It seems to me?

I know you're sick of hearing this, Russell, but instead of "stern" editorials and "blazing" polemics, it would have been more useful (with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight) if Auckland's print media hadn't decided that serious local body repotage was as passée as dressing for dinner.

The Weekend Herald editorial?

The Weekend Herald editorial refers specifically to the paper's own reporting on the issue. There's been quite a lot of that lately.

Fair enough, Russell, but it still has the faint air of "oh, look, an open stable door! And just as a matter of interest, anyone seen the horses?

We said at the start of
this process that the lack of accountability was a disgrace.

We used the saying "no taxation without representation" yet here we have the transport group alone able to spend more than $1 billion without any kind of accountability.?

Aren't you a supporter of the party that opened the stable door in the first place? What are you doing now, blaming the Herald?

Are you blaming the National Party for APN's decision to starve local government rounds of staff and resources, while confusing what Alison Mau does with her?

It is consistent with the new Orwellian approach to the world, where a CCO is any organisation that is 'owned' but not controlled by a council.

And not to mention the Ministry of Truth is trying to feed us bread and circuses to distract us from knowing too much.

... it still has the faint air of "oh, look, an open stable door! And just as a matter of interest, anyone seen the horses recently?"

Brilliant

It just would have been nice if that a-ha! moment had happened a long time ago.

The real a-ha moment should have occurred when the Key government decided to ram through the supercity legislation under urgency.

In project management, you can have things done good, fast, or cheaply – and?

Aren't you a supporter of the party that opened the stable door in the first place?

I don't believe Craig is a supporter of the party that set up the Royal Commission into Auckland Governance, but I'll leave it to him to confirm, deny, or keep this to himself =)

APN's decision to starve local government rounds of staff and resources, while confusing what Alison Mau does with her twat in private with consenting adults (who may or may not be of the same gender) with actual news?

It speaks volumes that it's all happening without the influence of Rupert?

Some people dont like the idea of an amalgamated Auckland "supercity".... and they are entitled to complain as much as they are able...

But that's not the issue here...

You can do a supercity right and?

This might suit the government, which can declare that the delayed spending — of the order of $200 to $300 million — is being done at the discretion of the newly-elected council.

INCIS II anyone?

This report from the Royal Commission.... Rodney's following it to the letter, right?

No. I just don't think the amalgamation would be happening this quickly (i.e. this term) without it. When we're talking about who began this "in the first place", it's nice to remember

That said, some of the?

You could always try the letters page of the North Shore Times- though I sometimes think it gets overrun with all of Andrew Williams's alter egos.

I'd suggest the Flagstaff too, but I think they're a little too busy outing lesbian ministers to bother with anything as insignificant as this.

...sort ya shit out :)

This is John Roughan's Herald column on the Super City and CCOs.

Can you tell what his point is?

Not an easy story to report by the looks of it:

We?ve been chasing the ICT end of the Supercity story for a while and have found the decision-making processes to be opaque. At first our calls to?

Who the hell do these people think they are?

un-elected and unaccountable?

Who the hell do these people think they are?

...people who dont trust journos to report the facts without spinning it left/right to suit their overlords leanings/ mayoral candidate

i'll grab my coat...;)

Can you tell what his point is?

S'pretty incoherent alright. But I think he wants us all to go back to sleep, because he can't see what all the fuss is about, and there's nothing to worry about.

Can you tell what his point is?

Since we are all agreed that we want 'good' results, it's okay to dispense with democracy, to some extent.

Since we are all agreed that we want 'good' results, it's okay to dispense with democracy, to some extent.

By jove, that might just be it.

...I just don't think the amalgamation would be happening this quickly (i.e. this term) without it. When we're talking about who began this "in the first place", it's nice to remember

Graeme, the Royal Commission recommended the amalgamation take place over 4 years (i.e. for the 2013 elections) if I?

Even the Cit Rats are complaining about the lack of accountabllity and they are all National/Act members

Oh and?

Who the hell do these people think they are?

The face of the future!

Can someone explain how National plan to benefit from this politically?

Um... no

You can't blame the previous government, who established the Commission, for the rushed timeframe of amalgamation that this government has put in place.

I'm not blaming the previous Government for anything. I'm stating they were the ones who started this process. And observing that if they hadn't started the process,?

Can someone explain how National plan to benefit from this politically?

I think what we are seeing here is some fruits of Key's amateur approach to politics and corporate approach to governace. Like all good CEO's, Key wants his senior leadership team to get on with it and just present?

Do we have any polls recently on Auckland voters? wouldn't mind seeing if there is a difference...

The cynic suggests to me that National are pushing CCO's because they know most of thier friends will be running them.

I just wonder if John is getting his?

By jove, that might just be it.

Brilliant in its simplicity, isn't it?

For example, on the issue of solving traffic congestion, Aucklanders might differ considerably on the means to reach the desired end. Is it rapid transit investment, or bus fare subsidies? Perhaps congestion charging? Or more and wider?

It seems to me that the best thing Labour could do now would be to come out and say "we will re-nationalise (localise?) every Auckland asset that is privatised in the current process at 10c on the dollar"

Don't hold your breath. Labour won't. Can't. Doesn't have spine. Doesn't understand?

I think what we are seeing here is some fruits of Key's amateur approach to politics and corporate approach to governace. Like all good CEO's, Key wants his senior leadership team to get on with it and just present him with the results.

Exactly, but what seems to be missing?

Maybe there needs to be some kind of billboard campaign explaining that there is only the one John Key...

Won't do any good unless/until he spontaneously grows a vagina. Then they'll say "Well, it's not really his fault, it's just that time of the month..."

I'm not blaming the previous Government for anything. I'm stating they were the ones who started this process. And observing that if they hadn't started the process, it wouldn't be so advanced now. This is basically a truism.

My apologies, I must've read more into your comment than was intended?

I suspect the polls will change when they turn the first sod on a national park mine,

Maybe so but until then it is a secret as to where that sod may be.

I guess part of the complacency of Key and Hide must come from the fact that the Govt's polling, particularly National's, is pretty much holding up.

Oh, quite. And for all that anyone whose job it is to pay attention to the Super City shambles is screaming blue murder, I?

I'm not blaming the previous Government for anything. I'm stating they were the ones who started this process. And observing that if they hadn't started the process, it wouldn't be so advanced now. This is basically a truism.

A bit of a long bow, though, no? I mean the gripe?

It's really worth reading.

They have done a lot. They even took the unusual step of submitting, in person, to the select committee.

I gather they have also been using the OIA to try and get what ought to be public information?

Do we have any polls recently on Auckland voters? wouldn't mind seeing if there is a difference...

There may well be. But any difference that renders this likely would be incredible (in both senses of the word):

__On thier present form National will be luck to win east coast bays?

Just a bit more on The Aucklander's good work on these issues.

They have done a lot. They even took the unusual step of submitting, in person, to the select committee.

I had understood that Craig was getting at media coverage of local body politics more generally. When there's something?

I had understood that Craig was getting at media coverage of local body politics more generally.

He referred to "Auckland's print media" and APN specifically.

The Aucklander, which has been hammering these stories for months, answers to both descriptions.

An example of what Lee says is wrong with this particular CCO:
Auckland Transport is not required to give effect to the Regional Land Transport Strategy, or any other Auckland Council policy that relates to the transport agency.

It?

The Aucklander, which has been hammering these stories for months, answers to both descriptions.

"Has been hammering these stories" was part of my (and I thought, Craig's) point. It's the other local government stories that are being missed.

The issues with the amalgamation would seem more important if local body?

Once GST rates have actually come?

Once GST rates have actually come in, once the supercity is a complete fuckup, then people will turn on National. Until then, nothing will happen in the polls at all.

I think they get 3 free passes first. In the first, they blame the Supercity on Labour. In the second,?

This has *nothing* to do with "Wellington"... All the players (Hide, Key, the commentators, the ATA) are Aucklanders.

Leave Wellington and Wellingtonians out it....

It's to do with Wellington as a political power base – Wellington as capital.

If the capital, where central govt is based and large bureaucracies are located were to be in Kaiapoi, then we would be sick of Kaiapoi.

Repeat: This has nothing to?

Leave Wellington and Wellingtonians out it....

Oh get over yourself.Since when have we got all jiggy in your face over what Hide and Key et al are doing to Auckland?
Yes we find it amusing that Wellington mocks our waterfront compared to it's, but hey it's your city that thinks?

I'm totally sick of the Auckland papers and commentators blaming "Wellington" for this mess

Yeah, it's really Washington behind it all.

Yeah, it's really Washington behind it all.

I've just phoned a friend in Washington, he said he didn't know nothing about it and resented the accusation.
He lives in a trailer park and he should know, he blamed Al-Queda.

I've just phoned a friend in Washington....he blamed Al-Queda

Lock it in! Save up "Ask the audience" for the Wellywood sign, and the 50:50 for "Is Key ambitious, relaxed, concerned or away?"

Lock it in!

Lock it in? Don't you mean Lock and load? We are talking Trailer park here, aanndd, Washington. :)

Really, what are you on about?

I paraphrased at one point what I thought Craig was saying, and have been answering questions about it since.

Quote from the press release of the loftily self-titled "New Zealand Council For Infrastructure Development" (membership $9,000 per annum, big business only need apply):

"?Auckland wouldn?t?

A thoughtful post here on the question I can't work out: Why is the poll-sensitive government ignoring the noise from Auckland?
http://www.aucklandtrains.co.nz/2010/03/15/why-is-the-govt-riding-out-the-super-city-uproar/

Can't?

He just told Sean Plunket on Morning Report that CCOs are "bound to do what council wants them to do. They're entirely directed by local councils."

If I were an Opposition MP, I'd go?

– The Auckland Council will be unable to appoint (or dismiss) the Auckland Transport chair and deputy chair.

– Auckland Transport is not required by legislation to act in accordance with the requirements of its shareholder (the Auckland Council).?

He just told Sean Plunket on Morning Report that CCOs are "bound to do what council wants them to do. They're entirely directed by local councils."

Was he talking about CCOs generally, or specific CCOs in Auckland that don't yet exist? Because you seem to think the latter, but it?

Yes we find it amusing that Wellington mocks our waterfront compared to it's, but hey it's your city that thinks it appropriate to copy Hollywood. ;)

OMG ! Hollywood has a waterfront!
Did I miss the big earthquake?
What happened to Santa Monica,
Culver city, Bel Air & Beverly Hills?
;-?

...and i didnt trust the shonky mofo then either !

OMG ! Hollywood has a waterfront!

Well yes Ian ,I think it does :)
Haven't you been down to Venice , it's all Hollywood down there, then a mere 27km stroll up the road to Sunset Boulevard followed by a small trot up through Laurel Canyon, more Hollywood there?

Was he talking about CCOs generally, or specific CCOs in Auckland that don't yet exist? Because you seem to think the latter, but it reads like he's being sneaky and saying the former (possibly disingenuously, given that I don't know the question).

I don't think question needs to be answered.

Although he did go on a bit about the CCOs already operating in Akl and?

I paraphrased at one point what I thought Craig was saying, and have been answering questions about it since.

OK, I was going to stay out of this because I need to start paying down the bad karma over-draft instead of adding to it. But here goes...

1) I made?

If I were an Opposition MP, I'd go hard on this, and outright accuse him of lying to the public. Because that's what he's done.

I'm going to suggest to Dave Clendon that he does exactly that.

Was he talking about CCOs generally, or specific CCOs in Auckland that don't yet exist? Because you seem to think the latter, but it reads like he's being sneaky and saying the former (possibly disingenuously, given that I don't know the question).

I think you do him too much credit.?

I think you do him too much credit. The discussion was entirely about Auckland's new CCOs, subsequent to the letter from the head of Local Government NZ.

I'm suggesting (without having heard the discussion) that Rodney knew the discussion was about Auckland's new CCOs, and knew the criticisms were accurate,?

I'm suggesting ...

That would be a very generous interpretation.

Haven't you been down to Venice , it's all Hollywood down there, then a mere 27km stroll up the road to Sunset Boulevard followed by a small trot up through Laurel Canyon, more Hollywood there than you could shake a stick at. Mr Pedantic.

I didn't think any ped antics?

Top Job Contenders

Could someone send Bob Parker (the incumbent & encumbering Chch mayor) and Tony Marryatt (the overpaid Chch City CEO*) the application forms, please...

*oh by the way Tony, Dave Henderson has only bought one of those properties back ~ what are you doing with the rest?
or are?

Top Job Contenders

David Rankin? Yikes. Rankin copped a thrashing in submissions to the Royal Commission:

By inference and name much of this criticism was aimed at Auckland City chief executive David Rankin, who oversees the region's largest council. His decision to introduce a new council logo behind the backs of?

Look! An eagle!

Indeed. Given that DPF has now knocked out two editorial roundups without mentioning the Super City City editorials, and seems to be actively allergic to to the topic, it's hard to see this Act-sourced nonsense as anything other than a very lame diversion from the actually political?

The ministers argue that Auckland Transport will operate?

DPF has now knocked out two editorial roundups without mentioning the Super City City editorials, and seems to be actively allergic to to the topic

To be fair, that could be more to do with where he lives than anything else.

Worse than a "straw man", it's a smiling ass ass in.

this could sort itself out nicely –
don't asses eat straw?
oh hang on...
I'll bale then...

Look! An eagle!

We really should get warning signs ;)

To be fair, that could be more to do with where he lives than anything else.

In a leaking apartment in Thorndon according to him on The Panel on RNZ yesterday...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fb_f-6gpjc

A former associate of Rankin at the old East Coast Bays City Council, Graham Parfitt, said he showed "total disdain for the democratic process" back then and this had characterised his term as chief executive at Auckland City.

That makes him pretty much the top contender, I'd have thought. At?

At least it'll be the first Mayor of Megatropolis who makes the appointment, not the ATA

Sadly, no

Did I hear Rodney Hide on Morning Report say that Aucklanders are "sick of local government?" I think I did, and I felt a chill, and I thought of Brownshirts, so he must have said it.

Ah, the sweet sweet allure of the Freikorps.

Ah, the sweet sweet allure of the Freikorps.

Cool it, chaps. Does ACT have an armed paramilitary force breaking heads in the streets of Auckland?

Hide isn't Hitler. He's Quimby.

Did I hear Rodney Hide on Morning Report say that Aucklanders are "sick of local government?" I think I did, and I felt a chill, and I thought of Brownshirts, so he must have said it.

Hmmm... more like Pinochet-ism minus the shooting.

# Russell Brown (226) Says:
March 16th, 2010 at 12:29 pm

David, never, ever complain about the trivialisation of political news coverage again, huh?

[DPF: And have you seen the blog post by Grant Robertson of all people dedicated to the fact Steven Joyce text messaged etc during a road?

Cool it, chaps. Does ACT have an armed paramilitary force breaking heads in the streets of Auckland?

Well, twentysomething male brokers tend to be the most pugnacious group of individuals you will ever meet in Parenell and the Viadict, they're sort of a paramilitary.

Cool it, chaps. Does ACT have an armed paramilitary force breaking heads in the streets of Auckland?

If his Imperial Majesty of Kaipara Sir Allan Gibb's thought he needed one...

So Mr Hide has "never agreed with any view that Russell Brown has."

Can we list the others things we now know Rodney disagrees with?

So Mr Hide has "never agreed with any view that Russell Brown has."

Well, clearly that's not true either.

What exactly was the quote from me that Twyford put to Hide in the House?

He challenges the "Hide is outright lying as Russell Brown said this morning on Public Address" asking him to come clean to the public. In Question Time.

He challenges the "Hide is outright lying as Russell Brown said this morning on Public Address" asking him to come clean to the public. In Question Time.

Wow. I don't pull my punches, do I? Just as well I'm on firm ground with that one.

Quite clever by Twyford --?

Yo, Sofie. Organised the M7 tickets?

Whoops thanks 3410, have tried now. Hope we are not too late. Hint, hint.

Whoops thanks 3410, have tried now. Hope we are not too late. Hint, hint.

Yeah, yeah, you're in. It's pretty casual, but it helps to know who's coming.

At least it'll be the first Mayor of Megatropolis who makes the appointment, not the ATA

Sadly, no

Well, kinda. The law says the Transition Agency must, as soon as practicable, appoint a chief executive for the Auckland Council for a term ending no later than 29 June 2012. So?

I'm not blaming the previous Government for anything. I'm stating they were the ones who started this process. And observing that if they hadn't started the process, it wouldn't be so advanced now. This is basically a truism.

This feels a bit like "the people who invented the rules of?

Phil Twyford: Does he agree with media commentator Russell Brown, who said this morning in relation to council-controlled organisations that the Minister is telling ?flat-out lies about this stuff??

Hon RODNEY HIDE: No, but I do not believe that I have ever agreed with the so-called media commentator?

So is this the first tweet quoted in the House?

There was that business with John Key quoting David Cunliffe's twitter account last year. Bit of an own goal when it turned out to be the fake David Cunliffe, mind.

Chauvel was on a plane in a private capacity (albeit at the cost of the taxpayer). He may have acted unwisely (don't know, haven't seen the media about it yet),?

"It didn't seem they had?

a men-only suicide prevention conference where all the quoted sources say they're fine with it

Actually, I think that's very interesting. At least as newsworthy as if some did object.

Which is it ? I'm confused.

From Hansard:

Phil Twyford: Does he agree with media commentator Russell Brown

From Youtube's Translate Audio captions.

No more on the high

Hide I I missed that stake here. The, because it's sure.
Say CIA directors will be appointed by and be accountable to the open council but?

And just a note to our fine friends in Wellington – if you are referred to one Fred Phillips (AKA bigotted ACT blogger "Boomtownprat") for orthapaedic surgery make a point of asking to be referred to someone else...

Or take your kids in with you.

I think that clears that up nicely.

Segei ans %uh!

Or take your kids in with you

Lolnui

Ouch. Cabinet advice shows Treasury, MED, Transport, and pretty much everyone else opposed supercity CCO model.

Someone needs to actually confront Hide on this point. Even by recent standards of ignoring advice, this is wild shit.

A couple of years back I had personal experience of just how high-handed these organisations can be after a dispute I had with Metrowater over?

From Youtube's Translate Audio captions.
I think that clears that up nicely.

so that's where William Burroughs went...
still channelling the last words of Dutch Schultz: __A boy has never wept...nor dashed a thousand kim.... You can play jacks, and girls do that with a soft ball and do tricks?

Tumescent images with a six two reasons without reasonable police

I'm seriously tripping balls here.

Poor old Chris Carter?s getting the treatment again today, with Audrey Young seeing?

For the council to remove directors from opened transport if this is the CIA's a trust United States the trustee to sit at the provisions foe the removal of trustees not because of the existing tracks .

I think this is the script for the next series of?

this one we have here is the old the Zapatitas one million johbenet's entry

zapatitas is a diminutive of zapata

zapata de freno, patín de freno, zapata; A restraint provided when the brake linings are moved hydraulically against the brake drum to retard the wheel's rotation.

So put the breaks?

this one we have here is the old the Zapatitas one million johbenet's entry

could this be a lead at last in the JonBenét Ramsey murder case?

– too soon?

Not only the public will be neutered

Neutered is the polite term. Auckland is about have its balls cut off and thrown into the Manukau. Is it because Rodney has lost his that he wants EVERYONE to suffer?

It would appear that Act's leader has actually managed to be more sad and unpleasant than even David Garrett.

After Boscawen's?

According to I/S Hide has tried to go for Chauvel in the House — and asked him — he actually fucking said this — "why do you hate children?".

Tell me that he replied "I don't hate all children – just Fred Phillips'".

According to I/S Hide has tried to go for Chauvel in the House — and asked him — he actually fucking said this — "why do you hate children?".

Doesn't Mr Chauvel actually have a kid himself? Even the Society for the Promotion of Censorious Spouting know that fact.

Doesn't Mr Chauvel actually have a kid himself?

And Hide doesn't. Life's small ironies.

Doesn't Mr Chauvel actually have a kid himself?

I've spent some time mulling this today, because it just doesn't seem possible for that fact to have escaped people, even Rodney Hide, over the last few days. Part of me wonders if they're deliberately trying to get Charles to mention his?

I have a feeling that this is going to be an own goal for the right-wing noise machine.

And when they start crying about it we can tell them all to STFU
;-)

So, the CCOs will jump into this power vacuum, boots and all. Each will seek to maximise its power and influence. Expect, for example, Auckland Transport to create its?

The Granny – Mayors' bid to vet directors rejected

Mr Hide said he did not agree with Mr Brown's suggestion, but planned to discuss the appointments with a range of people in Auckland before making recommendations?