Hard News: The Disingenuous Press
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Craig, I think you know perfectly well where Dick Quax's loyalties lie. The readers should too.
He is not a disinterested party, and to report this is not "editorialising".
And I said "hack". I didn't say Herald must say "hack". But you already knew that.
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I don't think either Hartley or Gillon are impugning the integrity of their colleagues or staff, are they? Nor do their actions seem to be suspiciously well-synchronised with national political events like the release of certain expense records.
The Auckland region's election in a few months will be highly politicised along national party lines, and as Russell noted elsewhere it's looking dirty already.
It would therefore seem good journalistic practice for all current or prospective elected members to have their affiliations noted if they are making accusations like these.
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Of all the issues the HoS could have covered with respect to Banks, it went for a one-inch discrepancy in his reported height. You have to despair sometimes.
I do despair that they are not covering more but I also think that that story is quite revealing of Banks' character. I mean, if he can't be honest about his own height and age and is so evasive about it when caught out, how can we expect him to act when he screws up in his job?
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There are various ways you could characterise Quax and Ross.
They're both part of the "East Manukau" (ie: Howick) tendency that doesn't really like having to hang out with the rest of South Auckland.
Quax stood against Len Brown for mayor and lost by 14,000 votes.
Ross declares himself to be "active in the NZ National Party" but professes a fairly centrist platform.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if they provided Marshall's tip, but as Sacha notes, it's a pretty big call for them to be calling their own council staff and CEO corrupt liars.
Marshall is said to have cut some corners, to put it mildly, in his recent Hotchin story. Whaleoil (also apparently more than a bystander here) claims Marshall has a tape recording backing this story, presumably from a restaurant staff member. His new editor will be hoping it's pretty good stuff.
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I mean, if he can't be honest about his own height and age and is so evasive about it when caught out,
Height I can forgive adding an inch. It's one of those things which is particularly sensitive, and people do tend to discriminate based on height.
Age? Well people are more likely to have access to your DOB than stop you with a tape measure...
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a National Party fun debate at the Mount Golf Club
I wonder what the title of the debate was...
"Poverty, is it making us richer?" -
They're both part of the "East Manukau" (ie: Howick) tendency that doesn't really like having to hang out with the rest of South Auckland.
In other words, a form of privatised segregation, not unlike a DMZ minus the landmines. Eight Mile on the Waitemata.
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Meanwhile, a substantive local body story about the character of potential Auckland region rulers. Current C&R councillors ignore evidence-based policy in decisions about bus priority lanes.
...[AucklandCity Council's Transport committee chair Cr Ken Baguley] and his supporters are trying to translate the Tamaki Drive results across to Dominion Rd, the busiest suburban bus artery in Auckland, which carries more than twice the number of buses. They've done it on little more than a whim that what's good in Tamaki Drive will be equally good elsewhere.
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In their report on the Tamaki Drive trial, council traffic engineers emphasised the need to consider each route individually, with "particular regard to ARTA's Regional Arterial Road Plan" and that "retaining bus lanes within some corridors is paramount".
This advice was disregarded.
No doubt there are similar stories about other potential candidates that would help voters make a very important decision in October about who gets to shape the new super-city for many years to come.
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Or more to the point...
"Why don't poor people just use Credit Cards?" -
I notice the pale burghers of Howick managed to get the name of the new super-city ward they were part of changed from Te Irirangi to - you guessed it - Howick. I suppose at least they'll be able to pronounce it proper.
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It's pronounced How-Ick, right?
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Craig, I think you know perfectly well where Dick Quax's loyalties lie. The readers should too.
@Simon: Unless Manakau has turned into North Korea without me noticing, no councillor owes "loyalty" to an incumbent mayor, and if you really don't see the problem in throwing around labels like "X. party hack" I just despair. As you might put it, people in local government have strong political opinions -- what a Mandy Rice-Davis moment!
I don't think either Hartley or Gillon are impugning the integrity of their colleagues or staff, are they? Nor do their actions seem to be suspiciously well-synchronised with national political events like the release of certain expense records.
Oh, come on, Sacha -- Hartley isn't Andy Williams biggest fan and isn't shy about saying so. I'd have a very big problem with the local rags prefacing every criticism she makes of Williams with "former Labour MP" because it's actually misleading while being factual. Either her criticism are valid and factually accurate or they're not.
The Auckland region's election in a few months will be highly politicised along national party lines, and as Russell noted elsewhere it's looking dirty already.
Well, if you really think nudge-nudge, wink-wink labelling of candidates isn't "dirty", be careful what you wish for because some dog-whistles attract feral mutts...
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If Hartley wants to throw mud at Williams, I'd apply exactly the same standard. I think it's safe to say more people in North Shore City would know her background than have even heard of Jami-Lee Ross in Manukau. However, approaching an election period I'd match the level of disclosure to the type of statement or allegation being offered.
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I notice the pale burghers of Howick managed to get the name of the new super-city ward they were part of changed from Te Irirangi to - you guessed it - Howick. I suppose at least they'll be able to pronounce it proper.
A victory for democracy, apparently.
From Pansy Wong's most recent electorate news email:
Together we did it
Last Wednesday was a great day for democracy.
What started as quiet rumblings around the dining tables and water coolers of our patch was last week debated in the House of Representatives. The ward and board formally known as Te Irirangi will now be called Howick.
This is no small accomplishment for the residents of our patch. It has been almost 20 years since Parliament last stepped in to change the name of a local body. In that instance the Lower Hutt City (Name of City Council) Act 1991 gave the territorial authority the name The Hutt City Council. One has to go back almost 30 years to the Education Amendment Act 1982 (No 2) to find an instance of Parliament intervening to change a name at board level - this is indeed a rare event.
The past three months have been a fantastic demonstration of how a motivated and passionate group of people can work together to effect change. I was there at the extraordinary public meeting when concerned residents stood up to make their voices heard. The local community boards listened and resolved to jointly reject the name Te Irirangi.
I took a keen interest in the results of the local surveys and petitions which polled public opinion. It was also great to see the younger generation, like Dan Callum, adding their voice through a dedicated Facebook page.
Special recognition should be given to our local newspaper, the Times, who took on this issue in a way which reflected the strong feeling within the community. The ‘our place, our name' campaign helped to make clear that the community wanted the name Howick above all others.
I have been very impressed with the sensible and organised steps taken by councillors, community board members and other leaders in the community and I was very pleased to stand in Parliament together with Pakuranga MP Maurice Williamson and advocate for the name change. It was surprising that the change was not supported by the Labour party who argued and ultimately voted against the overwhelming public opinion.
Despite the challenges we have succeeded. The voice of our patch was heard and true democracy won the day. I am, as always, very proud to represent our patch.
It's been a biggish local deal for a while.
From an earlier Botany Pansy Speak:
D-Day looming for Te Irirangi
On Monday the Auckland Governance Legislation Select Committee reported back to the house on the third and final piece of legislation required to set up the one Auckland City. With the Bill's emergence from the select committee phase the remaining parliamentary process will unravel over the next couple of weeks.
Part of this process will be a committee debate in the house during which I will convey the strong feeling of our patch. I have received a strong and clear message from residents that they would prefer the name of the new ward and local board to be Howick rather than Te Irirangi and that is the message that I will be delivering in Parliament.
I will do everything I can to effect this change for all residents of Howick, Pakuranga and Botany.
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Personally I would like to see Howick subsumed into a "Greater Otara," just for the Schadenfreuder.
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I will convey the strong feeling of our patch.
Our Patch... How quaint.
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However, approaching an election period I'd match the level of disclosure to the type of statement or allegation being offered.
Would that include a little full disclosure from The Herald the next time it runs a story about political candidates slating its direct competition?
But the more I think about this, the more I think you're (unwittingly) offering to hand The Herald a nice way to editorialise by stealth (you know like using "Rastafarian" in every lead about Nandor, because "skanky pot-head" is a little blunt for a family newspaper). Given your opinion of The Herald as a Key-fellating tool of the VRWMC, you sure you want to go there?
If Hartley wants to throw mud at Williams, I'd apply exactly the same standard. I think it's safe to say more people in North Shore City would know her background than have even heard of Jami-Lee Ross in Manukau.
Well, Sacha, on behalf of my fellow North Shoricans I thank you for not assuming we're all senile. I think it's safe to say people in Manakau are competent to realise that a man who stood against Brown for the mayoralty twice isn't his BFF.
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It's been a biggish local deal for a while.
I guess so. Don't these politicians have anything more important to do though?
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3410,
Don't these politicians have anything more important to do though?
Is there anything more important than preserving property prices?
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And unrepentent cultural intolerance remains alive and well in some parts of Manurewa.
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I doubt it's exaggerating to describe Howick as a gated community minus the actual gates.
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In what world is it illegitimate for a columnist to write something at odds with the editorial line of the paper s/he writes in?
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Dear me, it was perfectly clear in the article and Russell repeated it in the comments: the issue is not that Roughan's position is at odds with the editorial line of the paper, it's that he expressed it as a polemic with another media outlet rather than with the Herald's own editorial. That does strike one as disingenuous.
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3410,
And unrepentent cultural intolerance remains alive and well in some parts of Manurewa.
Speaking of political leadership, who's going to step up and tell those morons to get out of the dark ages?
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It's M A N U K A U,
not M A N A K A U.
Let's try that eh? All together now. :)
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