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Ork-Lund “super-city” politics — Winston for Lord Mayor?

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nitpicker1
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« Reply #100 on: September 11, 2010, 11:59:02 am »


Super-city voting scam probe
NZPA 
09:25 11/09/2010

A possible voting scam is being investigated by police as ballot papers are about to be posted for Auckland's Super city election.

It follows an investigation by the Weekend Herald which found that nearly 90 voters had been enrolled as living in two houses.

Forty eight people gave a house in Papatoetoe as their address and 39 gave another house in the same suburb.

A police spokeswoman said "possible electoral enrolment irregularities" were being looked into but would not comment further.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4119494/Super-city-voting-scam-probe
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« Reply #101 on: September 11, 2010, 01:32:04 pm »

This super city election is demotration in democacy - not.

There will be 20 councilors in the new council.

I get to vote for two of them and a mayor. I also get to vote for the members of my local board but I don't know how many. Better still I haven't been able to find out so far either.
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« Reply #102 on: September 13, 2010, 10:37:18 am »



Living in his own Walter Mitty world
By TRACY WATKINS

The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 13/09/2010

Defence bosses apparently never doubted the background of the Walter Mitty-like character appointed as their top scientist, Stephen Wilce, because they believed he was doing a good job.

Now embarrassed by allegations he lied about his past, the Defence Force is standing by its insistence Mr Wilce's performance did not ring any alarm bells.

"He has represented us as the chief scientist in venues where he's got to deliver against competencies that are quite [rigorous] and he's been doing that quite well as far as I'm concerned," Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae said in the wake of Mr Wilce's resignation.

"As the director of the Defence Technology Agency and as the defence chief scientist, he has been managing the organisation and delivering against the competency sets that I expect him to deliver."

But the Wilce case has not only embarrassed the Defence Force, it has thrust the country's top spying agency, the Security Intelligence Service, into fresh controversy over its failure to pick up a second alleged CV cheat.

Mary Anne Thompson, the former acting head of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, was fined and sentenced to community service earlier this year for falsely claiming to have a doctorate from London School of Economics. Like Mr Wilce, she was vetted by the SIS when she entered the department, which has access to some of New Zealand's most sensitive information.

Prime Minister John Key is unable to rule out being forced to check the bona fides of everyone with top-secret security clearance given the flaws exposed by both the Wilce and Thompson cases. He has also been unable to offer assurances to New Zealanders or New Zealand's allies that intelligence-sharing arrangements with allies were not breached.

The case has potential to cause deep embarrassment with New Zealand's close military partners. Mr Wilce apparently had the highest security clearance for his job, which included giving advice to the military on electronic guidance and defence systems and to the government on threats to airforce aircraft in Afghanistan.

Mr Key is defending the SIS by suggesting it is not its job to check CVs – though this failure raises serious questions about its efforts in checking even basic bona fides.

The Government and its top defence and security agencies are now being pilloried globally for the latest blunder, after an array of outlandish and implausible claims by Mr Wilce were exposed by TV3's 60 Minutes.

They included being a British Royal Marine combat veteran and on the British bobsleigh team at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, according to the TV show, which said no record existed of Mr Wilce serving in the marines and no bobsleigh team had heard of him.

COLLEAGUES and former employers revealed other outlandish statements, including Mr Wilce's claim to have designed guidance systems for Britain's Polaris nuclear missiles. The now defunct system was introduced in the 1960s. At one job, he was known as "Walter Mitty", referring to a fictional character who lives in a fantasy world, 60 Minutes said.

The Defence Force won't reveal what qualifications Mr Wilce claimed when he applied for the job but publicity at the time said he had an extensive background in defence sciences and supercomputing, weapon research as well as telescope and aerospace systems.

Before then, he was apparently running a small housing agency in Australia, among other positions.

The case not only goes to the heart of New Zealand's intelligence capabilities, it questions competencies at the Defence Force, after Mr Wilce's former employers recited a litany of failures in his previous jobs. Mr Wilce worked for the Defence Force for five years before allegations about his credentials were apparently brought to the attention of defence bosses in early July under whistle-blower laws.

General Mateparae, who is set to become the head of our eavesdropping agency, the Government Communications and Security Bureau, insists procedures have changed since Mr Wilce's appointment – done under his predecessor's watch. "In the last four years we've changed the way people at that level are interviewed, selected and appointed. That's done by a senior appointments board which does look at the credibility of the person in terms of the CV they give and also the classification of their security." But the ripples could still go wider; the recruiting firm involved, Momentum, of which former National Party president Michael Boag is an executive, is also playing a key role in finding Auckland's supercity executives.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/politics/4121311/Living-in-his-own-Walter-Mitty-world

But the ripples could still go wider; the recruiting firm involved, Momentum, of which former National Party president Michael Boag is an executive, is also playing a key role in finding Auckland's supercity executives.



   ummmmm  who is MICHAEL BOAG  Huh   former National Party president  Huh

or  is "Michelle Boag former national party president"


see also  http://xtranewscommunity2.smfforfree.com/index.php/topic,8131.0.html

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« Reply #103 on: September 19, 2010, 05:52:04 pm »

Airport rail link tops poll wish-list
By Bernard Orsman 5:30 AM Thursday Sep 16, 2010 
 
Rail to the airport has emerged as the most important transport priority in Auckland in the latest Herald-DigiPoll survey on the Super City.

In something of a surprise, 23.5 per cent of respondents voted for a rail link, ahead of improving the roading system (18.4 per cent) and a new harbour crossing (17.7 per cent).

Next was rail to the North Shore (15 per cent), a CBD rail loop (8.6 per cent), extending the Northern Motorway to Wellsford (8.4 per cent) and expanded ferry services (1.4 per cent).

When it comes to a new harbour crossing, 59.7 per cent said it should be a road and rail tunnel, 17.3 per cent a road tunnel and 16.5 per cent a bridge.

The poll was published as Citizens & Ratepayers released its transport policy - stating that there would be no airport link until 2030.

C&R supports building the CBD rail loop by 2021, but is talking a further 20 years for rail to the airport and rail to the Shore.

"We do not believe projects such as a third Waitemata Harbour crossing, rail links to Auckland Airport and rail north to Albany should be considered as the most pressing," said C&R candidate and former North Shore Mayor George Wood.

C&R's Linda Cooper said the Auckland Regional Transport Authority planned $15 billion of transport projects from 2009 until 2019.

"If the full construction of the State Highway 20 Waterview connections, CBD rail tunnel, rail to Auckland Airport and the additional Waitemata Harbour crossing are all included, the total funding over 10 years amounts to $22 billion, so we must prioritise."

C&R said its transport policy was focused on the Auckland Regional Land Transport Strategy and the Auckland Transport Plan.

Among the mayoral candidates, Manukau Mayor Len Brown's transport priorities are closest to the survey. He has listed the CBD rail loop (built within five to seven years), rail to the airport (10 years) and rail to the Shore via a new harbour crossing (15 years).

Auckland City Mayor John Banks is a strong advocate for the $1 billion CBD loop, but believes rail to the airport and rail to the Shore are unaffordable in the medium term.

In other transport issues, the majority of Aucklanders said they did not believe motorists should be fined $150 for driving in bus lanes and many thought $50 would be a fairer penalty.

Most respondents - 62.9 per cent - thought motorists should not be fined $150 for driving more than 50m in a bus lane; just 11 per cent supported the $150 penalty. A fine of $50 was supported by 33.4 per cent, a $100 fine by 17.9 per cent, a fine of less than $50 by 9.2 per cent and 12.4 per cent said there should be no fine.

Polling also found 67.1 per cent support for cars with two or more passengers being able to drive in bus lanes.

Auckland City Council, which has drawn public anger over its bus-lane policing, announced this month that it would push lawmakers to cut the $150 fine in half.

Only weeks out from the local body elections, the council hit the brakes on bus lanes, saying it would treat motorists in a more lenient and friendly way in future.

This followed revelations that Mr Banks and his Citizens & Ratepayers allies targeted $12 million of bus-lane and parking fines this term in order to hold down rates.

Nearly half of respondents (45.6 per cent) thought Auckland had about the right number of bus lanes, although 37 per cent wanted more and just 10.4 per cent wanted less roadway set aside for the lanes.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10673755

So now we know what Aucklanders want but will the mayoral candidates listen?
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« Reply #104 on: September 21, 2010, 06:51:29 pm »

So now we know what Aucklanders want but will the mayoral candidates listen?


More to the point, will the Nats listen?

If Len Brown wins the mayoralty race (the polls appear to show he is in the lead), he is in favour of much of that which is favoured by Aucklanders in the poll. But it will be the government (currently the Nats) who will have the final say due to them holding the purse strings. The Nats got rid of the regional fuel tax which would have provided funding for many transport projects, which means that the Auckland region is now reliant on the government (the Nats) and their ideology to get the money for anything on the wish list.
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« Reply #105 on: September 21, 2010, 06:54:58 pm »


And while we're on the topic of local body democracy....

Don't forget that Cantabrians are being forced to pay rates to their regional council, yet are being denied their democratic right to elect those who sting them with regional council rates.

All thanks to the Nats looking after their rich-prick greedy mates and in the process shitting all over ordinary Cantabrians.

I seem to recall an earlier Nats government overthrowing democratically elected local power boards too to suit their own ideology.
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« Reply #106 on: September 26, 2010, 01:15:37 pm »


Supercity taking turn to the left

By SARAH HARVEY - Sunday News | 5:00AM - Sunday, 26 September 2010

LEN BROWN has 49% of votes already posted. JOHN BANKS only has 23% of votes posted.
LEN BROWN (left) has 49% of votes already posted. | JOHN BANKS (right) only has 23% of votes posted.

PRIME MINISTER John Key will be keeping an eye on the race between John Banks and Len Brown for Auckland's mayoralty.

A political expert says if Brown wins it will send a message to the National Party that the city is taking a turn to the left and away from the Government.

Results from a city poll indicate that is exactly what is happening.

The poll of voters who have already posted their papers back shows that Brown has 49% of the vote and Banks 23%.

Horizon Research surveyed 570 people and found Brown is also ahead among those who have not yet voted, with 36% saying they are likely to vote for him, against 22% who favour Banks.

The next biggest vote was for Colin Craig who has 12%.

Wellington political commentator Jon Johansson said if those figures hold up Banks is in trouble and the result will send a shockwave around New Zealand.

"It will be worrying times for John Key," he added.

Johansson said a Brown victory would be a slap in the face for ACT leader and Local Government Minister Rodney Hide, who planned the merging of Auckland's various cities into what has become know as the "supercity".

"One would think neither the Government nor Hide embraced the idea they would have a centre-left council running Auckland."

He said there were still plenty of votes to come but Brown's TV ads had been an effective way of reaching middle Auckland.

The difference in how voters saw the two candidates showed it was a mistake to treat voters as if they were stupid.

"People are quite good about picking the things they like about a candidate," said Johansson.

"They want a candidate who is more concerned about building a united council than one who is worried about decisive leadership."

Horizon Research manager Grant McInman said Brown had been ahead in all the company's surveys since the end of August. "People seem to feel more comfortable with Brown than they do with Banks.

"Assuming voters don't get bored and can't be bothered, it looks like Brown is going to win."

A separate online survey showed most voters see Brown as having credibility and the ability to build a united council. Banks is seen as being able to make things happen, be decisive and as having the best business sense.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-news/news/4168410/Supercity-taking-turn-to-the-left



Auckland changing from blue to Brown

By SARAH HARVEY - Sunday Star Times | 5:00AM - Sunday, 26 September 2010

AHEAD IN THE POLLS: Len Brown. BEHIND IN THE POLLS: John Banks.
AHEAD IN THE POLLS: Len Brown (on the left). | BEHIND IN THE POLLS: John Banks (on the right).

A POLITICAL EXPERT is warning the National Party that a Len Brown mayoralty win in Auckland could signal a possible change in government.

In the race for the super city job, the Labour-aligned Manukau mayor is leading Auckland mayor and former National cabinet minister John Banks, according to a Horizon Research poll.

Wellington political commentator Jon Johansson said that if the figures reflected the result, Prime Minister John Key should be worried, because an Auckland swing away from National could have implications for next year's general election.

Auckland voters deserted Labour in droves in 2008, a decisive factor in Key's win that year.

Horizon's poll of 570 voters that who had already returned their papers showed Brown on 49% support and Banks on 23%. Newcomer Colin Craig was on 12%, and no other candidate made an impression.

Brown was also ahead among those yet to vote, with 36% likely to back him, against 22% for Banks. Only 20% of those polled who intended to vote were undecided — but when pushed, just over half favoured Banks over Brown.

Horizon Research manager Grant McInman said Brown had led all the company's surveys since the end of August.

"People seem to feel more comfortable with him than Banks."

He said the gap was getting too big for Banks to catch up, based on how many votes had been cast, how many were indicating they would vote and their preferences, and the undecided.

"Assuming voters don't get bored and can't be bothered, it looks like Brown."

And a Sunday Star-Times survey of 422 voters showed 36% thought Brown was more credible than Banks (31%), Brown was more likely to build bridges with groups in Auckland and more likely to be able to work with councillors. Banks was seen as having more business acumen.

Johansson said the public needed to be "a wee bit circumspect" because there were still so many votes to be returned, but he felt Brown's TV ads had been effective.

About 106,000 papers (11% of all eligible votes) have been returned. Based on the 2007 turnout, that is about a third of the total. Voting closes at noon on October 09.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/news/4168262/Auckland-changing-from-blue-to-Brown
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« Reply #107 on: September 26, 2010, 02:38:50 pm »

If Brown wins i wonder if he will survive the term.He nearly died last year running manukau and now with his wife sick with cancer and running the whole of auckland it's going to be a lot of pressure.Looks a bit pasty faced in the above picture as well Shocked
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« Reply #108 on: September 26, 2010, 02:44:13 pm »

Better than a slap in the face with a wet fish?

Council handshakes probe
By Kieran Nash
6:30 AM Sunday Sep 26, 2010
 

The Auditor-General has been called in to investigate lucrative golden handshakes being awarded to the chief executives of seven Auckland councils which are expected to cost ratepayers millions of dollars.

The Herald on Sunday has been told council bosses from Rodney to Franklin will receive redundancy packages with a combined cost of about $2.5 million.

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide said concerns raised about transparency of the redundancy packages by Labour's Auckland issues spokesman Phil Twyford led to the investigation.

"There is a big sensitivity about golden handshakes," said Hide.

"I don't have this information. It is held by the councils. The decision around redundancies is their responsibility.

"Because of the concerns raised by Labour's Phil Twyford I have asked the Auditor-General to have a look."

Twyford said he had been asking for details of the redundancy packages for months.

He said: "I've repeatedly asked Rodney Hide to front up and to reveal how much these golden handshakes have cost.

I made a number of comments earlier this year basically calling on Rodney Hide to say. The Government must know what the figures are."

Twyford had sent requests to all councils in Auckland under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act asking for the redundancy packages of executives.

Auckland City mayor John Banks has released the severance package of his chief executive David Rankin, and said there were no golden handshakes given to him by Auckland City Council. He called on other councils to do the same.

"Rankin will be paid an additional $30,000 because he has stayed on past his contractual arrangement. We didn't want him to leave halfway through the year.

"Whereas the CEO of Manukau City has received a huge exit package, which has been kept secret as we can clearly understand it would.

"Ask Len Brown to tell you how much some of the poorest people in New Zealand have had to pay the CEO in golden handshake and golden exit packages."

Banks said any money paid in packages wouldn't be recouped.

"It's too late. It's gone. The remuneration packages will be made public. Like I've just done with my CEO.

"Secrecy surrounding this speaks volumes about how Len Brown wastes ratepayer cash."

The Herald on Sunday revealed in June that Manukau chief executive Leigh Auton was in line for a massive payout. The council decided to keep details confidential. Auton said: "The figure I've heard being quoted is absolutely incorrect."

By Kieran Nash | Email Kieran

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10676160
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« Reply #109 on: September 27, 2010, 04:58:49 am »



Nats cited in claims of election law breaches
By Bernard Orsman
5:30 AM Monday Sep 27, 2010

Former National Party president John Slater has linked several party members to allegations of electoral law breaches on the North Shore.

Five members of the National Party, including Foreign Minister Murray McCully's former electorate chairwoman Margaret Miles and a Young Nats leader, Joseph Bergin, are part of a police investigation into the Shore Voice ticket.

Police are probing allegations that Shore Voice asked voters to take part in a survey with a $15,000 prize draw.

Under a clause in the Local Electoral Act, it is an offence punishable by up to two years in jail to offer or give money to voters.

Shore Voice leader Chris Darby said the ticket planned to meet police today to clear up the matter.

"Our legal advisers have reassured us Shore Voice has not broken any law," Mr Darby said.

The allegation centres on email survey work by a private company asking voters to register with Shore Voice.

In the next sentence, the email invites voters to click on another information link to go into a draw for $15,000.

The new political group has accused the Auckland City-based Citizens & Ratepayers ticket of a smear campaign in the contest for voters in the traditional National Party heartland of the North Shore.

"This is just sad and sorry politics from the Citrats who will do and say anything from alleging corruption to 'Reds under the bed' to win at the ballot box," Mr Darby said.

Last night, Mr Slater, who is president of C&R, acknowledged there were some National Party links to the allegations, but insisted Shore Voice was a "left-leaning ticket" because its most senior candidate was former Labour MP and North Shore City councillor Ann Hartley.

Ann Hartley is one of two Labour Party members standing under the banner. The other is Richard Hills.

Kevin Schwass, who has been with National since 1982, said he, Mrs Miles, Mr Bergin and fellow party members Jennifer Yorke and Brian Casey were standing for Shore Voice.

"I have been called a lot of things in my life," said the Takapuna businessman, "but the worst thing you could call me is left-leaning."

Mrs Miles said she, Mr Darby and Mr Schwass had been approached to stand for C&R and Mr Slater "knew full well we are not a Labour ticket".

Mr Bergin, who is 18 and deputy chairman of the North Harbour branch of the Young Nats, said the actions of C&R were typical old-school politics.

"It's the same old people playing the same old way. It's not productive, doesn't get anything done, it upsets a lot of people and is not conducive to what we want to do."

By Bernard Orsman |

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10676344
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« Reply #110 on: October 01, 2010, 06:15:43 am »

Auckland Mayoral Scramble

Thought I had posted this already.
Anyhow! this really caught my eye as a fresh newommer that is going places.
Wonder how long those pennants are going to last?


http://xtranewscommunity2.smfforfree.com/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=150

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« Reply #111 on: October 01, 2010, 10:20:35 am »




Mystery over fake election flyer
John Cousins
30th September 2010


A dirty tricks campaign has attempted to deceive voters who may have been swayed by an election flyer distributed by a well-known Ohauiti company.

Rowesdale Developments, owned by Bernie and Alison Rowe, distributed a circular around letterboxes in its area.

The unsigned election flyer spelt out which candidates the Rowes supported for the mayoralty, the Te Papa-Welcome Bay Ward and the at-large council seats. They said they were motivated by the need to get structure and efficiency back into the council, to create affordable housing and to elect councillors who worked as a team.

Shortly after the mailbox drop, an anonymous circular appeared claiming that the Rowesdale Developments flyer was a fake and misrepresented the thoughts of the company. This new circular (pictured above left) purported to represent the real thoughts of Rowesdale Developments and featured a list of preferred candidates that had almost nothing in common with the original list. The new list leaned towards the Pick 6 camp.

The Rowes described the circular as a despicable act by a disgruntled candidate. "Any person receiving this second flyer, please ignore it," Mr Rowe said.

http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/local/news/mystery-over-fake-election-flyer/3924604/

oooops
no  "new circular (pictured above left) "  Why not?
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« Reply #112 on: October 01, 2010, 11:42:45 am »


Len Brown will be the new Lord Mayor of Auckland.

Watch Rodney (and his mates) ramp up the dirty-tricks brigade over the next few days.

They will be chucking all the mud they can in a desperate attempt to get John Banks as mayor.

However, it will all be in vain....John Banks is dog's meat!
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« Reply #113 on: October 01, 2010, 04:23:41 pm »

Yeah reckon will shake a few nuts out of the tree.
Went and had a look at Aoteroa square V2010.
Interesting, with a franchise for a seat in the "God's".
Could have done better, seems something is lost and not just the statuary.

Took some snaps will post l8r.

 ran into

Mr Rob Thomas putting out some more of those penants on his quay st signs......
Asked him if he was loosing many, hehehe.
He said a few on the waterfront drive but not tooo bad else where.

Pretty open sort of chap with a bit experience and heaps of get up and go.
Just what staid old Auckland council needs, a bit of ......
get into the 21 st Century because the world is gunna be on yer doorstep next year.

Anyhow My Mad Maxmobile now sports one of his penants.
Which I suppose I will have to take down some time soon before election day. You Know.......

Cheers.
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« Reply #114 on: October 01, 2010, 04:33:02 pm »

I suppose the cunnyfuggers will be out in force pinching pennants fooling folk with enigmatizm and mayem and the verbosity interesting as we near the epic event.
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« Reply #115 on: October 02, 2010, 12:04:49 am »


It was interesting to read in today's NZ Herald that John Banks eats cereals & yoghurt for breakfast but refuses to eat any Hubbard brand cereals.

What an immature childish prat!

He deserves to lose the mayoralty race.
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« Reply #116 on: October 06, 2010, 05:16:11 pm »



 
shhhhhh,       don't  tell  whale  oil




http://www.nzherald.co.nz/local-government/news/article.cfm?c_id=250&objectid=10678465

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« Reply #117 on: October 06, 2010, 05:54:33 pm »

Ho hum
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« Reply #118 on: October 06, 2010, 06:11:57 pm »



I tuned into Michael Laws this morning while I was driving a train from Wellington to Masterton. I wanted to see what was being spouted on his show about Paul Henry (amazingly, Michael Laws wasn't all that sympathetic towards Paul Henry and reckoned he had gone way over the line, and even defended John Minto for being consistent in protesting against ALL forms of racism). However, this Auckland local-body elections political corruption case came up and one of the callers spouted the suppressed name, but Michael Laws abruptly cut him off (using the seven-second delay to prevent it going to air) and made the comment that he wasn't going to tolerate anyone attempting to break a court order like that on his radio show.
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« Reply #119 on: October 06, 2010, 06:53:32 pm »




Asian trio have battle on their hands to win over mainstream
By Lincoln Tan
5:30 AM Monday Oct 4, 2010

The new Auckland Council is unlikely to have any Asian members because none of the three Asian candidates has done enough to win support from mainstream voters, an Auckland University academic says.

Manying Ip, a professor of Asian studies, warned that if that should happen, it would fuel a lack of interest and further apathy among local Asians to the Super City.

She said that while the three candidates were from the Indian, Chinese and Korean communities - the three largest Asian ethnic groups - she did not feel they had much support from mainstream voters.

"Most of the support they have from within their communities will also not translate to votes, because many Asians don't vote in the local body elections," Professor Ip said.

"People like our two Chinese mayors, Peter Chin [Dunedin] and Meng Foon [Gisborne] are where they are today because they have earned the trust and support of New Zealanders, not just the Asians," she said.

Professor Ip said many Asians did not vote because they found the local authority elections to be "a bit of an unknown" and were unfamiliar with the postal voting process.

"Ordinary Kiwis find the local body elections confusing," she said.

It was even worse for people whose first language was not English and who came from countries that did not hold elections, Professor Ip added.

There is no Asian voting data, but a Herald survey of 300 voters found 35 per cent of Asians were saying they would not be voting, compared with 21 per cent of Europeans and Pacific Islanders and 25 per cent of Maori.

Professor Ip said a change to a "general election-style" process was needed to get ethnic communities to vote.

"An Auckland Council without Asian councillors is no good for either the city or the Asian communities, and this would just make people in those communities less interested in the Super City."

The three Asian council hopefuls are Indian-born Ravi Musuku (Independent, Albert-Eden-Roskill), Chinese-born Peter Chan (Independent, Waitakere) and Korean-born Josephine Kim (Citizens & Ratepayers, Albany).

Miss Kim says that although it will be an "uphill battle" for Asian candidates, it is not "mission impossible" if members of the community turn up to vote.

She expects her main support in Albany, where 19 candidates are vying for two seats, to come from the Asian communities who make up 20 per cent of the ward's population, leaving the other candidates scrambling for votes from the remaining 80 per cent.

Miss Kim, a lawyer, said: "I've been door-knocking telling people that in order to represent them, I don't just need their support, I need their votes if they want a voice in the new Super City council."

Mr Chan, a sitting Waitakere City councillor originally from Hong Kong, feels he also stands a chance if ethnic minorities come out to vote.

"My key message to voters from the ethnic minority groups is to come out to vote, because I know if they do vote, they will vote for me," Mr Chan said.

ASIAN COUNCILLOR CANDIDATES

Josephine Kim (Korean-born) - C&R, Albany.
Ravi Musuku (Indian-born) - Independent, Albert-Eden-Roskill.
Peter Chan (Hong Kong-born) - Independent, Waitakere.

By Lincoln Tan

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/indians-in-nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=233&objectid=10678003


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« Reply #120 on: October 09, 2010, 12:32:17 pm »


Super City elections: Good luck — hope you lose

By ELIZABETH BINNING - The New Zealand Herald | 5:30AM - Saturday, October 09, 2010

Auckland Supercity mayoral candidates John Banks (left) and Len Brown (right) were all smiles at the Auckland Town Hall yesterday. — Photo: Dean Purcell.
Auckland Supercity mayoral candidates John Banks (left)
and Len Brown (right) were all smiles at the Auckland
Town Hall yesterday. — Photo: Dean Purcell.


AS Super City mayoral candidates John Banks and Len Brown meet at a final mayoral lunch yesterday, they shook hands, joked for the cameras and acted like old friends.

The two men were playing nice, wishing each other the best of luck, saying all the right things and smiling and laughing at each other's jokes.

Asked what it was like to be standing next to each other at the end of a very long and hard campaign Mr Banks jumped right in.

"I think it's a wonderful privilege for both of us," he said.

"I think it's been a hard-fought campaign — Len's a good bloke and I've wished him well."

He said there had been "no real animosity", but it had been "a long, difficult, hard-fought campaign".

In a rare moment of unity Mr Brown said, "all I can say is I'm sick of making political speeches and I agree with everything he said."

Then both men started laughing like old friends sharing a joke.

But today, as the votes are counted and the Auckland Council's first mayor is elected, the laughter will be gone as one of the men has his hopes dashed. The other will claim victory and be left to consider whether their opponent should get a job within the new council.

A week ago, Mr Brown said that if he won the mayoralty, he would consider offering Mr Banks a corporate role in the Super City.

But Mr Banks said he would not offer Mr Brown a position because he was "not up to the job".

He added if he could find a role for Mr Brown, it would not be a leadership role because we "don't want South Auckland replicated across the rest of Auckland. His city is a social disaster."

Yesterday a tired looking Mr Banks appeared to have reconsidered this comment, which upset many voters in the South.

Asked if either would find a place for the other in the new council, Mr Brown said: "We've answered that question so many times".

Mr Banks said: "My answer to that is yes. In the heat of campaigns you can say things but, as I said, Len's a good bloke and if he wins he'll do a good job and if I'm successful I'll give it my very best shot. That's how it works."

The two candidates say they will be out "rounding up the last votes" this morning before returning to their bases — Mr Banks at the Town Hall and Mr Brown at One Tree Hill's Sorrento in the Park.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679239
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« Reply #121 on: October 09, 2010, 12:33:55 pm »


Radio New Zealand News have already broadcast the election result for the Auckland Supercity Mayor.

They claim the victor won by a huge margin and that special votes won't be able to change the result.

Guess which of the two major candidates didn't win? 
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« Reply #122 on: October 09, 2010, 12:45:31 pm »

 Grin
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« Reply #123 on: October 09, 2010, 01:07:59 pm »


Len Brown wins Super City election

Click here to see election results from your area.

By BERNARD ORSMAN - The New Zealand Herald | 1:02PM - Saturday, October 09, 2010

John Banks arriving at his Auckland Town Hall headquarters today (left) and Super City election winner Len Brown. — Photos: Natalie Slade & NZ Nerald.
John Banks arriving at his Auckland Town Hall headquarters today (left) and Super
City election winner Len Brown. — Photos: Natalie Slade & NZ Herald.


LEN BROWN has won the contest to be the first Mayor of the Auckland Super City.

The Manukau Mayor beat his rival Auckland City Mayor John Banks with about 95 per cent of the votes counted.

Mr Brown polled 221,167 votes, compared to 161,167 votes for Mr Banks, a victory by 60,198 votes, according to the first progress result declared after the polls closed at midday.

Businessman Colin Craig was in third place with 40,483 votes.

The 53-year-old Mr Brown stood on a platform of uniting Auckland's diverse communities and promised rapid process on rail projects.

Mr Banks, 63, made a strong finish of the final days of the three-week postal ballot with his supporters in Auckland City and North Shore City voting in large numbers.

But in the final count, Mr Banks, a National Party stalwart fighting his 13th campaign in a political career stretching back to 1977, was well beaten by his Labour Party opponent.

Mr Brown's victory was built on a strong turnout in South Auckland — no mean feat at local body elections — and a very good campaign.

After a chest-thumping, head-smacking response to scrutiny over use of his council credit card for personal purchases in June, Mr Brown hardly put a foot wrong during a long and hard-fought campaign.

The new Super City, which will replace the existing eight councils in Auckland, comes into being on November 01.

The Super City will comprise the Auckland Council with 20 councillors and the mayor, and 21 local boards, with between five and nine members each.

Mr Brown and the elected representatives are due to be sworn in on November 01.

In his first unofficial duty as mayor of the biggest council in Australasia, Mr Brown will attend the opening of the new South Stand at Eden Park tomorrow with Prime Minister John Key.

After today's hand-delivered votes are collected from public libraries and council offices and counted, a preliminary result will be released later this evening. The official result will be publicly declared on October 18.


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679260
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« Reply #124 on: October 09, 2010, 01:10:40 pm »

And Bob Parker remains in Christchurch
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