Lies on Auckland
October 30th, 2009 at 11:24 am by David FarrarThe Herald reports claims and lies re Auckland:
Labour MP Phil Twyford and the Greens’ Sue Kedgley yesterday claimed the agency designing the Super City was going to place control of most of Auckland’s assets into eight companies.
Mr Twyford said up to eight council-controlled organisations (CCOs) with their own boards and chief executives would run the services of transport, water, stadiums, land development and economic development.
“They are even planning to corporatise libraries and community houses. The mayor and council will be left like beached whales,” he said.
So is this true?
Mr Ford said there was no way that libraries and community services, “which lie at the heart of local government”, would be run by anything but the council.
Seems not. Any other lies?
He also disputed a claim by Mr Twyford that the CCOs would be overseen by a separate council-owned holding company with its own chief executive and board.
“CCOs will be controlled under the Auckland Council and it will be the council that is responsible for the governance and monitoring of performance,” Mr Ford said.
Yep.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Labour MP Phil Twyford and the Greens’ Sue Kedgley
’nuff said.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
er, libraries and community services don’t lie at the heart of local govt whereas transport, water and waste management do. Hide does appear to be keen to spread the metrowater model across the country. If he does, I predict it will be as unsuccessful as Bradford’s electricity reforms, and just as unpopular.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Mr Twyford seems to have developed a history for making hysterical statements about the Government, starting with the super city.
He obviously sees himself as the next Labour candidate for Auckland Central (although Ms Tizard might have something to say about that). If he wants to be taken seriously, he will have to make sure some of his predictions turn out to be true. Perhaps he doesn’t realise that any public statements he makes remain on the public record forever. He really does put his credibility on the line when he carries on like this.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
I guess if you don’t have a real argument you just make one up.
Thats not lies… it’s failure to fully engage with the truth.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Sounds like Twyford and Kedgley are in engaging in hyperbole, but is there any reason to suppose that Mark Ford’s comments can be relied upon? Are these commitments or just the usual “Don’t worry about it, nothing’s been decided yet, nothing to see here, we’ll let you know later, move along and keep your noses out of our affairs” platitudes bureaucrats specialise in?
[DPF: In these two areas, Ford said the MPs were totally wrong. He did not rule out that there might be eight CCOs and merely said that has not been decided. Hence I didn't focus on that part of the claims, just the part where he outright denied]
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Tim Ellis said “He obviously sees himself as the next Labour candidate for Auckland Central ”
Hasn’t Jacinda Ardern set up shop in Central Auckland? Perhaps Twyford’s candidacy is not a shoo-in.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
‘land development’ and ‘economic development’? I was under the impression that the current CCO economic enterprises would be sold or go. After all, don’t we have a Ministry for Economic Development who are supposed to be doing this sort of thing. I agree we need a new Convention Centre in Auckland desperately (Christchurch is getting all the major conferences in NZ, simply because their council was able to build one), but if the new Auckland Council becomes a de facto developer and retail manager we will ahve the makings of a huge multi-headed monster. Will be inetersting to see how this will fit with the ACT philosophy.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Inventory2, I don’t know if Ms Ardern has set up shop here. I haven’t seen her around. Mr Twyford has an office here and is calling himself “Labour List MP, based in Auckland Central”, but I haven’t actually seen him in the electorate. It’s a bit surprising that there seems to be a competition from Labour List MPs to line up to take a drubbing from Miss Kaye, but with Labour’s party vote in freefall maybe they need to find something to do to prove their worth to the central committee.
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I want to see the Tiz back .. always good for a laugh but she can’t seriously still be a potential candidate?
Vote:October 30th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Tim Ellis – from the November North and South (p78)
“She has spent the year working for Labour in Tauranga and the Coromandel, although in September she moved to Auckland Central, prompting speculation she might have a crack at what has been Phil Twyford’s territory.”
I knew I’d seen it somewhere!
Vote:October 31st, 2009 at 9:02 am
The other little cracker in all this is the Royal Comm Report into AK governance actually recommended more CCO’s than is actually proposed at this stage. This is the very same Royal Comm Report that Labour and the Greens criticise the government for not following
FFS they are damned if they do, damned if they dont
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