Kiwiblog

I was surprised yesterday to be forwarded a press release from the Workers Party announcing that they have purged VUWSA President Jasmine Freemantle from their ranks – they have expelled her. Salient has a copy of the release, which includes:

Current VUWSA President Jasmine Freemantle has been expelled from the Workers Party. Freemantle contested the VUWSA election last year on a Workers Party platform. Since then, however, she has acted entirely as an individual rather than abiding by Workers Party policies and decisions.
A number of Workers Party principles have been breached, most particularly around the VUWSA Staff Collective Agreement which she drew up and which represented an attack on VUWSA employees’ rights, and around her role on Anzac Day where she failed to support action by WP members. In the case of Anzac Day, while she failed to consult in any way with the Party, she consulted with the RSA, seeking their endorsement of motions for a Student Representative Council.

Good God – she consulted the RSA – she must be lynched.

Since she was elected as president of VUWSA running on the WP platform, we believe she should resign from her position of President of VUWSA and seek re-election on her own record and platform.

Jasmine has done a very lengthy blog post on her experiences with the Workers Party, how members have treated her, the links to the UNITE union, the VUWSA involvement. It is worthy of scrutiny. Some extracts:

A particularly bad case involved an Auckland WP member and Unite Union activist. This specific member had made unreceptive advances to me off and on for a number of years. Mid last year he completely barraged me with text messages and phone calls at all hours of the night, demanding sex and revealing very upsetting and highly emotive details about his own personal life. This continued for quite some time, despite the fact that I alerted the Party’s leadership to the problem. After a few months of this carry on, I received a spate of drunken phone calls from him, which consisted of him yelling at me, “You’re not my comrade, not anymore”. When I asked why this was, he replied “You’re not my comrade because you’re fucking my mate” (in reference to the fact that I’d started going out with another Party member, Nick Kelly.)

This particular member had developed a drinking problem largely due to the stress and long hours created by his employment at Unite.

Surely UNITE, of all employers, would not be requiring staff to work long hours and work in a stressful workplace?

In 2008 Joel Cosgrove and VUWSA Campaigns Officer Sonny Thomas authored a “Consultation document for a revised structure of VUWSA business”, AKA their now infamous (at least within student politics circles) ‘Change Proposal’ report. Joel has admitted that this document was lifted from one written by Victoria University management who were restructuring and laying off a number of staff at the College of Education. According to Joel, the Change Proposal’s aim was “minimising financial risk” and “maximising efficiencies”. In practice this meant the contracting out of VUWSA’s clubs and activities to the University, and laying off at least 3 core VUWSA staff members – though other redundancies were also planned.

That was a very good proposal (in my opinion). I think I even endorsed it. I always thought it was Sonny’s, not Joel’s.

I anticipated that having one WP member handing over to another would result in a relatively smooth transition. Failing this I at least expected an adequate one. From the beginning of October to the end of December 2008 I worked full time (the first two months without pay) at VUWSA as the incoming President. The theory is that this time provides an opportunity for the outgoing President to train the incoming President in everything from operational matters to high level business.

From basics like working the fax machine through to arranging various meetings with the University, I soon found I either had to organise it myself or work out what was going on by asking others. Joel was no help at all.

Joel would often come into the office late, leave early and spend much of his time watching YouTube videos. Despite the VUWSA President being a full-time job, Joel habitually turned up about 10am and left again around 2pm. He spent most of his time in his office sleeping with his door locked. He would often tell me how he just wanted everyone (i.e. VUWSA staff, Executive members, students, etc) to leave him alone and stop “bugging” him.

And people wonder why I support VSM.

There was a mountain of outstanding admin, grievances and complicated issues left from the 2007-2008 period. When I checked the President’s landline and cellular messages I discovered that Joel hadn’t even bothered to check them since September 2008. I spent a depressing evening listening to literally hundreds of messages, a number of which were fairly urgent, including one from a highly distressed student that had been referred to VUWSA by a counselor.

Staggering.

For a number of years now Wellington’s Unite Union has been fairly stagnant. As already mentioned I was part of a Burger King organising campaign back in 2004 which fell over due to a lack of commitment and professionalism by the Union. For a number of years now Unite Wellington has opted to focus on soft sites, such as the SPCA and VUWSA.

Staff at VUWSA are fairly well paid, with many staff receiving at least double that of the President’s salary. This is despite VUWSA hardly being a wealthy students’ association (in fact VUWSA has run at a deficit in 5 out of the last 8 financial years, some of them quite hefty). VUWSA Presidents are almost always either Labour or left thereof. No VUWSA President and few Executive members want their year in office marred by a big fight with the staff.

The annual VUWSA staff collective negotiations are a case in point. What usually happens is that Unite goes in to negotiate the collective, the Executive quickly cave in – and the rest of the year Unite gets involved in the petty office politics at VUWSA instead of doing the real work of organising fast food workers.

While not agreeing politically with UNITE, I’ve actually respected what they have managed to achieve in the fast food sector, and have a hell of a lot of time for Matt McCarten. But this looks very messy.

Days into taking over the VUWSA presidency, it became extremely evident that basic office procedures were either dreadful, or completely non existent. It has been common practice for staff to not turn up to work days on end without any notification, then return and apply for annual leave. The concept of office hours was apparently completely foreign. Trying to get basic operating norms in place was greeted with hostility and threats of industrial action.

So Jasmine was expelled for trying to get staff to actually notify in advance when they take leave?

In early 2009 Wellington’s Unite organiser left, and was replaced by two new organisers: one being WP member Don Franks, the other an anarchist called Matt Jones.

I like the idea of an anarchist being an organiser

The WP has tried to argue that I needed to consult with the Party and the Wellington branch before putting forward claims in collective negotiations. While it would be completely inappropriate for any VUWSA President to do such a thing in conjunction with their political party, such actions would be absolutely unprofessional in light of Unite’s relationship with the WP.

Here we get into really serious issues – the Workers Party demanding they approve what the President puts forward. Could you imagien the outrage if a student association president was a National Party member, and National insisted on approving the industrial negotiating position?

It is very clear that the relationships between VUWSA, UNITE and Workers Party are very murky and unprofessional.

The fact of the matter is that the majority of the WP’s Auckland branch are Unite organisers. As stated above, Don Franks is also an organiser in Wellington; a number of other WP members are Unite volunteers. Just under half of the national Steering Committee are on the Unite pay role or have close involvement with Unite. Anyone else noticed a conflict of interest?

Indeed.

By way of background: I caught Joel Cosgrove and Kassie Hartendorp running a copy of the draft staff collective through the VUWSA photocopy machine on Sunday 26 April. When I questioned them as to what they thought they were doing photocopying a document that they had no right of access to in the first place, they said it was none of my business. Joel then grabbed the documents and ran off. When I questioned Kassie as to what photocopy code she was using, she said she was using the women’s rights budget code (but that apparently she would pay it back).

Just gets worse.

If you have the time, I suggest you read the entire post. My politics are a world apart from Jasmine’s, but you have to feel sorry for all the crap she has to endure in just doing her job.

Liberty Scott has some useful fisking on Waterview:

2. Idiot Savant says the announcement by the NZTA on the preferred route for the Waterview connection is “an affront to democracy”. Complete bollocks. When did people vote for the route of ANY road? It never happened for any other section of the Western Ring Route, nor the Northern Gateway, nor the Waikato Expressway, nor the Christchurch Southern Motorway.

One piece of hysteria dealt with.

3. He also talks nonsense in claiming “the plan centres on using an existing rail designation for a motorway. So, Auckland won’t be getting a proper rail-based public transport network because National will have already built a stinking great road there.” Funnily enough there remains room for the motorway there (the map he links to shows this) and even ARTA has no plans to built the Avondale-Southdown railway till 2030. The project isn’t worth it, so to claim Auckland “wont be getting a proper rail-based public transport network” because one line that would be barely used isn’t to be built, is extreme hyperbole.

And another.

4. Bomber at Tumeke thinks it is a conspiracy with National favouring its big business mates at Macquaries and hating public transport. For starters, Labour’s plans would have benefited Macquaries far more as it would have been a bigger scheme and a PPP. On top of that, the Waterview connection wont be tolled, nor will it be a PPP, Macquaries provides finance for PPP toll roads, it isn’t in the road construction business in New Zealand. The company can’t benefit from this decision at all. So that makes this conspiracy theory totally fatuous.

Now that is just embarrassing.

5. The Standard tries to spin that the government is misleading on costs, something that NZTA clears up quite quickly. It also makes some of the same mistakes as others do.

All options require work at SH16 worth $242 million.

Labour wanted a four lane bored tunnel. $1.974 billion. National is now proposing a four lane mix of surface, bored tunnel and cut and cover tunnel at $1.165 billion, with provision for six laning built in (Labour’s option did not allow for that). That’s over $800 million difference. To put that in context, Transit’s total budget last year for ALL state highways activities was $1.2 billion. So National’s proposal saves a lot of money, AND allows for future growth.

So even before we look at finance costs, Labour wants to spend $800 million on its tunnel – which is 2/3rds of the total annual state highway budget.

And almost all the predictions are that one will need six lanes within a few years – that will put Labour’s pet tunnel cost up by a further $361 million.

Labour had proposed a PPP for the motorway, so financing costs (interest) of $554 million had been included for its option. However, Labour had NO budgetary provision for the motorway at all. Financing costs are the costs of paying a PPP operator to borrow, build and operate the road. The money to pay the PPP operator would still need to come from somewhere

It is Labour that proposed its tunnel be financed from a PPP, which adds on the financing cost. This is an actual cost – the money will be borrowed and paid.

National will pay for its proposal through the Land Transport Fund – no borrowing. But even if it did have to borrow to fund it, the financing costs would be around $250 million less than the $554 million.

So even if one assigns a financing cost to National’s proposal, it is $1.08 billion cheaper than Labour’s tunnel. With no financing cost (as it won’t incur borrowing) it is $1.36 billion cheaper than Labour’s tunnel and if you compare it to what would have become necessary – a three lane tunnel each way, it is $1.75 billion cheaper.

So Labour is insisting on a tunnel that is at a minimum going to cost $1.08 billion more.

The Wairarapa News reports:

Large, heavy projectiles will be hurtling through the air at Longbush later this month powered by weapons of medieval destruction.

It has always been Mike and Lara Ferguson’s grand plan to buy some land in the country and create their own historical village and now they are starting to turn that dream into a reality. In just over a week they will be hosting the Longbush Fling when historical re-enactors will converge on their 64 acre property and enjoy a weekend through the ages.

A key member of the Roman artillery group 22AD, Murray Hill, is bringing his powerful ballistics machines, which will be a feature of the event. His trebuchets and catapults can fire lethal objects with devastating accuracy- when he gets his eye in. The Wellington Rifles are coming and the Order of the Boar is planning to be there too.

Mike and his friends have built an authentic Roman fort complete with a moat and ramparts. There are other structures in the valley including medieval marquees and an authentic ancient building under construction. Mike and Lara helped build a timber frame out of English green oak using traditional methods and they shipped it back from Britain.

I’ve played with some of Murray’s machines and they are indeed accurate. Should be a fun place to visit for those in Wairarapa at the weekend.

The Herald reports:

An Immigration Service investigator suspects National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi or one of his supporters may have “paid off” the Indian woman at the centre of allegations that he made bogus job offers. …

The Immigration Service report on the investigation – obtained under the Official Information Act – says the staff member who tried to interview Kamal Kaur and her husband, Kuldeep Singh, “formed an impression that [they] may have been paid off by Bakshi or one of his supporters”.

“There is no evidence to support this impression,” the report says.

Not a good look. Back in November I said:

The allegations may well be baseless, but if John Key wants to set a different style to Helen Clark, he would do well to make sure there is an inquiry into them.

Talking of allegations though, what has happened to the inquiry into why the former Government granted citizenship to political donor Yang Liu, despite knowing of the serious concerns Internal Affairs raised about him?

My column at NBR is called Mt Albert Mayhem, so it speaks for itself!

As usual comments can be made at NBR.

I’m not sure if Annette King penned this herself, or one if her staff did, but it actually is pretty damn funny so worth a repeat:

The Melissa Key Guide to Crime Busting

1. Build a motorway – the more lanes the better.
2. Direct all criminals (from areas you want to insult) to travel on the motorway preferably with signs on their vehicles saying “CRIM-IN-TRANST” to help Police identify them.
3. Chose an electorate as far away as possible from the place you want to win as the destination for the mobile crims.
4. Have all off-ramps removed to ensure a smooth flow of crims to chosen destination.
5. Dedicate one lane as an expressway for crims who own cars.
6. Dedicate one lane for a busway for crims who don’t have cars or haven’t stolen one yet.
7. Increase public transport concessions for crims who are prepared to travel during off peak times to carry out their crimes.
8. Encourage car-pooling of crims to cut down congestion and reduce the carbon footprint.
9. Build motorways which cut through communities removing hundreds of houses thereby reducing the number of homes that can be burgled.
10. Get a TV production company to make a video of your success in reducing crime.
11. Avoid the PM at all costs because although you were once his “chosen candidate” he now thinks your crime busting ideas are silly.
12. Avoid the good people of South Auckland you have labelled as crims.

I especially like the busway for crims that have not yet stolen a car!

I was at the farewell function last night for the retiring CEO of the Electoral Commission, Helena Catt. I was very pleased to be invited despite having helped take the Commission to court a couple of times

Dr Catt mentioned that a paper was due out today on how a text reminder on election day significantly increased vote turnout. The paper is here.

There were 15,662 who had texted the EEC requesting an enrolment pack.Some of them were sent a text message on election day reminding them to vote, and some were not.

The turnout rate of those who got a text message was 75.5% – a significant 4.7% higher than the 70.8% who did not get a text message.

The biggest increase in voting was in low population density electorates (rural), electorates with high Maori populations and amongst people enrolled in the last month – they had a greater than 10% difference

I was amused that a few people replied to the text message, and this was one response:

HEY ORANGE GUY WE HAVIN FLAT WARMING 2NYTE BRING THE ORANGE JUICE AND ALL YR FRIENDS.

Anyway the results are strong enough that I think the Government should seriously look at doing a mass text on election day to enrolled voters. This would mean the EEC would have to collect cellphone numbers, but that can be done with a small law change.

Well it has got the money. John Key has anounced:

The Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, John Key has today promised $50 million dollars over three years for the New Zealand Cycleway Project.

Speaking at the New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference in Auckland, Mr Key says the project, first raised at the Job Summit, will create a high quality tourism asset that will enhance New Zealand’s competitiveness as a tourism destination, provide employment, and stimulate economic development opportunities in regional economies.

“I propose to create a series of ‘Great Rides’ of New Zealand, with a long term aim of creating a network throughout the country.”

In this month’s Budget, the Ministry of Tourism will receive $50 million in operating funding to progress the Cycleway.

Well the Greens will be happy!

Oh except for the carbon footprint of the tourists flying over here to cycle. Maybe we need to have a cycleway from Australia also

Already viewed more than 250,000 times. Pretty good.

While there are plenty of areas of disagreement, I find it interesting how cordial relations are between not just the Maori Party and National, but also with ACT.

Look at this speech from Tariana Turia:

Winston Churchill and Rodney Hide have something in common, apart from looks, (although Rodney is actually in better shape).

It was Churchill who famously said, “If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law.”

Almost eighty years later, Mr Hide has introduced a Bill to do something for once and for all to address the duplication, gaps, errors and inconsistencies that make a mockery of our law.

Tariana also reminds us of their policies:

It is great to see the Act Party going to such steps to implement Maori Party policy.

We campaigned last election on a commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of small businesses.

We committed to reducing the tax of businesses with a net income of $100,000 or less, from 33% to 25%.

You agree to disagree in the areas you disagree, and make progress in the areas you do agree.

Stuff reports:

A Taiwanese man faces a possible jail sentence for stabbing a friend after he bought a porn DVD which he discovered showed his wife having sex with the man.

That would be a bad way to find out.

We received almost 600 votes in this second unscientific blog poll on how readers perceive the front bench Ministers to be doing. The results are shown below in two ways.

Net Approval Ratings

This is the sum of those who said Very Good or Good less the sum of those who said Poor or Very Poor. The change from two months ago is shown in brackets

1. John Key +57% (-10%)
2. Chris Finlayson +52% (-1%)
3. Tony Ryall +47% (+4%)
4. Bill English +44% (-10%)
5. Simon Power +41% (-13%)
6. Judith Collins +37% (-11%)
7. Anne Tolley +13% (-8%)
8. Gerry Brownlee +6% (+4%)
9. Nick Smith -8% (-35%)

Ryall and Brownlee have had their net approval improve from March. Nick Smith has had the most dramatic change in impression.

Weighted Average

The other measure is a weighted average which takes account of if people said they were very good or just good etc. Basically it assigns a value of 100% for a VG, 75% for a G, 50% for an average, 25% for a P and 0% for a VP. The overall weighted averages are:

1. John Key 76% (-4%)
2. Chris Finlayson 71% (nc)
3. Tony Ryall 70% (+4%)
4. Bill English 66% (-4%)
5. Simon Power 66% (-5%)
6. Judith Collins 66% (-4%)
7. Anne Tolley 53% (-4%)
8. Gerry Brownlee 50% (+1%)
9. Nick Smith 44% (-14%)

Now again these are not scientific, and only reflect the particular preferences of Kiwiblog readers who participated.

Just been on TV3′s Sunrise this morning and we talked about the reported comments of Melissa Lee that the motorway would be good, because it would stop criminals from South Auckland coming into the suburb to commit crimes.

I actually first saw the comments on Not PC and sort of hoped he had it wrong.

The comments are of course a mistake. A politician should know not to repeat something they have been told (even if it was from the Police) if it is going to stereotype entire communities. The same thing applied for Lockwood’s comment pre-election. Like Melissa, he was repeating something that may (or may not) be true, but that doesn’t make it sensible to repeat.

And in this case, it is bizarre to say that a motorway will somehow affect crime numbers. I think criminals know how to use a bypass. I was tempted to joke on air that if it was that easy to prevent crime, we’d just build a motorway around the Hutt Valley

So a pretty bad blunder by Melissa, who should apologise to put the controversy behind her. It’s a real lesson about the difference between being a general election candidate and a by-election candidate.

There is also the issue of the video produced by her before the election, placed on You Tube. I haven’t covered that in detail yet because so far I can’t see anywhere what Melissa has done wrong – my stance will change if such details emerge. However mud sticks, and the timing of the video story and her comments last night mean that what was always an uphill battle, has just got quite a bit steeper.

However there is still a month to go.

UPDATE: Melissa has put out a statement of apology:

Melissa Lee today reiterated her apology for comments made at a public meeting on Wednesday night.

“I apologise unreservedly for the comments I made regarding South Auckland and the linkage that I drew between the planned Waterview extension and crime.”

“I was wrong to have implied that crime is solely a South Auckland problem, or that the new motorway would reduce crime.”

I sincerely regret my remarks.

Kudos to her for doing this, which allows the by-election focus to move back onto the real issues.

The main Herald story has details:

• $1.4 billion cost
• 48 km long
• Only 200 extra homes affected on top of 160 affected by twin tunnels
• twin tunnels would have needed a boring machine to be imported costing $50 million
• Estimated benefits of completing ring route is $840 million a year
• Oakley Creek, a beauty spot, not to be largely unaffected
• New motorway will have room for an extra lane if needed, and room for trains

The Herald editorial though calls for the Waterview route to be abandoned for a Rosebank route.

David Cameron has just done a very good job of capitalising on the crisis of confidence in MPs, as the Daily Telegraph has revealed more and more details. Cameron has:

• Said sorry
• Called some claims unethical and wrong
• Has ordered several members of his Shadow Cabinet to pay back some expenses
• Has set up a panel to scrutinise the expense claims of every Conservative MP and decide if any claim should be refunded
• Any Conservative MP that does not pay back a claim as ordered, will be expelled from the party
• All future expense claims will be published online so the public can scrutinise them
• Is banning his MPs from flipping houses (this has caused most of the rorts – swapping their second home to be the one that needs work done on it)
• forcing his MPs to pay capital gains tax on any sale of a house where the taxpayer has paid for mortgage interest
• banning future claims for furniture, household goods or food (as is case in NZ basically)

I’d say the next election is now home and hosed.

On Backbenches tonight:

• Jeanette Fitzsimons, Greens
• David Garrett, ACT
• Charles Chauvel, Labour
• Louise Upston, National

Starts at 9 pm, best to be there by 8.30 pm at the Backbencher to view live. Should be fun.

Jordan Carter has done an excellent post on Labour’s future. First he notes the comments of two lefties – Tane:

Labour, on the other hand, just seems utterly bereft of vision. In the midst of the greatest economic crisis of our age, when they should be putting forward a bold alternative vision, Labour doesn’t seem have a clue where it’s going. Their miserable poll ratings don’t so much represent a rejection of their platform as a complete lack of relevance.

and Danyl:

I’d argue that left-wing bloggers are more relevant now than ever since they’re now in a position to critique the government instead of apologise for it, and the primary left-wing party is off on it’s own, weird journey into political irrelevance and oblivion leaving a great void for progressive voices to fill.

Jordan comments:

I am always interested when I read comments like this. Part of the purpose of the Labour Party is to be a credible voice for progressive politics that progressive people regard as being on the right track.

It seems obvious in retrospect that our alliance with Winston Peters and NZ First in the last Parliament did some serious harm to that part of Labour’s reputation, both with non-aligned progressives and particularly with supporters of the Green Party. The Labour leadership made a call about the stability and sustainability of the government it wanted to run, and we now live with the consequences.

I won’t declare I am happy with the state of Labour. Who could be right now?

We got beaten in last year’s election for five or six broadly credible and understandable reasons. We face the unpleasant and somewhat daunting task of rebuilding our party, our policy agenda and our reputation in the face of a very popular government that people think is quite centrist. And we do so having baggage with both of the political parties with whom we will need to build rapport and support to form a government in the future.

I recommend people watch this interview as the loathsome George Galloway gets dealt to.

John Armstrong looks at the Rankin appointment:

Christine Rankin’s appointment to the Families Commission is the closest John Key’s Government has come to seemingly losing its marbles in the six months since it won last year’s election.

The decision is political madness – unless one subscribes to the conspiracy theory that Rankin’s reputation and the unfortunate political baggage attached to the former head of Winz (now Work and Income) is craftily being used to discredit the autonomous Crown agency as a first step towards abolishing it.

That’s not the case. The Families Commission is too small and inoffensive to worry about.

The decision looks like political folly – unless you subscribe to the slightly more credible theory that Rankin has been installed on the commission’s board to shake up a sleepy outpost of government and make it start producing the kind of policy ideas a National Government likes to hear.

More likely.

However, Rankin is a far more unpopular and polarising figure. Furthermore, unlike Cullen’s, Rankin’s appointment carries huge risks for National. Her bolshiness and trouble have often been companions – as National found to its huge cost when it was last in Government.

It is difficult to see much upside politically in finding a job for someone remembered mainly for creating a “culture of extravagance”in the public service during her brief, but flamboyant tenure as a departmental chief executive.

The culture of extravagance was much exaggerated. We’ve actually seen worse from other Departments. However as I often say – in politics perception can be more important than reality.

And this is where the Rankin appointment is baffling. There is no doubt that the Rankin appointment would be controversial and unpopular in some quarters.

Further, it gives Labour a long-term target. I can guarantee you right now some spotty faced Labour reseaercher is making a diary note to file OIA requests every three months to the Families Commission seeking details of all travel and other expenses for the Commissioners. And they will happily highlight any expenses (even if reasonable – because the media will bite regardless).

So why would the Government make a controversial appointment, and buy a headache it does not need? Normally the reason is that the decision in question is too important to not do. Hence we get a motorway not a tunnel in Mt Albert, we get a suspension of Super Fund contributions etc etc.

But the Families Commission is almost an irrelevance. It is not like the Electricity Commission where if it stuffs up, you run out of power. So why use political capital unnecessairly?

Injecting a more conservative flavour into the commission’s work suggests Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is seeking alternative sources of advice than just that coming from her ministry’s officials – in the same way that Sir Geoffrey Palmer’s Law Commission became a think tank for Helen Clark when she wanted advice on justice and sentencing matters.

That’s possible, but I think unrealistic.

I have to admit, that this is one of the few Government decisions that has baffled me politically. That doesn’t mean I think Rankin will be a bad Commissioner – I don’t – just that the politics of it are, well to be blunt, somewhat stupid. Considerable pain for no gain.

Steven Joyce:

“We wouldn’t be prepared to spend $1.5 billion to buy a by-election – it would be completely irresponsible.”

While Labour seems to regard that as a bargain.

The number of houses affected appears to be less than thought:

An alternative route for the 4.5km motorway, to be announced today, will probably require the demolition of at least 300 homes, against the 160 that would have to be cleared around tunnel portals.

So the difference may be only 140 homes.

Mr McDonald said that would make the motorway a wider issue for Aucklanders in the 2011 election campaign.

Please do make it an issue.

Yes, oh yes. Darren Hughes has fallen into Steven Joyce’s trap. Look at this wonderful press release:

“The people of Mt Albert are very clear. They want a deep tunnel. Labour supports that view,” Darren Hughes said.

And Labour will force all taxpayers to for up an exra $1,000 or so to keep a few hundred voters happy.

Labour will spend $3 billion on a tunnel, so long as they retain the Mt Albert seat. Darren shoudl be the Senator for Alaska!

“It is disappointing that from what Transport Minister Steven Joyce has said today, it is clear the Government is not prepared to fund the option of a deep tunnel that the people of Auckland overwhelmingly support.

Bzzt. Not the people of Auckland. The people of Mt Albert may support the $3 billion tunnel, but I know which option Auckland motorists and taxpayers will support.

“Instead it will go with a compromise that provides second-best solutions for the people of Mt Albert and the future needs of Auckland.

Actually the reoad will be more future proofed, as it can easily be expanded to six lanes – unlike the tunnel.

“Melissa Lee’s candidacy has now been thoroughly undermined by Prime Minister John Key who is effectively dismissing her views as irrelevant,” Darren Hughes said.

“Mr Key knows the people of Mt Albert are overwhelmingly opposed to the surface option, and that Melissa Lee is completely out of step with local opinion.

And here Darren falls for it again. His only focus is the by-election. Yes it is quite possible this will make it easier for Labour to retain the seat. But they will now be painted as the worst sort of pork barrel politicians who even in a global recession are prepared to fritter away between $1 billion and $1.7 billion on buying a few hundred votes.

Labour are so focused on the by-election they have forgotten the real game is about the 2011 election.

Going back to the Rankin appointment, I can’t help but highlight this:

Green MP Sue Bradford said National was subverting the commission through political appointments, and accused it of sabotage.

Oh yes we can’t have political appointments to the Families Commission. I was thinking just that the other day as I sat in the Backbencher watching the former Chief Family Commissioner yell abuse and heckle National MPs, thinking this is what his job as a Labour List MP is about.

Pleased to see the Press has amended their story and deleted references to Rankin’s family.