I think his appearance on TV3 the other night showed he wasn't that comfortable in front of a camera

Yeah, I got a distinct impression he was used to public speaking to crowds, he had the kind of gestural movements and the roving eye you get in competent podium speaker,…

Mr Banks got a united "ooh ... " from the audience, when he hinted that he was in closer circles with Prime Minister John Key than his opponent, Mr Brown.

I am certain, but just my opinion, (and many think I'm weird), those with a vested interest in Auckland City Business inc. are quite happy with airy fairy. It allows manipulation, with influence, which Rodney's ilk are probably happy with.

No, Sofie — the business owners I know are not…

But I think a good mayor is one who knows transport inside out, and can get involved in the details.

Well they better if it's basically the only issue they're campaigning on.

I agree about the bang for buck with buses, too. We've spent all this money on roads, we…

Linking this back to the main topic of conversation, I actually think what's most important is what the mayors say about little transport issues. It's easy to say "yeah I support rail to the airport, North Shore Rail and so forth..." but generally they're not…

So how could we go about making boarding times faster? Well perhaps the biggest step is underway already in terms of implementing integrated smart-card ticketing. The new tickets will not require interaction with the driver, so you’ll be able to board even while someone is stuffing around digging…

We don't generally disagree Ben, I just think the lack of extensive and permanent transport lanes is an impediment to mass use of buses

Certainly I don't disagree with extensive transport lanes, although permanent seems overkill, and unnecessarily mean to people who want, for instance, to park on the street…

Banks would do well to front up and say that he was wrong about the gays.

He'd have to do it pretty well for me to believe he really meant it.

Oh well then... why's he delusional particularly? More so that Banks?

It concerns me that Banks apparently isn't the…

Buses have other advantages, don't forget. You don't have to park the buggers. That matters if you're going to the city all day. Also, you don't have to own them, nor learn how to drive them.

These things are all true, however if you have the choice of driving or…

Ben, I actually think this is a big deal. For me, buses lose their appeal if they're not at least as fast, if not faster than cars.

Buses have other advantages, don't forget. You don't have to park the buggers. That matters if you're going to the city all day.…

Regarding trains to Auckland airport, doing the extra 11k or so from the new Onehunga station, or even perhaps the 6-7k from Puhinui, seems like a no-brainer.

The current preferred option (which admittedly does include a link up to Avondale) is estimated at $2.2B. Spending that sort of money should…

Look out of the window on a fine day: is the sky nearest the horizon a nice shade of brown? No? Then you're fine.

Well, it's quite noteworthy that if I apply your test from my office window (down by the ferry terminal) on a nice, still, sunny winters day…

Naturally people on buses go slower. That needs to improve, but I'm not sure if the cart can travel before the horse.

Ben, I actually think this is a big deal. For me, buses lose their appeal if they're not at least as fast, if not faster than cars.

It…

Totally pr0n!

wonder how they'd cope with this Japanese
medical supplier's Xray-ted calendar? *

*very possibly NSFW,
mostly bones but some fleshy outlines
parental guidance and lead shielding recommended

The site you requested is blocked under the following categories: Pornography

Well duh! It has a naked breast (with nipple!1!1) showing on the first page. Totally pr0n!

James, can you email me with some more details?

Done.

I just received this message from my work web filter proxy:

James, can you email me with some more details? Which organisation and which filter product? I'm sure Al at Scoop will want to know.

You cannot access the following Web address:
http://werewolf.co.nz/

The site you requested is blocked under the following categories: Pornography

It worked fine last month, so someone must have reported it since then. Where am I going to get my…

Bike lanes would be nice but I don't hear these Super City folks talking about them...

Oh they're talking about them now – as an inconvenience to drivers on Dominion Road – where businesses apparently will cease unless folk can park cars right outside their street frontage at all times.…

All I know is the air stinks in the city.

You're making me wish I didn't delete (as I do with most of what I write these days), my spiel about how people thinking Auckland has bad traffic are cut from the same cloth that sees the place as "The…

Apart from nearly getting murdered every day by arrogant motorists who can't see that the lane (one of two on…

Hence my asking about the average

All I know is the air stinks in the city. I worked for 3 years in Penrose. A 8.00 a.m meeting would involve getting out of your driveway by 7.00 a.m out East, 6.45 a.m out West and I have heard insane stories from…

It is slightly irksome that the Sydney train doesn't have luggage racks,…

Only if you live in a suburb that has quick access to another one, plenty of people cross all over town for work and then during the day a bunch of them drive all over town in search of the elusive dollar.

Hence my asking about the average. Standard deviation…

She'll inject life into things. Who said this was boring?

Unfortunately, Penny's brand of excitement is of the "why are there are these chanting naked people and a goat in my living room?" variety.

I was just suggesting joining up to existing but also thought it was only freight to Hamilton at the moment.I imagined rail for tourists heading south, 'tis all.

Oh, I see. I've got to wonder though: if a passenger service to Hamilton isn't viable now, would an airport link provide…

Do read that Gordon Campbell interview with Len Brown. It's good, as Russell says. Hope there will be a similar one with Banks so…

What's the average commute for a car driver? Half an hour? Less

Only if you live in a suburb that has quick access to another one, plenty of people cross all over town for work and then during the day a bunch of them drive all over town in search…

Dealing with Joyce, English et al over big projects like the…

Not the V8 thing again, I beg you.

Dude, give me some credit. If I was going to suggest an international racing event for NZ it wouldn't be V8 "Supercars", so named to explicitly exclude all of the faster cars the rest of the world makes. It would be Formula…

Edit: Curveball idea for the Banks team.…

Not the V8 thing again, I beg you.

Hay, Auckland will have to bale out its inner city roads sometime or crash and burn...

BRIGHT Penny

She'll inject life into things. Who said this was boring?

sometimes almost illogically and one accident can stop the southern motorway for an hour.

Much like coastal Highway One from Oaro to Kaikoura, yet another truck jack-knifed there this week, blocking the road for hours. The road is so totally not suitable for big trucks, and has a great rail…

The difference between them is night…

I found the Sydney airport link bloody fantastic last time I used it. It was a truly novel experience to be in the center of the city 17 minutes after coming through customs, for the princely sum of $6.50.

$15 airport to Central last month...

It was a truly novel experience to be in the center of the city 17 minutes after coming through customs, for the princely sum of $6.50. Y

Did you jump the stiles? The access fee to the station is $11.80AUD, with a regular ticket on top of that.

is that…

Well surely, that would come from it and I 'd suggest to Hamilton.
Then Hamilton can foot some of the bill.

How does rail to the airport help get rail to Hamilton? Don't we already have rail to Hamilton?

Banks impassioned statement that Brown wanted to divide the city up on race

Not the V8 thing again, I beg you.

It's got a bloody motorway right through the middle of it.

Which gets locked up twice a day , 5 times a week and then some. One of my jobs was driving around Auckland roads.They just stop all the time, sometimes almost illogically and one accident can stop the southern…

If, as been suggested, rail was to go beyond the airport

Well surely, that would come from it and I 'd suggest to Hamilton.
Then Hamilton can foot some of the bill.

Actually they are both regional

Eh? I was talking about ARC and Ak City in context of the waterfront stadium mention. One is regional and one local, with different responsibilities as set up in the 2002 Local Government Act. Which two Councils are you thinking of?

Banks impassioned statement that Brown wanted to divide the city up on race

I do wish our media would call out silly old fossils who confuse the Treaty with "race". Herald obediently repeats the lie.

The reason is that Sydney City is geographically tiny and has a population of about 110,000 people.

You could also snark that being a Lord Mayor in Australia must have a rather light workload, as Clover Moore is also the local member of the state Legislative Assembly.Perhaps she could give…

The question is whether an airport link is the best option for expanding the network. I'd argue that there are better options if the goal is to reach the greatest number of commuters.

Botany Downs and environs is an obvious choice.

Only one is local, the other regional

Actually they are both regional and as have said many times before, what did we need this extra layer of bureaucracy for?.
If decisions needed to be taken on a regional level then we had the regional council, if we needed local control…

The airport train route also allows connection of another chunk of people living and working along the route – which would loop around to connect with Manukau's cbd too.

One of the issues cited with the Sydney airport link is that it also serves commuters resulting in competition between travelers…

In unrelated news, anyone else notice that Peter Tennent in New Plymouth has been selected as one of 25 Mayors from around the world in the 'World Mayor' 2010? You can vote here, by the looks of it.

No idea what kind of Mayor he is, but hard to imagine…

It does rather stupid to have two independent local councils operating in the same geographic area.

Only one is local, the other regional – like most of NZ other than the top of the South Island.

The airport train route also allows connection of another chunk of people living and working along the route – which would loop around to connect with Manukau's CBD too.

If it makes sense on that basis, then go for it but Sydney and Brisbane airports were not able to generate…

Which begs the question, did we need a Supercity?

I can't help feeling that part of motivation was to punish the ARC for sinking the waterfront stadium. It does rather stupid to have two independent local councils operating in the same geographic area.

it guarantees the job goes to those that already control the purse strings

You mean a "small, but rich, pool of talent"?

Both Brisbane and Sydney built rail to their airports in recent times as PPPs, and both ran into financial trouble, leading (so I understand and correct me if I am wrong) to the state governments having to bail them out. If those two cities can't make an airport rail link…

Which begs the question, did we need a Supercity?

Now we ask that question? Well, admittedly people have been saying that all along, but when you put it in the Australian context, it does seem like putting an awful lot of responsibility in the hands of one person. Especially in…

I'm wondering why there seem to be no women in the running, and who might credibly stand in 2013.

The other candidates aren't getting anything like the same airtime. As to 2013, perhaps if Christine Rankin gets into Council this time, may well try for top job next time.

From…

What's interesting is that they're both so clearly aligned with the major political parties. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, broadly equivalent I believe, is an independent

The reason is that Sydney City is geographically tiny and has a population of about 110,000 people. People are under the misconception that NZ…

I'm just wondering why an independent can't win?

I'm wondering why there seem to be no women in the running, and who might credibly stand in 2013.

Tussle for wider power this first time, and first past post, hence the parties. Some smart independents likely in 2013.

Thanks Sacha, this makes sense.

Was never going to be room for more than two viable candidates, given the politics.

What's interesting is that they're both so clearly aligned with the major political parties. The Lord Mayor of Sydney, broadly equivalent I believe, is an independent, Clover Moore. Her predecessor, Lucy Turnbull (wife of Malcolm)…

Prast always seemed a very sensible and progressive bloke to me, isn't he a chance.

No. He's delusional.

In spite of all the free publicity he has garnered from bFM (and I think I caught him on George also?) over the past few weeks.

No offence to those concerned, but…

In NZ at the moment it is the private sector that has a debt problem, not the public sector

This is the problem of today. The private sector is in debt. Jobs have to come from state stimulation because private debt clearance will be sadly slow and argueably hasn't even…

Prast always seemed a very sensible and progressive bloke to me, isn't he a chance

No. He's delusional.

And also the lowest polling candidate in the field.

as has happened in Australia a few times.

And the UK. Horror stories about PPP-built hospitals are numerous.

And Scotland has it's own version of the bridge to nowhere in the shape of the isle of skye-mainland link. The locals are ecstatic about having to pay roughly five times as…

As for rail to Albany... there is a nice new busway, noweher near capacity, except for inadequate parking at stations... let us concentrate on making that work first!

Perhaps I'm biased — literally living across the road from the Constellation Drive station — but it seems to be working pretty…

Decades of surburban poverty in South Auckland and other smaller western suburbs.

The Royal Commission addressed that by proposing a powerful local-central government partnership on social issues and pooled public funding. Naturally it was watered down by this Nact government into a quiet "Social Policy Forum". Ask candidates about that…

I'm not ideologically opposed to public-private partnerships, but I'd sure like to know what kind of safeguards and controls Greater Auckland would have in place

PPP arrangements certainly have their place, but there needs to be a better debate around what these are and how they apply:

**1. The 'public…

As soon as Brown mentioned the rail link to Albany I thought "Oh, so you think you're going to win instant Kiwi too?"

Ah yes, my partner (who has worked in rail for 46 years) is prone to snarking that if Joan Didion hadn't gotten in first 'The Year(s) of…

1)Transport
2) Decades of surburban poverty in South Auckland and other smaller western suburbs.

His responses are far more detailed and convincing than any broadcast media interview Brown has done. He would clearly benefit from doing more like this.

Indeed — looks like both Banks and Brown should be facing some direct and pointed questions about their enthusiasm for PPP's. I'm not ideologically opposed…

Which is a nice segue to a very good piece of advice Simon Wilson had for Banks — Just say "I was wrong" (about teh gayz, your errors as Mayor) about something, anything – and MEAN IT

I saw that helpful tip in the Metro from Simon Wilson to Banks.…

Gordon Campbell has interviewed Brown for Werewolf.

His responses are far more detailed and convincing than any broadcast media interview Brown has done. He would clearly benefit from doing more like this.

I've heard substantive detail from Brown at least about local board arrangements and advocating for law changes for some bits of the structure that are probably too broken.

Reports from local meetings seem to indicate that Brown routinely turns up better-briefed than Banks and able to discuss local issues, but…

Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

Craig, but I've heard substantive detail from Brown at least about local board arrangements and advocating for law changes for some bits of the structure that are probably too broken.

Fair enough, Sacha. But I think it's also fair comment that Brown should be expected to own his record every…

And yet, despite all that, it will probably be an appeal to trust that drags Brown through.

Up to a point, but I think Simon Wilson has a typically sharp and sceptical take on both Banks and Brown in the latest Metro (once you get past the rather queasy making…