Tag Archives: Cameron Brewer

Challenge Laid Down To Oppositional Councillors

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The Challenge is Laid

 

Who Will Step Up From the Opposition?

 

Answer Thus Far – NO ONE!

 

This morning I threw down a challenge to the oppositional Councillors of The Unitary Plan – a.k.a The Clunker. I’ll repost the challenge here then some replies on what I got thus far:

 

George Wood and Cameron Brewer. You keep popping up on the Facebook feeds on what is wrong with the Unitary Plan (which the city knows and it is becoming a game of State the Obvious here). What I do not see from both of you is a power point presentation or 10 A3 pages of an alternative to The Clunker in where (in your opinions as they count too you know) YOU THINK The Unitary Plan should go. If I can come up with material and take it round with me to community meetings and Civic Forums and go one to one with residents and others, then I am sure you two can as well otherwise I am thinking “What on Earth am I paying you for with my money”

 

This was shortly followed by this from me

I just laid a challenge down to two councillors that are opposed to The Unitary Plan, by extension this extended to the rest of the oppositional councillors as well. You get paid to put an alternative forward while I don’t and thus far I seem to be the only one clocking the miles going around the city trying to both understand residents and get an alternative put forward…

 

So the challenge was laid down and this was the responses I got thus far from either Councillors or Local Board Members and my replies in return:

  • Nigel James Turnbull Ben I don’t think Councillors should be doing this work. Officers are tasked with this and should be responsive to Councillors guidance on how to model and look at the issues inherent in such a big piece of work. I do agree that pointing out some obvious solutions is important, but that is exactly what they have been asking for, like non operative status at notification, better public exposure and consultation over the plan, consideration of infrastructure requirements in growth areas etc. these and many other important issues need to be addressed and suggestions included and not put to one side. The issues you are seeing simply add to the case that this needs to be done once, and done properly. There is no way it should be made operative in September, it would be poor judgement on any councillor that suggests such an option.
  • Ben Ross : Auckland I was writing a post on Town and Local Centres but I’ll stop to comment here. I disagree Nigel with your first two centres – but then it might come down to the leadership style one is looking for out of our civic leaders. The Councillors are individual human beings as well and are affected by the clunker like everyone else. As I look for a more visionary and proactive rather than reactive which is what George and Cameron are doing (in my opinion), I would expect them to draw that alternative up from their personal beliefs, measure it against the current Unitary Plan alongside residents and businesses, then put in their own submissions for planing officer considerations.

    Look I am saying this again and again and again until I go black and blue in the face, we need alternatives to the UP if we believe the UP will not work. We need someone with vision and balls (more than guts) to draw up that alternative and take it to the residents and go “What do you think” 
    For the most part it might get the residents out of either their shell-shocked mode or NIBMYism mode and get them doodling on paper their vision for the city. 

    But it needs someone with that vision. As I said if I can draw an alternative and take it to the city, then why can’t the oppositional councillors to assist the community in thinking…

    Proactive – not reactive – as I expect that from Auckland Transport!

 

And

 

  • George Wood Ben Ross: The 70/30 or 60/40 brownfield/greenfields split is one of the important issues here. Whilst the Auckland council officers went down to 40% greenfield they fudged the overall figure with it adding to 110%. The intensity of the development on the town centres is of concern to communities especially the height and bulk and the provision of infrastructure. Lets hear the views of the community and then the plan can be modified to accommodate the concerns.
    • Ben Ross I just wrote a long post on Local Centres and “place-setting”http://voakl.net/2013/04/11/the-clunker-local-centres-and-transport/

      And yes I know someone in Council fudged the figures with the 60/40 aspect – probably a butt covering exercise which will not work.

      As I just said to Nigel in regards to this we do need a visionary here to take lead and go forward. Communities are just about running around blind and fragmented here George they really are. This is showing up again and again with these community meetings. Most communities are doing their upmost best here with the Clunker but the catch often missing is the Clunker is a regional document and you need to go regional with thinking here. Also the fact that the Clunker is so damned large it nearly makes it impossible to go regional without help and leadership

      I am going to go on a limb here and annoy the oppositional councillors in saying I am doing a better job (although I am going to give credit as well to some of our Local Boards here for doing a fantastic job – you know who you are) in slowly uniting the city and its communities around the Unitary Plan: by running commentary through the blog giving my take on what is going on, showing up to as many community meetings and civic forums as possible to either hear what people are saying or to give my alternative back (to council), often alerting people to something in the UP that might have been missed, and building an alternative that I have gone out on a limb and taken it around the city and used it as material to talk one to one with residents. 

      Often that material kicks off an interesting dialogue and gets the juices flowing into what we all want for our city – as well as some interesting compromises as well.

      A single resident of Auckland should not be left to the task of uniting his city around a clunker of a document which is cause the biggest amount of angst since Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets in 1991. That should be a visionary Councillor’s job – but am struggling to see one here. All I see is sniping Local Politics – so someone has to fill that void 

      If the Councillors believe they are doing a better job than myself in all the above then prove it to me!

 

That is the challenge and some of the responses I threw down this morning to the opposition. So far (and with respect) their responses have been underwhelming and somewhat expectant of a reactive not proactive opposition…

The opposition to the Unitary Plan need to step up fast to the leadership mantle. Not leave the more proactive in Local Boards and the community just about floundering about from a vacuum in central leadership… 

 

 

Speech From Brewer

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Speech from Councillor Cameron Brewer

 

Delivered to ACT Conference

 

I have been away over the weekend attending our annual Church Family Camp up at Whangaparaoa Peninsular and enjoying the absolute stunner of the weather. In saying that and while New Zealand is lagging behind in the digital age (you try your “internet” via cell phone network outside of the main centres) I was able to keep up with some news out of the city.

Of particular note was Councillor Cameron Brewer’s speech to the ACT Party Conference somewhere out in the whop whops. I shall leave you to read the speech below and feel free to comment as you (respectfully wish)

 

Speech notes by Auckland Councillor Cameron Brewer Act Party 2013 Conference, Gibbs Farm, Kaukapakapa Saturday, 23 February 2013

Ratepayers yet to see the real promise of one city

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen

Former Act leader and Minister of Local Government, Hon Rodney Hide, did a great job amalgamating the eight former regional, city and district councils into one unitary authority, Auckland Council. The architecture has proven to be sound with no serious legislative changes mooted.

Today however I will argue that while the architecture of the Super City remains sound, benefits for ratepayers that should have been delivered have yet to be delivered by the local body politicians. The public of Auckland was told that it wasn’t necessarily going to be any cheaper, but one council would be better on their back-pockets now and in the future.

Nearly two and a half years into the Len Brown centre-left inaugural council, most ratepayers would argue their back-pockets have yet to see any benefits. But when you consider the personalities involved that’s not surprising.

Only a few years ago the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor were adamantly opposed to amalgamation. They were matching in the streets against the prospect of Auckland Council.

In essence the Mayor will never be interested in driving and delivering on all the amalgamation’s financial promise and potential, because he never wanted it in the first place. What drives him is community development and pulling the once disparate areas of Auckland together and on that front he has done well.

But let’s not forget the primary drivers of this amalgamation were economic. So how are we doing?

In the current financial year, over half of Auckland households are paying an average of 8.1% more in rates than last year, and the news gets no better in the coming financial year for wards like mine. In the ward of Orakei 67% of households are up for another 5 – 10% rates increase from July. The Left’s low Uniform Annual General Charge is not helping.

Like 133,000 other households, I am paying the full 10% cap this year and will again next year, and the following. That’s because my rates went up 32.4%, with the increase split over three years. So while I’m paying 10% more in Ellerslie after municipal amalgamation, the average Christchurch resident is paying 7.8% more after their massive earthquakes. Go figure!

Mayor Brown is going around telling everyone that the average regional rates increase for 2013/14 will be 2.9% but that’s not how it will be felt by many, particularly on the Auckland isthmus.

In fact the old Auckland City Council area will also have to get used to user-pays rubbish in the next couple of years, not to mention ongoing regulatory fee increases. Then we have the prospect of tolling the existing motorway network and/or a regional petrol tax, as well as the plan to ban all open fireplaces, but I digress. Debt at Auckland Council is growing at nearly $3m a day. Our latest 2011/12 Annual Report showed that total council group debt has increased by $1b, from $4.0b to $5.0b in just 12 months. Now that’s nothing on central government’s ongoing borrowings, but we are not even a state government. We are a local council, yet the plan is to triple council debt this decade and already the debt ceiling has been lifted to enable this.

In this relatively flat economic environment household debt has been shrinking and the Government rightly remains committed to getting back into surplus, so it’s totally out of whack that council borrowings have gone up 25% in the past year alone.

It is future ratepayers who will be lumped with the crippling interest payments, projected to be close to ½ billion dollars a year by the end of this decade. Not to mention Eden Park! The latest annual report also revealed that 1,165 staff now earn more than $100,000 and 123 earn over $200,000. Comparative figures show that we pay our executives, specialists and managers much more than what Air New Zealand pays. So if your son or daughter wants to become a pilot, tell them to become a public servant!

There seems to be a job for everyone in Auckland Council. That same annual report, published late last year also revealed that the number of full-time equivalent staff went up 12% from an estimated 7,200 to 8,040. That’s 840 more staff in 12 months, taking the wage bill to over 2/3rds of a billion dollars or $670m, and that is just FTES. There are even more individuals on the books, and of course these numbers exclude the many consultants and contractors engaged by the council.

Rest assured we will be watching further creep on staff numbers and costs. That’s not what the people of Auckland were promised. Nor did ratepayers think the Mayor’s Office would come with six spin-doctors and a budget of $4.9m a year to run.

The Government’s Better Local Government reforms are all about tightening the leash but so far we’ve seen little real change. Some of us however are looking forward to the second part of the reforms to be introduced to Parliament by the new Local Government Minister. My message to Chris Tremain is keep the pressure on. Local Government New Zealand told us from their ratepayer-funded Queenstown conference last year that it doesn’t like these reforms, but the public does.

One project that’s really going to put pressure on Auckland Council’s 500,000 ratepayers now and in the future is the City Rail Link.

On Monday the Minister of Transport said he thought that 2030 was a more realistic delivery date, but the Mayor won’t hear it. He wants to cut the ribbon in eight short years and rest assured the borrowing is already in full swing to achieve that completely unrealistic timeframe.

In the council’s draft annual plan another $180m is set aside for this project for this coming year.

This ratepayer-funded spending comes without any government commitment whatsoever. The Prime Minister is on the record for saying the CBD project at this point in time just simply doesn’t stack up and will do little to reduce Auckland’s region-wide congestion. Nonetheless the ratepayer is now committed, like it or not. The $2.8b City Rail Link has gone up six fold in estimated cost in the past eight years, and as sure as night follows day the cost will keep going up. Amazingly, the nearly $1 million a metre cost, and the fact that the Government remains completely unconvinced and uncommitted, are not the most concerning aspects of this project. The biggest worry is that this project almost completely strangles every other potential public transport project, at a time when rail patronage is falling.

According to Auckland Transport’s Draft Auckland Regional Public Transport Plan published in October, “approximately 80 percent” of the region’s 10-year public transport infrastructure budget is set to be solely allocated to the City Rail Link. The remaining 20% will be thinly spread across all other regional rail improvements, new and improved ferry terminals, bus lanes and corridors, and park and ride facilities.

Spending approximately 80 percent of the 10-year budget on this one CBD-based project, where less than 10 percent of Aucklanders’ live or work, is not a balanced approach, and will not deliver a strong and mixed integrated transport system.

At the very least, let’s first secure some government commitment, and let’s get some agreement from the motoring public that they’re prepared to pay tolls or more fuel taxes, before we commit the poor old suburban ratepayer any more. Just on Auckland Transport, that council-controlled organisation is working well but there are concerns that where we might’ve once had territorial silos under the old structure, now with our seven CCOs, we’re possibly seeing departmental silos emerge with some empire building well underway.

I support further rationalisation of our CCOs. I support a greater role and greater budgets for our 21 local boards. I support a renewed focus on the council getting its overheads down. I support a greater focus on core council business, and I support the Mayor learning to say no. I also want to see a more functional relationship with central government.

Next month the Auckland Council releases its draft Unitary Plan for public input. The plan is for widespread intensification. Our town centres and suburbs will be changed forever. It will mean another burst of infill and many angry neighbours. We’ve been told for two years by the Left that the public wants a “compact city”, let’s now see. Consultation closes 31 May. Get involved.

I want to also talk about the election promise of greater transparency and accountability. And give you two examples from many of where this council has erred.

Two weeks ago the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed it will investigate my complaint over the council’s refusal to disclose what it has paid its different legal providers over the past two years. The Auckland Council and its CCOs last year spent over $20m on lawyers, but only Watercare was prepared to reveal how much it paid each external provider.

The ratepayers’ right to know how much of their money is being pumped into which lawyers surely overrides the need to protect our city’s big law firms. I await the Ombudsman’s ruling with interest.

Secondly when it comes to the promise of greater transparency and accountability, the plan to put up to $30m of ratepayers’ money for a whitewater rafting facility does not live up to best practice.

This pet project of transforming the paddock that sits between Manukau’s TelstraClear Stadium and the Southern Motorway into rapids is set to leapfrog its way into this year’s council budget. This is despite the project being resoundingly voted down by the previous Manukau City Council and the fact that it was not part of Auckland Council’s 10-year Long Term Plan.

So while the kids of Manukau are set to get a cool whitewater rafting facility, from 1 July the roadside grass verges throughout the former Auckland City area will no longer be mowed by the council.

Ladies and Gentleman – that is how crazy things have got. Whitewater rafting is now council business, mowing council-owned lawns is not. Yes make a submission to our draft 13/14 budget by 4pm this Monday, but more importantly the centre-right needs your support this spring, with the postal ballot results for the local body elections set to announced on Saturday 12 October.

The focus for some of us is not on the mayoralty. The focus will be on getting the numbers around the table but it will be an uphill battle. Only five of us councillors voted against the Mayor’s $58b 10-year budget last year. We’ve got a lot of work to do if the centre-right is to gain the majority – that is at least 11 around a table of 21.

The first job of the new council will be to appoint a new council chief executive from a short- list of candidates. That is another key reason why the 2013 local body elections are critical for ratepayers.

Don’t be fooled by those councillors who masquerade as centre-right. Look at their voting record when they’re at the town hall. Despite north of the harbour bridge being painted blue in Parliament, at Auckland Council only Cr George Wood provides a centre-right voice and vote.

Yes the council has transitioned and worked well enough at an operational level, yes the Super City architecture has stood up to public and political pressures, but no the many promises of amalgamation have not, and will not, be fully realised by the current leadership. Auckland’s ratepayers were promised much more and deserve much better.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, having represented the people of Newmarket and Remuera for the past eight years as head of the Newmarket Business Association and as a local councillor, I have no doubt whatsoever that Epsom voters’ primary interest next year will be to ensure their fellow local resident John Key gets a third term as Prime Minister.

I wish you all, your leader Hon John Banks, and president John Boscawen all the very best for this year and next.

Thank you.

Ends Cameron Brewer (021) 828-016

 

One thing that I will add though is my reaction to Brewer’s speech. I am pragmatist and will not plonk myself in the ideological boxes of Centre-Left and Centre-Right within the Council. That means both sides are up for critique when warranted, the same for praise where it is due.

So in this instance I am siding with Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse’s call on Brewer’s speech:

From Facebook

I seem to have been left off the invitation list to the ACT party conference this weekend? Can’t say I am that surprised, never really hit it off with Hide! Several of my fellow councillors however appear to be there. Reading one of their conference speeches I see that the election is well underway and will be focussed entirely on getting rid of the mayor. Whilst they talk, the rest of us will continue to focus on making this city work, doing the hard yards, like getting the Unitary plan out for consultation. It is easy to simply sit and throw stones, it is harder to stand up and work with your community to build a better Auckland.

My dual replies were:
Ben Ross Quoting Two Items from Brewer’s speech:
1) [The focus for some of us is not on the mayoralty. The focus will be on getting the numbers around the table but it will be an uphill battle]. Seems “they” have given up and resort to attacks if nothing else. I do not personally see a swing over to the hard right and maybe not even centre-right at the moment. So waste of text pixels there as the battle is not up-hill but a cliff that one might not have a clue on how to scale.

2) [Don’t be fooled by those councillors who masquerade as centre-right. Look at their voting record when they’re at the town hall. Despite north of the harbour bridge being painted blue in Parliament, at Auckland Council only Cr George Wood provides a centre-right voice and vote.] I think someone just announced their tilt at mayorship and who would be deputy mayor. George I would distance yourself from that comment quickly – too distracting.

3) [The focus for some of us is not on the mayoralty. The focus will be on getting the numbers around the table but it will be an uphill battle. Only five of us councillors voted against the Mayor’s $58b 10-year budget last year. We’ve got a lot of work to do if the centre-right is to gain the majority - that is at least 11 around a table of 21.] AND repeating the point made in (2) – I do feel sorry for Christ Fletcher there who I consider a reliable work horse with the Unitary Plan and Auckland Transport…

So of little note here – no alternatives, no vision. Something I am missing here
And
Ben Ross Second part from me (yay spamming comment boxes) 
There are two ways this can be approached with Council:
1) Work together despite your different views
2) Be combative and utterly waste my time

I know which one I prefer when working with Councillors – even when I might be a bit “tough” on them some days ;)

You can see I am not overtly impressed with Brewer’s speech.

 

That part in bold stems from a conversation I had with our Deputy Mayor in regards to the Unitary Plan which is about to be released for community feedback. Yes I have strong views on the practical level with the Unitary Plan stemming from the view I hold that the Unitary Plan is too thick and needs to go on a crash diet. And while I know Councillors and Auckland Transport read this blog, I can be admittedly “tough” on them but I sometimes need too. Got to keep them both on their toes and honest. But at the end of the day I can either be combative and go no where as Councillor Brewer is right now with that speech of his, or I work with Penny and we get this Unitary Plan tightened up before it becomes operational.

My “heads up” on the Unitary Plan nearly ready to be released for community feedback can be found at my “UNITARY PLAN READY FOR THE COMMUNITY” post here at BR:AKL.
I shall be back tomorrow with more commentary and idea scoping – all here at BR:AKL

WHO WILL STAND AGAINST LEN (CTD)

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More Spin than the Spin Cycle on my Washing Machine

 

After the SPINNING THE SPIN and WHO WILL STAND AGAINST LEN posts here at BR:AKL, the Herald picks up Kiwiblog‘s original post on our Mayor’s spin doctors and decided to write a story about it:

From the NZ Herald:

Mayor heavy on ‘spin doctors’

By Bernard Orsman BernardOrsman 5:30 AM Tuesday Feb 19, 2013

 

Len Brown‘s critics say the ‘gaggle’ of communications staff means ratepayers are funding his re-election bid.

Auckland Mayor Len Brown is facing criticism for hiring a sixth “spin doctor” six months out from the official start of the local body elections.

The six advisers at Mr Brown’s disposal include three full-time staff and three part-timers.

The full-time staff are Dan Lambert, the head of communications responsible for strategy and planning; chief press secretary Glyn Jones and senior communications adviser Melanya Burrows

…

In a post on his Kiwiblog site titled “Len’s gaggle of spin doctors“, Mr Farrar said Mr Brown’s hiring of Dan Lambert took his tally of spin doctors to six – more than the entire parliamentary Labour Party.

Labour has five parliamentary press secretaries and a part-time speech writer for 34 MPs. Prime Minister John Key has four press secretaries and one media assistant.

Mr Brown refused to answer questions about communications staffing under his leadership.

Mr Lambert blocked repeated requests by the Herald to speak to the mayor, saying: “I think it’s reasonable the mayor wouldn’t want to go on record on a matter like this.”

Orakei Local Board chairwoman Desley Simpson said Orakei ratepayers were funding the latest “propaganda manager” and the mayor’s election campaign.

In the same posting, Mr Farrar challenged the right-wing Communities & Residents to select a mayoral candidate, otherwise Mr Brown and his spin doctors would have an easy time of it.

No one from C&R or the right has come forward to challenge Mr Brown for the local body elections, including Orakei councillor and the mayor’s loudest opponent, Cameron Brewer.

Mr Brewer – a former “spin doctor” to Auckland City Mayor John Banks, Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley and Act leader Rodney Hide – said nobody would be able to match Mr Brown’s army of spin doctors, advisers and consultants.

 

Well DPF and myself picked up on the fact pointed out in the red bold text through our own blogs:

From my own recent post

WHO WILL STAND AGAINST LEN - No Alternative Candidate to Run Against Incumbent Mayor?

After DPF’s Kiwiblog ran a piece on “Len’s gaggle of spin doctors” he asked this question at the bottom: “Talking of the election, isn’t it time also for C&R and their friends in Auckland to get their shit together and select a Mayoral candidate. Otherwise Len and his six spin doctors will have too easy a time of it”

That opens the question:” WHO IS THAT ALTERNATIVE TO RUN AND STAND A REMOTE CHANCE OF WINNING AGAINST THE INCUMBENT MAYOR – LEN BROWN“

 

Orakei Local Board Chair Desley Simpson picked up on DPF’s blog post and had this to say on Facebook (it was made under the Public section):

…

The rest of the debate continued from there and you can see it at that respective post

 

However as the Mayor asks for over $4 million in this 2013/2014 Annual Plan to run his office including six spin doctors – we the ratepayers should be asking are we getting value for money here from the Mayor’s Office?

From Councillor Cameron Brewer:

The Mayor is asking for $4,994,000 to run his office in election year (see Page 40, Volume 1, Draft Annual Plan 13/14). Have your say by making a submission to the plan by 4pm, 25 February. As I’ve been saying for over two years, the place is completely out of control.

 

So again if you are submitting to the Annual Plan, consider whether just short of $5 million worth of “spin” is good value for money. I would think $1 million would be sufficient to run the mayor’s office and the rest going to our starving Local Boards who do need the cash – and are more productive with that cash in providing our local civic amenities (than the mayor’s spin doctors could ever be)

But hey what would I know about the Mayor’s Office? Time for a Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act request then?

 

More on this is bound to come as the elections at the end of the year draw nearer! And as I said: “The Mayor has more spin on this than the spin cycle of my washing machine – talk about how to make one’s head spin”

 

Who Will Stand Against Len

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No Alternative Candidate to Run Against Incumbent Mayor?

 

[Note from Admin: More to this debate has been added since I wrote the original post this morning. As a result rather than writing a new post I will add to the bottom on the debate as of 14:45 this afternoon]

 

After DPF’s Kiwiblog ran a piece on “Len’s gaggle of spin doctors” he asked this question at the bottom: “Talking of the election, isn’t it time also for C&R and their friends in Auckland to get their shit together and select a Mayoral candidate. Otherwise Len and his six spin doctors will have too easy a time of it”

That opens the question:” WHO IS THAT ALTERNATIVE TO RUN AND STAND A REMOTE CHANCE OF WINNING AGAINST THE INCUMBENT MAYOR – LEN BROWN“

 

Orakei Local Board Chair Desley Simpson picked up on DPF’s blog post and had this to say on Facebook (it was made under the Public section):

Desley Simpson

6 hours ago near Parnell ·
I wonder if I told the ratepayers of Orakei that I used their rates money for ….
  • 1. A media and communications manager AND
  • 2. A propaganda manager AND
  • 3.A press Sectetary AND
  • 4. A Comms manager AND
  • 5 . A media consultant AND
  • 6. A speech writer 
ALL just for me
Whether they would approve and vote for me again ? I am of course not the mayor however –  Our mayor Len Brown has employed all 6 people  ( probably all funded by Orakei rates) 
And – if its true that the 6th ( propaganda manager ) has just been hired 6 months before official election starts one could say Orakei ratepayers are funding the Mayors election campaign ? 
Cameron Brewer are you happy about this? 
    • Aaron Bhatnagar Maybe we need a mayor who is confident enough in what they say that they don’t need a half dozen hangers-on to prevent them from not slapping their heads feverishly or breaking out into rap
    • Lani French Agree…. Aaron Bhatnagar one would have to wonder if someone cant do the job without that much “protection” then can they do the job at all?
    • Angie Cassidy Here’s hoping the ‘singer mayor’ will be singing for his supper soon enough…. what. a. joke.
    • Ben Ross ”The Last Supper”
    • Ron Hamilton Is there no mechanism of conducting a “value for money” review in both the existing mayor’s office and the concept of an executive mayor? Can the Audit office be invited to undertake such a review, for example? Talk about profligacy!
    • Rosina Hauiti You forgot the Kia ora consultant Desley……
    • Desley Simpson Oh glory Rosina Hauiti 7 ??????
    • Christopher Fidoe With over 1000 employees earning over $100k no wonder there is a sense of entitlement to those on this ratepayer funded gravy train
    • Len Ward OK so just who is going to be an electable alternative for us to vote for to get rid of this incumbent? Cameron Brewer perhaps Aaron Bhatnagar maybe? Desley Simpson? – now there’s a candidate worth voting for

      • Ron Hamilton All good people but candidates need to be known outside their immediate patch. I admit to bias but we would hate to lose any of the three people from their Eastern Bays focus!
      • Len Ward Good point Ron – but have you any better suggestions? Alex Swney perhaps?
      • Ron Hamilton Worth considering – candidates need to have a wide public image by now and he does have one.
      • Ben Ross Wait didn’t Swney who did have a high profile image get beaten by Brewer or Lee (which ever Ward Swney stood in) in the last elections?
      • Len Ward So does Rodney Hide – but is he electable versus Mr Mayor Brown?
      • Ron Hamilton Personally like Rodney but isn’t he responsible for the nonsens of an executive mayor? But I bet he is still disliked by the wider electorate?
      • Len Ward So, the answer to my question seems to be – there is NO suitable and electable candidiate for whom we can vote to unseat the incumbent (is he Lord yet?) Mayor should we wish to do so?
      • Ben Ross Correct
      • Len Ward So the debate about replacing Len Brown seems to be somewhat academic !
      • Ben Ross Yep. Time to focus on Councillor replacements and Local Boards
      • Millie Liang Agree Ben….Put the broom through the whole place and take the mayor out that way…and whatever happens with the new lot make sure the mayor doesn’t divide and rule them by offering them positions of grandeur to stroke their egos
    • Aaron Bhatnagar Not available.
    • Millie Liang someone ring Sir Bob Jones and tell him to check his rate bills on his Auckland properties and work out how more his tenants can absorb before they leave the buildings… might just get him motivated enough
    • Wayne Davis Communications people there to make everyone rosey, and happy. Should be working with Santa ,on some of the snow jobs they create through dis-content of Ratepayers
      • Stan Blanch Wayne of course you will remember Taylor?…Makes Rasputin look like a boy scout.
    • Rosina Hauiti I’d vote for you Desley….and I’d work on your campaign.
    • Rosina Hauiti I think all the media type roles could and should be deal with by one person who is multi skilled, ie proficient across a number of disciplines within media and politics.
    • Cameron Brewer No. Not happy. I have been amassing the Mayoral Office’s full second year costs and assessing his proposed budget for this coming financial year… and it’s not looking for the poor old ratepayer, but will be a big boost to his re-election. Watch this space!
      • Ron Hamilton Nothing in there that could be referred to the AO re public monies potentially being used for electoral purposes?
      • Millie Liang Hi Ron, I would have thought this section that the mayor signed up to would be good enough to lay a complaint and the resulting world wide publicity into the investigation would keep the mayors pr dept gainfully employed  ….. Also what is the total number of paid council spin doctors/secretaries for all the other Councillors compared to what the mayor has on hand.
        Article 9
        Mayors shall be open to public scrutiny of their official actions and those of their staff, including their relationships, contractual and otherwise, with vendors, consultants, and business associates. Mayors shall report any improper actions they witness, such as bribes, kickbacks, and gift offers.
        http://www.worldmayor.com/contest_2010/code-of-ethics.html

        www.worldmayor.com

        World Mayor Code of Ethics
    • Millie Liang Good on you Cameron. The growing number of concerned ratepayers I’m sure like me, are counting on you to show what is really going on and ratepayers have had enough and aren’t the smiling compliant Muppets he treats us all as with his pr spin and smoke and mirrors.. Just my thoughts
    • Ron Hamilton It will require someone to take ownership of the issue. Seek the information officially (OIA) and then put together a formal complaint. I suggest that it should not be an elected person – presentationally could look bad.
      • Ben Ross Right what are we LGOIMA-ing here please?
      • Millie Liang You just won yourself another job Ben… Pay non existent… all for the cause Ben) but think of all the national and international media attention and the mayor and his evangelists running to the nearest tv screen where ever they maybe to catch the 6pm news and ohhh the nation glued to Campbell Live not believing what you are exposing…. You can’t buy that sort of publicity as the big league boys know.
    • Rosina Hauiti Yeah ka pai, except you guys sound like a bunch of right wing fundies…which is better fundie right or fundie left. I want fair and centre centre, and I think Desley and Cameron are a good fit.
    • Ron Hamilton What I want is cost-effective Council management and funds used for infrastracture purposes. Touchie-feelie stuff is fine for organisations which have unlimited funds. It is certainly not appropriate for self aggrandisement for any elected official. Or for management’s hobby-horses. Such as white water rafting.
    • Millie Liang Ron can I add…equestrian centre at Dury or the bike/walk way strapped onto the bridge which the council will get to own in 20yrs time when the bridge life span is only 15-20yrs.. Mind you the walkway has a fifty yr life span so could possibly be dismantled at ratepayers expense and rebuilt at Motat (once again at rate payers cost for future generations to view..Surely that beats (at ratepayers expense) chopping it up and shipping it off to china as scrap metal.
    • Ron Hamilton I wish there is some way of copying and pasting this exchange, The new Residents Association is to meet with the Council early next month and this is grist!

 

 

-Ends as of 14:45 hours-

 

I really honestly thought that kind of question would have been asked and answered last year with the alternative candidate now in full swing to building their profile before the elections at the end of the year. Obviously not which means Len is in for a second term…

 

So who do you think should run AND be mayor – and why?

Spinning The Spin

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Mayor’s Office has Six Spin Doctors?

 

I kid you not in the fact that the Mayor’s Office with an annual budget of over $3.2 million (of our ratepayers’ dollars) just hired a sixth spin doctor according to Kiwiblog:

From DPF’s Kiwiblog:

Len’s gaggle of spin doctors

February 16th, 2013 at 3:00 pm by David Farrar

Len Brown has just hired his sixth spin doctor. That’s six spin doctors, all funded by the ratepayer, working in Len’s private office. That isn’t six spin doctors for the entire Auckland Council. That is six spin doctors just for Len.

Started this month is Dan Lambert as Len’s propaganda manager. He comes from the United Kingdom.

Dan joins Glyn Jones who was the chief spin doctor, and who is now called Media Communications Manager.

Len also has a senior press secretary, a communications advisor, former Clark spin doctor David Lewis as a media consultant and a speech writer on top of that.

Len has more spin doctors than the entire Parliamentary Labour Party (they have five). The previous Mayor of Auckland had just one – Cameron Brewer.

Should Auckland ratepayers be funding Len’s reelection campaign?

Talking of the election, isn’t it time also for C&R and their friends in Auckland to get their shit together and select a Mayoral candidate. Otherwise Len and his six spin doctors will have too easy a time of it

 

Well the question in red-bold is a prudent point as the “opposition” has either been slow or quiet (not going to say inept) in getting their alternative forward.

 

However while Len spins the spin with his six spin doctors at least Blogs can counter the spin and attempt to hold the Mayor’s Office to account – with this blog doing its part in countering the spin.

 

Also the last look on Facebook on this Hot Button topic showed that this issue of Len’s Spinners have stirred up the ratepayers quite a bit on two fronts:

  1. The amount of money being spent on Spin Doctors (where former Mayor John Banks just has one spin doctor – Cameron Brewer) 
  2. No alternative candidate has come forward – leaving it extremely late!

 

Meanwhile it’s back to transit and urban planning issues with South and Counties Auckland to be the hotbed on those issues (seeming we are bearing the brunt of it)…