Inauguration of Mayor and Councillors Tonight

 

I think to say all things considered and relative Auckland is in safe hands over the next three years of the now 2013-2016 term. By safe hands I mean we will not be lurching from one extreme or the other, playing extreme populist bandwagon nor hauling out the conservative’s favourite of razor gangs – which unless the city or nation is bankrupt does more harm than good.

Tonight Mayor Len Brown, Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse (who’s reappointment was confirmed this morning) and the Councillors will be sworn in at Town Hall marking the official start of the 2013-2016 term of the Auckland Council. Local Boards I believe will be officially sworn in on November 7.

Tomorrow Auckland Council will officially announce the new committees and their respective chairs and members. I have already picked up Councillor Cathy Casey has been invited by the Mayor to chair the new  “Community Development, Safety & Social Infrastructure Committee.” What that entails I have no idea yet folks but it will mean finding my a way around new committees and so on. Although for a City nut like me it shouldn’t take too particular long 😉

 

Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse for a Second Term

Talking Auckland formally congratulates Councillor Penny Hulse in being reappointed by Mayor Len Brown as Deputy Mayor for the 2013-2016 term. As noted in the Stuff Article: “Hulse returns as Auckland Deputy Mayor“, Deputy Mayor Hulse was a tireless worker steering first through the Auckland Plan then the Unitary Plan via the Auckland Plan Committee which she chaired in the 2010-2013 term of Auckland Council. In saying that I got to know Councillors Brewer, Lee, Fletcher and Wood first before I got to know Penny.

However, I think both Penny and myself in our ways through our own work (one as Deputy Mayor , the other as a private citizen with a passion for his City) cut our teeth as the Unitary Plan took shape and form. While things are never perfect, Deputy Mayor Hulse did steer the Unitary Plan successfully through into its current formal notification phase where the public now decide again what they want in their master planning document.

Thinking the Unitary Plan being in the notification phase would mean our Deputy Mayor gets tp put her feet up? Nope – as the Mayor will be setting the task of having Area Plans done and dusted in a compressed time frame (if the mayor still commits to this). Undoubtedly the Area Plans will be supervised through the Auckland Plan Committee – the same Committee that has overseen the Auckland and Unitary Plans. And although the formal announcement is made tomorrow I would think the Deputy Mayor would be chair of the Auckland Plan Committee again. So another very busy three years ahead with: ” Ms Hulse said her focus for the next term is to strengthen the partnerships already developed with communities and to “bring the plans for our city to life“. Or I will be editing this post tomorrow morning 😛

Note from Admin: Seems I am editing post after all: Our Deputy Mayor got made Chair of the Urban and Rural Development Committee – the successor to the Auckland Plan Committee. I wonder what this new committee will entail…

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/hulse-reappointed-deputy-mayor-auckland-5662309

and

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11148236

No rest for the wary folks 😛

 

Final Word on the Mayor – in the Morals Department

This is my final word on the particular moral issue which has dogged the Mayor over last two weeks. As for political issues – well that is fair game where it counts.

I have noted in the TVNZ: Len Brown’s wife to attend inauguration post that Shan and eldest daughter Samantha will be in attendance tonight as Len is sworn in again as Mayor for the 2013-2016 term of Council. I need not remind the City that Len received majority voted as mayor by some 58,000 votes over his nearest rival as well as having majority voter support in 16 of the 21 Local Boards and 9 of the 14 Wards including Howick.

For me personally seven different votes of confidence have been passed (the Seventh being tonight) and scientific polling from several mainstream sources indicating continued support for the Mayor. Not withstanding having to face trial to answer a criminal case such as ex-Minister John Banks is, the matter is closed fully and there is a job at hand.

It is also worth noting that there is no threat of Commissioners nor the Minister for Local Government commissioning an inquiry into the said matter. I would hope to believe if there was actual risk and harm to Auckland and the Council that the Minister would have acted appropriately in rectifying the situation. But with no Commissioners and no inquiry I don’t think Central Government is particularly fussed on the matter.

People who continue to stew or form opinions otherwise including a new election should be held will have their opinions either validated or invalidated by the end of the 2016 term. I would heed the advice of the Prime Minister and drop this particular issue and move on. I have displayed compassion and forgiveness to a moral error of judgement from the Mayor and again the Seven Votes of Confidence backed by scientific polls have told me a task is at hand – City Building! This view would not change if a Centre Right Mayor was in power either!

As for the particular outlet that has made the last few weeks rather foul – well seems the people have spoken and might be a good time to watch Malcolm Tucker‘s “In the Thick of it” and “In the loop” on how regimes come and go with the particular outlet possible steering towards a twilight as Malcolm Tucker finally did after 8 years dominating British Politics (although a parody the series and movies spoke quite a bit of truth behind Western Democracy mechanics) .

This matter is closed and as an only warning all comments will be moderated as I see fit.

 

Talking Auckland congratulates the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors of their election (and appointment) to Auckland Council. May personal interests be put aside and Auckland always put first. I will be seeing you all around (tomorrow most likely)