Hard News by Russell Brown

Unfortunately, this decision ruled out all the 2016 mayoral candidates bar Chloe Swarbrick.

I like what you did there.
Chlöe might be even more interesting if you restored her umlaut though.

Technically a diaeresis as I learned today via someone on twitr (ta, whoever you were). Makes us sound out the 'o' and the 'e' separately rather than call her Klo.

Stoked to see the most interesting candidate of the bunch finally given a spot on a panel.

It's only an umlaut if you're metal enough.

Just as well you didn't invite Mark Thomas, then...

there will be no rage-pies

Stoked to see the most interesting candidate of the bunch finally given a spot on a panel.

The rest of the bunch aren't being very impressive.

Goff's saying as a little as possible, which I guess is pragmatic in his position. But it's hardly inspiring.

Thomas allowed himself to be humiliated for the second time in his political career today.

And Crone surrendered any right to political respectability this week by going nuts on Bernard Orsman's utterly absurd Goff not ruling out a council job for Len Brown story. The hundreds of comments under her Facebook post about it are a raging stupidfest.

And to be clear: it would be inappropriate bordering on corrupt for Phil Goff to promise to blacklist his predecessor indefinitely from public employment. And apart from anything else, as mayor Goff can appoint people to his office, but does not otherwise do the hiring.

The whole stupid story is founded on a "rumour" that Goff would be giving Brown a job. It feels a lot like a rumour that would be deemed necessary to exist by the Crome/Auckland-Nat camp. It seems desperate on the part of the journalist and the candidate.

The hundreds of comments under her Facebook post about it are a raging stupidfest.

So glad I do not see that stuff, yet others do.

The whole stupid story is founded on a "rumour" that Goff would be giving Brown a job.

a whisper in Orsman's oxygen-deprived imagination?

And yet, due credit: Orsman certainly gives the beleaguered Auckland centre-right a kicking tonight:

Yesterday, Thomas began placing red stickers over his billboards saying "PHIL GOFF = MORE OF THE SAME". He plans to stand again for the mayoralty in 2019.

Crone said Thomas' surprise announcement was very confusing.

"He is saying he has given up but wants to have another run in 2019."

Crone said it would have been good for the centre-right to unite and give Auckland what its needs and deserve, but her focus was to keep fighting right to the end.

The Herald understand Crone's campaign is struggling financially. Last month, she sent a letter to supporters seeking donations of $1500. A source close to her campaign said Crone has been trying to rustle up $10,000 for television advertising.

Crone said she had been fundraising unashamedly to get her name out there. Supporters had been incredibly generous - "sometimes they said 'yes' and sometimes 'no'", she said.

But this is interesting:

Meanwhile, three centre-right councillors, Penny Webster, Linda Cooper and Bill Cashmore, have signed a confidence and supply agreement with Auckland Future, the new centre-right ticket that has pledged to cap rates at 2 per cent, slash staff and running costs and pay down debt.

The three councillors have committed to voting as a block with Auckland Future on budgetary matters, according to the agreement.

Cashmore said he would work on a common policy but it would be irresponsible to sign the pledge. Cooper and Webster said the three had agreed to work with Auckland Future on issues and, where possible, vote together.

But Orsman sees his "Len Brown" chance – and pounces!

Cashmore and Cooper, both National Party members, and Webster, a former Act MP, have been staunch supporters of Mayor Len Brown's fiscal policies. Cashmore devised a targeted transport rate that increased household rates by 4.4 per cent to 9.9 per cent last year.

Quislings! Collaborators!

So if Thomas is advocating for candidates other than himself, what's the legal position with regard to campaign finance and so on?

I think he is merely advocating for anyone other than Goff ("and don't bother voting for me").

"PHIL GOFF = MORE OF THE SAME"

Weird attack given we've got a unitary plan signed, CRL underway, cycle lanes springing up all over, and so on... Not sure who they're pitching to exactly but the people that line works with are total bloody thickos.

If he hadn't screwed around on his wife strange old Len would have been a shoo-in.

More of the same? I don't like the guy but I like the results so fucking sign me up.

So Crone outed herself as a climate change sceptic ....

Twitter video here.

So Crone outed herself as a climate change sceptic ....

I'm not going to be drawn into that debate

There is no fucking debate! Moron.

It’s been an interesting day. This afternoon, Crone’s weird climate change episode, this morning, the Chloe Swarbrick-Matt Nippert Twitter fight.

Matt harrumphed at The Spinoff’s somewhat over-egged “here comes Chloe” angle on its poll, she took it personally and there ensued a conversation they both handled badly, and which she insisted on taking public. Matt objected to it being “widecast” like that and probably unnecessarily blocked her.

That really should have been an end to it, but she then tweeted a screenshot of the block message with a pompous note (“I ask questions, and I listen. People of influence hold a lot of power. It’s sad some of them shun responsibility”), which was predictably retweeted by many others, some of whom ventured on what a rotter they’d always known Matt was.

Everything I’ve seen and heard from Chloe so far has underlined her measure and maturity, but this was the opposite. Twitter-shaming isn’t an attribute I look for in mayoral candidates.

And yes, Twitter is odd.

Meanwhile, Phil Goff did nothing interesting.

Meanwhile, Phil Goff did nothing interesting.

Good to know that Mark Thomas is right about one thing, at least.