Independent auditor John Walton says the existing local contractor, Clean Stream Waiheke, has been “canvassing” City Vision councillors – forbidden under the tender rules.

Mr Walton has recommended the company be disqualified.

I’m not sure what is worse – lobbying Councillors to give you the tender, or the Councillors who respond positively to the lobbying. Tenders should be based on the best fit against agreed criteria – not personal whims of Councillors.

Mr Walton said Clean Stream’s executive director, John Stansfield, had sent emails to City Vision’s councillors and one of those councillors, Cathy Casey, had responded and appeared to be advising Waiheke groups favouring the local company.

Mr Walton has recommended Dr Casey be forbidden to take any further part in the tender process. He believes other City Vision councillors should also be excluded to remove any perceived conflict of interest.

Ouch – that is a big slap down. It is saying we can’t trust you to do the right thing as you have shown bias.

Last night, Dr Casey said she had hired a lawyer after she discovered her emails had been searched by a council officer without her permission in an attempt to discredit Clean Stream.

They are not Dr Casey’s e-mails. They are the Councils. She sent them from her official Council e-mail address. That in itself is a staggeringly stupid thing to do.

Mr Bhatnagar said Dr Casey had tried to unethically influence the tender outcome in Clean Stream’s favour and sought to organise media stunts, such as getting islanders to block part of Queen St with wheelie bins.

Another email from City Vision councillor Glenda Fryer agreeing to raise a matter from Mr Stansfield at a City Vision caucus was “outrageous”, Mr Bhatnagar said.

And here is where it gets very murky. The partner of Mr Stansfield is a City Councillor – Denise Roche, who often votes with City Vision. She is a Green Party member, and represents the Hauraki Gulf Islands. Now there is no suggestion here Denise has done anything wrong, but it is a bad look that City Vision Councillors are inappropriately involved, when they have such strong political links.

The Herald reports that taxpayers have paid $750,000 to Fullers in just five months, in return for providing free off peak travel to Waiheke Island.

Now while once upon a time Waiheke was a place where only hippies lived, but it is now home to many of the richest families in Auckland. The 2006 census found only 294 families on Waiheke receiving NZ Super. So the taxpayer is going to end up paying Fullers around $1.8 million to pay ferry costs for 294 families.

Think how much good that money could do funding some hip replacement operations?

My first visit to Waiheke was in 2002, and since then I’ve visited around a dozen times. The views are magnificent, and it does have a real sense of community. There are just enough facilities – you have a few stores and cafes, a couple of newspapers but not too many commercial buildings.

I doubt I will ever live in Auckland, but if I was there for the long-term, the ideal would be an apartment at the Viaduct, a house on Waiheke and a holiday home on Great Barrier!

Adam Smith at The Inquiring Mind links to an article in The Times on the huge number of subtitling mashups done of the bunker scene from Downfall. Over 150 mashups have been done, including three by Whale Oil. They are Winston’s Downfall, Helen’s Downfall and Judith’s Downfall.

Aaron Bhatnagar blogs on how Waiheke Island and Great Barrier Island residents will be polled on whetehr they want to remain part of Auckland City, or transfer to the Thames-Coromandel District Council. I don’t think many do want to change but as 10% o residents signed a petition, the Local Government Commission is obliged to run a poll.

Paul Walker retires from blogging. A real pity – I enjoy all the economist blogs, even though they are not high traffic. Maybe if they all combined together?

Bryce Edwards has done a series of posts on the party that shall not be named. They are a fascinating background read. One day he should publish them as children’s horror stories

Finally Adam Smith scans in and blogs every day a good Letter to the Editor. Have a look at this one from the Co-vice-president of the Maori Party responding to Chris Trotter.