Posts by merc
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Hard News: Finally, the Teapot Tape?, in reply to Sacha,
Good point, http://www.medialawjournal.co.nz/?p=537
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Key, I wont text you so then you can say...you haven't been in contact with the PM
Banks, yeah that's good (or words to that effect).Crikey we have nothing to worry about here they really are doing it for the uniform.
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Key mentions rather obtusely that TV3 are on his side, onboard I think he says. I think this is a very interesting window into the level of leadership we enjoy.
Key, bla bla bla (as filler for what he will say), and the mention by the two of them of always saying they are working hard, for whom we are left to surmise.
Oh and who calls a thing on the table a recording device, pluleese, staged much. -
Theatre!
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Hard News: Nobody wanted #EQNZ for Christmas, in reply to Sacha,
Voters work with what they have. A functioning political discourse is required.
I agree, and if it were that simple. A functioning constitution would be even better.
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Blaming voters for local govt. laxity is the same as Govt. blaming us for being over indebted (note how much faster we saved than they have over the last 2 years). It feels good but it does sweet fanny f.a.
Local govt. striking rates against their own valuations has nothing to do with voters. Govt. borrowing more than they need (Bill E, first week in office again) same as above. Whipping myself for not voting in shonky local govt. elections is going to go nowhere in spec'ing myself up on what has been and is a complete attack on our communities by successive local govts - all so central Govt. can keep it centralised. -
Hard News: Nobody wanted #EQNZ for Christmas, in reply to Sacha,
Oh goodness yes the ambiguities are so think on the ground it is a wonder anyone wants to even go there. The issues tie together so many agendas that have for so long supported the powerful few that I cannot see change occurring anytime within the next 50 years, if at all.
The super city concept only reinforces the status quo. Christchurch has highlighted a greater need for unified governance, but has been used (as was the 1987 crash), as a pretext for central Govt. intervention that precluded the basic agreed principles noted in that discussion paper.
My view is that our Govt. local govt. model is very badly broken and out of step with the needs of the nation and communities...but that view may be considered heretical.We can see where the complexity arises (quoted from http://www.waikato.ac.nz/igci/pucm/Linked%20documents/LGA-discussion.pdf,
The private sector was also utterly opposed to any extension of the Treaty of Waitangi into local government, recommending that any reference to it be deleted. They reiterated the compliance costs of consultation with Maori, the difficulty of identifying who claims to represent “the Maori community” and argued that Maori
should not be treated any differently than any other significant interest group. In summary, the private sector had an inherent distrust in the ability of local government to wield wider powers in a responsible way or believe that local communities can hold councils and authorities to account.Bolded bit mine. On the face of their protestations it would appear that the private sector submission was anti-democratic and undermines the ability for civic governance.
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Hard News: Nobody wanted #EQNZ for Christmas, in reply to Sacha,
The CEO's are appointed not elected, this is not an easy fix problem as that discussion paper points out, alot of work has gone into local government, the big bogey is federalism and the lack of a constitution, so far by my reading.
Some of the key changes introduced by the rewrite of the 1974 statute include:
• The replacement of a highly prescriptive statute with a general empowering clause.
• A new purpose which requires councils to promote social, cultural, economic and environmental well-being.
• An emphasis on taking a sustainable development approach.
• A requirement to identify community outcomes in collaboration with other agencies, including government departments and a “whole of government” approach to service delivery.
• A requirement to consult.
• The application of a general empowering provision and new purpose to regional as well as territorial councils.
• A requirement to report every three years on the achievement of outcomes.
The specific parts of the Act that give life to the mission of local government are contained in Part 2 of the LGA which describes the purposes, roles and powers of regional and territorial authorities and Part 6 that codifies a model for long term (ten years) strategic planning focussed on community well-being outcomes, and
for decision making and accountability. The primary mechanism for accomplishing this is the power of general competence (PGC). Section 12 grants local authorities “full capacity to carry on or undertake any activity or business, do any act, or enter into any transaction." -
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/6307884/Another-council-boss-pockets-huge-pay-rise
Council, Crown corporatism = epic fail.
As for Marionette, if he goes so should Sideshow and all the way up to the Minister for Local Government for demonstrating lack of governance.
What ever happened to,a local government system that works in partnership with central government to promote economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being for New Zealanders in their communities. Labour wants both local and regional councils to have the powers and flexibility to fulfil their role, and to be responsive and accountable to their communities.
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/igci/pucm/Linked%20documents/LGA-discussion.pdf
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Where's Gerry?