Blog Authors
Phil Twyford
Time to take action against water privatisation
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 08:55 AM, Tuesday 08 June, 2010
Comments: 0
Not content with the damage it has done to Auckland, the National-ACT Government is now turning its sights on local government across the board by opening council water up to privatisation. If you want to fight this, read on.
Govt to AKL: Which part of no don't you understand?
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: 3rd Super City Bill
Created: 01:44 PM, Monday 24 May, 2010
Comments: 0
The third super city bill has now been tabled in the House and is due to get its second reading on Thursday.
96% disapprove of super city
The Government must be getting really sick of hearing poll results about the Auckland super city. Rodney Hide certainly didn’t seem too happy answering questions about the Herald’s recent poll in question time yesterday.
Super city weekend
Rod Oram has an interesting piece in the SST on the Government’s plan to reduce costs and put in place lower, uniform regulatory fees across the region for building and resource consents, land information memorandums and dog registrations. He says the co
Polls show Govt fail in Auckland
Independent poll results in today’s Herald are an indictment of the Government’s handling of the Auckland reforms. Pure and simple.
The vote the Government wouldn't let you have
A coalition of community organisations called Our Auckland is running a referendum on the Government’s super city, giving Aucklanders the chance to vote it up or down. You can vote here, and sign up with the Our Auckland facebook page for updates.
The cost of the super city
The Herald has put together an estimate of the cost of building the Auckland super city – $81 million and rising.
When is water privatisation not water privatisation?
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 06:06 PM, Friday 30 April, 2010
Comments: 0
Water privatisation is on the agenda with the tabling in the House yesterday of Rodney Hide’s local government amendment bill.
Key stumbles and bumbles on Auckland
John Key was unimpressive in question time today. He seemed unable to defend his Government’s policy on Auckland. Jet lag after Gallipoli maybe? Missing his hoodie? Or just a hard policy to defend?
Goff: Labour will give power back to Auckland
Phil Goff set out today what Labour will do to fix the mess National has made of the Auckland super city.
Hide: super city criticism a media beat up
Rodney Hide thinks opposition to the super city is a media beat up. From a speech to a business and investment seminar today.
When the circus comes to town
John Key is going to wish he’d never announced the Queens Wharf would be ‘party central’ for the Rugby World Cup.
Will the Minister explain
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of Auckland Assets
Created: 03:47 PM, Friday 09 April, 2010
Comments: 0
Marty G at The Standard helpfully points out a $2295 -a-head conference on “Local Government Asset Management” where Local Government Minister Rodney Hide is the keynote speaker.
Super city CEO track record
Gordon Campbell at werewolf has done some digging on the background of newly appointed CEO of the Auckland super city Doug McKay. It is quite a read, with plenty of detail about Mr McKay’s record with Goodman Fielder, Sealord and alcopop giant Independent
Super city appointment not without risk
I thought carefully before criticising the Government’s appointment of Doug McKay as the interim CEO of the new Auckland Council. There is nothing wrong with people moving between the private and public sectors, and on the strength of media reports Mr Mc
Taxation without representation
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Council Controlled Organisations
Created: 09:38 AM, Thursday 25 March, 2010
Comments: 0
You have to wonder about the damage the super city fiasco is doing to National and ACT.
Roll call of opposition to super city grows daily
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Council Controlled Organisations
Created: 05:50 PM, Tuesday 16 March, 2010
Comments: 0
Rodney Hide must be getting quite lonely. The Government’s plan to parcel up 75% of Council operations, including the powerful transport agency, into arms-length council-owned companies has met with an avalanche of opposition.
A tale of two interviews
Last night Minister of Local Government Rodney Hide appeared on Close Up to answer questions from host Mark Sainsbury about the super city, and claims on the front page of yesterday’s Herald that Hide’s CCOs lack transparency and accountability.
ORIGIN Greek demokratia, from demos 'the people' & -kratia 'power, rule'
I have been shocked by how many of the Government's members don't seem to think there is anything strange about handing over government of our nation's largest city to a whole lot of hand-picked business appointees.
Hide blatantly misleads on local boards
The Government must know they are pushing the super city up hill in the face of an increasingly sceptical public and news media.
The proper role of an MP
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Super city protest
Created: 03:03 PM, Wednesday 03 March, 2010
Comments: 1
I think Key, Hide & Co are beginning to feel the heat. After a week and a half of submissions on the third super city bill it is clear Aucklanders are as opposed to this assault on democracy as they were when the Nats did their last impression of listenin
The future of our ports
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Ports of Auckland
Created: 11:14 AM, Tuesday 02 March, 2010
Comments: 0
Today at the select committee hearing public submissions on the third super city bill, we had the mayors and ARC chairman Mike Lee in. There were some great submissions and useful debate. In amongst it all I took the opportunity to ask several of them the
Would a New Lynn happen under super city?
It was speeches and a cooked breakfast at the New Lynn RSA this morning to celebrate the first passenger train to go through the New Lynn rail trench. A carriage load of politicians, ARTA and Kiwirail officials, mayors, local Westies, transport activists,
Local boards get to choose colour of carpet
John Trust Me Carter has been reassuring angry Aucklanders since the middle of last year that the Government is going to give real powers to local boards. There are many undemocratic aspects of the Government’s super city agenda but for my money this is t
Nat tempers fray one hour into two week hearing
We are one hour into two weeks of select committee hearings on the third super city bill. Twelve submissions have been heard so far, and all twelve have raised fundamental objections to the Bill and the Government’s super city project.
Red Alert There's consternation in those hills
Hackles have been raised out West by provisions in the third super city bill that could undermine the Waitakere Ranges. Mining, undermining and our special natural areas seem to go together at the moment.
Damage control on Boag affair
The Auckland Transition Agency has swung into damage control. The Herald this morning reports Michelle Boag has been pulled from any recruitment of executive positions for the Super City.
A strange irony
I don’t mean to be mean spirited about the Auckland super city logo competition. Every organisation needs a logo, right?
Snouts in trough
The Herald on Sunday reveals former National Party president Michelle Boag has picked up the contract to recruit the third tier of executives for the Auckland super city while also being an unpaid campaign adviser for John Banks’ mayoral campaign.
Waitakere Ranges at risk – thanks Paula
The third super city bill has a nasty hidden sting that could put the Waitakere Ranges at risk.
Make a submission but never submit
APN's community paper The Aucklander has consistently campaigned against the super city fiasco.
Auckland's blue fringe gets stroppy
The natives are getting restless. All over Auckland, but especially in the traditionally National-voting districts of Rodney in the north and Franklin in the south.
Anger bubbling in the burbs: super city
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Super city meetings
Created: 09:16 AM, Thursday 04 February, 2010
Comments: 1
Anger at the Government's handling of the super city continues to bubble away in the Auckland burbs.
Three strikes and you are out
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 09:36 AM, Monday 09 November, 2009
Comments: 2
I didn't intend to post three times in a row about the Government's privatisation agenda for local government. But hey, they keep giving me new material.
What privatisation agenda?
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 09:34 AM, Monday 09 November, 2009
Comments: 0
Further to yesterday's post on Rodney Hide's fitness (or otherwise) to be Minister of Local Government, there is a new development in the Government's unfolding privatisation agenda.
Is this man fit to be Minister of Local Government?
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 09:29 AM, Monday 09 November, 2009
Comments: 0
Forget the shonky fundraising practices where he charged $45 to hear him talk about his ministerial portfolio.
Hide's corporatisation shocker
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Government plans
Created: 01:06 PM, Thursday 29 October, 2009
Comments: 1
I've been saying for a while the Government's agenda for Auckland is to corporatise our democracy and privatise our assets. In 24 hours they have delivered on both.
Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Privatisation of water
Created: 11:31 AM, Thursday 29 October, 2009
Comments: 0
The Hon Rodney Hide announced his package of changes to the Local Government Act today. The self-styled Minister of Ratepayers must have been disappointed. His long trumpeted and nutty agenda for local government has been well and truly sidelined.
Stop him before he kills again
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Local Government Review
Created: 11:24 AM, Thursday 29 October, 2009
Comments: 0
I've been thinking about Rodney Hide that it was a case of someone stop him before he kills again. Having made a hash of the Super City, and now wreaking havoc with ACC, the prospect of his review of the Local Government Act began to seem like one act of
My bill goes down, and Rodney Hide goes off
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Member's Bill
Created: 09:33 AM, Thursday 20 August, 2009
Comments: 0
My member's bill went down tonight. It was expected given National and ACT's declared intention to block vote against it.
My Bill gets its first reading
My bill will be debated in Parliament on Wednesday 19 August. Labour, Greens and Progressive are going to support it. I am hopeful the Maori Party will too. Let's see what the Nats do. It will only take a few of their Auckland MPs to support it and that w
Why we should fear for Auckland's Assets
Some critics have questioned the need for my member's bill protecting Auckland's assets under the super city. The right wing bloggers have worked themselves up into a froth over it. Baseless scaremongering they say. Even Brian Rudman in the Herald questio
Poll shows huge support for keeping assets in public hands
Poll shows huge support for keeping assets in public hands. North Shore City tabled some stunning poll results at the select committee this morning. Their Colmar Brunton poll of 800 residents shows 89% agree the supply of water should remain in public
U-turn on local councils
The Government is doing a U-ey on the proposed second tier of local councils in the new Auckland super city. It is not quite official yet, but from the way Government members on the select committee have been talking this week...
Not Yours To Sell
Author: Phil Twyford
Category: Not yours to sell
Created: 04:02 PM, Thursday 09 July, 2009
Comments: 5
My private member's bill to protect Auckland's assets from privatisation has been drawn from the ballot. So today we are launching Not Yours To Sell - Labour's campaign to save Auckland's assets and mobilise support for my bill. No one trusts Rodney...