NBR: ‘Act begins search for Epsom candidate to replace Hide’ + my comment exposing C & R Auckland Councillors supported a 3.9% rate increase on 13 December 2010:

www.nbr.co.nz/article/act-begins-search-epsom-candidate-replace-hide-ne-92821#comment-121262

Colin Williscroft | Wednesday May 11, 2011 | 13 comments

Act begins search for Epsom candidate to replace Hide

Rodney Hide.

Nominations are open for an Act candidate to replace Rodney Hide and contest the Epsom electorate in the November 26 election.

“Act has always had a strong presence in Epsom – from 1996, when the party won 22% of the party vote, to the present day,” Auckland South board member Barbara Steinijans said.

“In Rodney Hide the people of Epsom have had strong local representation for the past six years. Once again, Act will be running a strong electorate vote based campaign.”

The incumbent MP, Mr Hide, does not have the support of new party leader Don Brash, although Mr Hide is yet to formally rule himself out from standing in the seat.

Mr Hide won 56% of the vote in the 2008 election, although National won 63% of the party vote.

Nominations close at 5pm on May 24.

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MY COMMENT:

John Banks was a loud and proud ‘$upercity’ supporter from Day One.

But – the first thing the $upercity -$uper RIP OFF Auckland Council wants to do is to put up residential and commercial rates 4.9%.

So much for the ‘economies of scale’ that were to be achieved by forcibly amalgamating our 8 former Councils, in another ‘Rogernomic$ blitzkrieg’ (without a binding poll of citizens and ratepayers).

For those who just want to jump on the band wagon and blame Mayor Len Brown and the ‘left-leaning’ majority on the Auckland Council – here are the FACTS:

C&R Councillors on 13 December 2010 voted in support of a 3.9% rates increase.

(You will note that young National Party ‘Wonder boy’ (?) Jami-Lee Ross supported a 3.9% rate increase? )

http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/AboutCouncil/meetings_agendas/committees/Pages/strategyandfinancecommittee.aspx

Auckland Council Finance and Strategy Committee meeting 13 December 2010 (Pgs 7-8)

12. Annual Plan 2011/2012 – High Level Budget Review

(c) That the Strategy and Finance Committee agrees a rates target of 4.9% for 2011 -2012 to inform the Mayor’s development of the draft annual plan.

MOVED by Councillor Wood seconded Councillor Fletcher

That a rates increase of not more than 3.9% be struck and officers work to identify further savings.

A division was called for, voting on which was as follows:

For

Councillors

Cameron Brewer
Hon Chris Fletcher
Des Morrison
Callum Penrose
Noelene Raffills
Jami-Lee Ross
Sharon Stewart
George Wood

Against

Councillors

Anae Arthur Anae
Len Brown
Dr Cathy Casey
Sandra Coney
Alf Filipaina
Ann Hartley
Penny Hulse
Richard Northey
Sir John Walker
Wayne Walker
Penny Webster

Councillors Michael Goudie and Mike Lee were absent.

The division was declared lost 8 votes to 11
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The Auckland Council ‘books’ are NOT open.

If a giant scalpel were to be applied to all that consultant and private contractor BLUBBER, and core council services returned to ‘in-house’ provision (cutting out all these private ‘piggies-in-the-middle’), in my considered opinion, rates could be slashed by hundreds of millions of dollars.

That’s why I’m standing in the Howick by-election.
To help achieve that.

‘OPEN THE BOOKS! – CUT OUT THE CONTRACTORS!’

PS: If you think replacing the ‘bureaucracy’ with the ‘contractocracy’ is so ‘efficient’ – ask yourself this one simple question.

Over the last 20 years – have YOUR rates gone up or down?

Penny Bright
https://waterpressure.wordpress.com