the plaintive wailing of dessicated ACT-oids that he faced any competition at all.
The usual process where the candidate with the most votes won was otherwise in play. Rodney won. Bugger.
Don't like the results? Suck it up and deal, God knows the rest of us have to as often as not.
And as I've had to remind WhaleOily and Master Bater on more than one occasion, bullshit doesn't become the truth just because you've raised the pitch and volume.
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Oh, and as I said Labour and the Greens are perfectly entitled to waste as much time as they can filibustering with meaningless amendments. Just as ACT and National did over the Employment Relations Bill. Please demonstrate what tangible improvements they've made to the bill and I'll die happy.
But as long as I'm a citizen of this country, I'll question and criticise my servants without a permission slip from you or Sophie. OK with you?
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or Sophie. OK with you?
$27000,000,000 +4 rich white men + Rodney Hide's permission= Carte Blanche to take whatever they like.
OK with you? -
Oh, and as I said Labour and the Greens are perfectly entitled to waste as much time as they can filibustering with meaningless amendments.
Right, so paid parental leave and preventing the stealth-privatization of Auckland's assets are 'meaningless' pieces of filibustering, then? Always nice to know where you stand on the issues, Craig.
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It is with great regret that I have to inform you that I have been made redundant.
This is where it all began.
May I ntroduce to you the real Knowledge Bro and his Web Interface.
Coming to a screen near you on Tuesday if all goes well.
Happy viewing, neary three hours all up but fascinating. -
Initial reports from the people who tried it are pretty tepid, it has to be said. Very keen to try it myself.
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Initial reports from the people who tried it are pretty tepid, it has to be said. Very keen to try it myself.
Sounds like the beginnings of an excellent tool, I'll tell you that for nothing.:)
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What is happening in the house today is a demonstration of just how strong our democracy is. Despite the fact that NACT has a majority in the house does not mean they can "Railroad" through any legislation they chose on a whim, they cannot.
I was busy over the weekend, but I'm guessing:
1. Government tries to get through legislation under urgency.
2. Opposition cries foul and moves a million stupid amendments which achieves nothing other than stalling it for a day or two.Personally I'd like my democracy in a different flavour:
1. Government only moves bills under urgency when they're actually urgent.
2. Opposition that tries to get government MPs to flip if the legislation is so bad.It's times like this that I wish the youth parliament was running the country rather than the twaddle that happens there now. A diverse group of people debating issues, listening to the public and considering things before making laws? I'll take the 17 year olds over the current lot.
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This is worth a bump. Te DomPost casts an eye northwards and considers whether Auckland's amalgamation is likely to be duplicated in Wellington and Hawkes Bay. Has some revealing quotes.
One candidate being perhaps too frank 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. I have got to reach across to blue collar Labour," he says.
One of the key business cheerleaders exposes their agenda (emphasis mine):
The new council is based on the recommendations of a royal commission established by the last Labour government at the urging of a trio of business organisations, the Committee for Auckland, the Employers and Manufacturers Association and the Council for Infrastructure Development.
"You couldn't get a bloody decision made anywhere," says Committee for Auckland executive director Kaaren Goodall of the frustrations that caused it to press for change. "You could get lots of plans. We had eight lots of plans. They didn't necessarily fit together."
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Ms Goodall worries that too much effort has been put into placating concerns about the loss of local decision-making: "We weren't looking for democratic reform. We were looking for leadership and decision-making." The demise of at-large councillors is particularly disappointing, she says." If you try to think Auckland-wide and then you have got all these people one by one thinking about their local area, it's very difficult to make progress. So we thought that a small number of elected-at-large people, elected on the same basis as the mayor, would give the mayor a fighting chance of more of a team approach. More unity."
Like many, the journo missed that the Royal Commission only proposed at-large seats to balance the more powerful local focus of its proposed six sub-Councils. With a couple of dozen weak local boards instead, that imperative disappeared.
And speaking of "progress", yes that's the same Council for Infrastructure Development which is just delighted at the government's renewed focus on building more roads.
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Interesting article, thanks Sacha. Reading that, and also going back to Rod Oram's article from April, I can't help but be utterly outraged at the callous disregard for the Commission's considered suggestions that has been put on display by Rodney and his band of merry men. He really is the Monster of Local Government, and he's been ably assisted by a media that's done a generally poor job of really explaining what the Commission had envisaged. Instead we get this second-rate hack job.
The only bright light is that the left-wing seems to be coalescing to a Brown/Lee ticket, or was last time I heard any news on the shaping-up of the factions. The negative is the rumour that Bradford might run. The general sentiment toward her amongst the electorate is sufficiently negative that the right could easily turn her into a bogeywoman and hustle undecided voters in behind a right-wing ticket on the strength of Bradford possibly holding a seat at the Council table.
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