Complaint filed with the Human Rights Commission after Auckland Chamber of Commerce denies Mayoral candidate Penny Bright access to ‘Meet the Candidates’ breakfast meeting, Thursday 9 September at the Heritage Hotel.

10 September 2010

Complaint filed with the Human Rights Commission after Auckland Chamber of Commerce denies Mayoral candidate Penny Bright access to ‘Meet the Candidates’ breakfast meeting, Thursday 9 September at the Heritage Hotel.
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“I’m sure there would have been some honest and decent businesspeople who would have been VERY interested in what I had to say, had the Auckland Chamber of Commerce not denied me entry,” says Auckland Mayoral Candidate Penny Bright.

The only Mayoral candidates invited to speak were the current Mayors – John Banks, Len Brown and Andrew Williams.

Ms Bright, ‘judicially-recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland regional governance matters, was not invited to attend as either a Mayoral candidate or as a member of the audience, despite her proven track record in fighting for ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government.

Notification of this event, was emailed to Ms Bright from a friend.

“I was advised by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Events Manager, that it was too late for me to be a ‘speaker’, and if I wished to attend, I would need to pay the same ‘non-member’ registration fee, as everyone else.

So – I followed the ‘process’ as I had been so advised, by Auckland Chamber of Commerce Events Manager, emailed to express my interest in attending, and arrived at 7.30am, 9 September 2010, with enough cash to cover the non-member $65 (+ GST) entrance fee.

(My intention was to use the opportunity to mix and mingle – (‘network’), as I have done on other occasions where, as a Mayoral candidate, I have not been given a formal opportunity to address the gathering.)

The same above-mentioned ‘Events Manager’ denied me entry – no reasons given – despite my having done exactly what she had asked of me.

How such woefully ignorant and discriminatory behaviour, by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce:

‘assist(s), promote(s) and advance(s) the interest of the commercial community participating in commerce and industry especially in the region of Auckland and generally throughout New Zealand’,

(as per Rule 2.1.3. of the THE AUCKLAND REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (INCORPORATED)

Click to access 8399e468-a2e2-44e5-ad4a-c833715ee9a7.pdf

– is quite beyond me.

Perhaps the Directors of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce need to ensure that the good judgment of key employees in such matters is not impaired by their membership of partisan political organisations standing in these Auckland Council elections?

I have filed a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce have picked on the wrong woman!” concluded Ms Bright.

Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland regional governance matters.
“Anti-corruption campaigner”

AUCKLAND MAYORAL CANDIDATE

www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

https://waterpressure.wordpress.com

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This is what the $UPERCITY is really all about – CONTRACTS.

(Comment posted today on NBR)

www.nbr.co.nz/article/470m-major-construction-work-tendering-august-129780

$470m+ major construction work tendering in August
Jazial Crossley | Friday September 10, 2010 – 08:23am

Major construction projects worth more than $470 million were put out to tender in August.

The latest report from construction industry research company Pacifecon details private and public projects in the pipeline at tender stage.

In the upper North Island, $10 million was the estimated construction cost for a temporary restaurant at Eden Park for Rugby Travel & Hospitality out to tender.

Whangarei Hospital had the $25 million first stage of its redevelopment out to tender and the University of Auckland was tendering a $10-$15 million new building called Building 206.

In the Lower North Island Upper Hutt College was tendering a $20 million staged redevelopment, Progressive had a $15-$20 million new Countdown supermarket in Wellington’s Newtown.

In the South Island Dunedin City Council had stage two of its $64.5 million Tahuna Wastewater treatment plant project out to tender and the third stage of Otago Settlers Museum at $5 million.
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Comments
This is what the $UPERCITY is really all about – CONTRACTS.

The word is getting out.

Information which proves how the $UPERCITY is a corrupt corporate coup, aimed at running the Auckland region ‘like a business – by business – for business’ is spreading far and wide.

Not every business in Auckland, however, has their snout in the council contracting trough.

I’m sure there would have been some honest and decent businesspeople who would have been VERY interested in what I had to say,had the Auckland Chamber of Commerce not denied me entry to their ‘Meet the (Mayoral) Candidates’ breakfast meeting, Thursday 9 September at the Heritage Hotel.

The only Mayoral candidates invited to speak were the current Mayors – John Banks, Len Brown and Andrew Williams.

I was not invited to attend as either a Mayoral candidate or as a member of the audience.

A friend forwarded me an email, notifying me of the event, which I immediately followed up.

I was advised by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce Events Manager,that it was too late for me to be a ‘speaker’, and if I wished to attend, I would need to pay the same ‘non-member’ registration fee, as everyone else.

So – I followed the ‘process’ as I had been so advised, by Auckland Chamber of Commerce Events Manager, emailed to advise my interest in attending, and arrived at 7.30am, 9 September 2010, with enough cash to cover the non-member $65 (+ GST) entrance fee.

I was denied entry by the same above-mentioned ‘Events Manager’ – no reasons given – despite having done exactly what had been asked of me.

How DISGRACEFUL is that?

What sort of ‘mickey mouse’ / ”discriminatory’ outfit is this Auckland Chamber of Commerce?

I have filed a formal complaint with the Human Rights Commission.

Perhaps those in leadership positions at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, need to be a little clearer about their roles, in order to carry out their responsibilities in a ‘fair and proper way’?

Perhaps the interests of organisations like the Auckland Chamber of Commerce would be better served if those in key leadership positions were politically independent from parties or organisations running for public office in this current election?

Penny Bright
Judicially recognised ‘Public Watchdog’ on Metrowater, water and Auckland regional governance matters.
“Anti-corruption campaigner”

AUCKLAND MAYORAL CANDIDATE

www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz

https://waterpressure.wordpress.com
Posted by Penny Bright at 11:55 am on September 10, 2010