Radio New Zealand’s Todd Niall asks Auckland Mayoral Candidates the hard questions

 

I know it is the Summer break and Auckland politics would be the last thing on your mind right? Ask yourself what the BBQ topics were about and probably transport, Len Brown or Council made a slip into the conversation somewhere.

 

And so Todd Niall does a Meet the Auckland Mayoral Candidates piece this morning:

Source: Radio New Zealand

 

You can watch the three video clips of the candidates being interviewed here: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/top/293071/meet-auckland’s-would-be-mayors

 

Comments I picked up on:

Goff

• Wants City Rail Link to continue
• Was commenting on a lot of back room mechanics of the Council rather than being the face of the organisation as Len current is
• Focused on partnerships with Government
• Wanted the Governing Body to run like a Cabinet not a Parliament (known as Whipping)
• Believes in Public Private Partnerships especially for Light Rail across the Isthmus

 

Thomas

• Wants the City Rail Link to continue
• Questions what is effectively the Long Term Plan (10 year budget document) and the Annual Plan (annual budget document) and whether we are getting best bang for buck
• More priorities towards local projects over regional projects
• Wants consenting to be more streamlined especially with residential building
• Was disingenuous on what the Transport Levy pays for despite the public domain information out there on what the Levy actually will be paying for

 

Crone

• Not sure she realises that while population growth is 2.8% at the moment, staff numbers in Council went up 2.4%. In real terms that is a drop and one to be wary of if it continues over the long-term. Ask yourself do you want an understaffed Council dealing with that building consent or noise control issue?
• Believes like Dick Quax in telecommuting despite it being promised since the 60’s and Silicon Valley proving why it will never fly (think economies of agglomeration)
• Looking at future technology like driverless cars to move us around. This leads to a high reluctance towards heavy rail and the City Rail Link despite heavy rail the most efficient form of movement of people over longer distances across Auckland
• Some noises on streamlining the resource consenting process?
• Something about perception of Council from the public (hint: don’t read the Herald)
• As you can tell hard policy I am struggling to find here unlike Thomas and Goff

 

So what did you think?