Media release 03 April 2009

NoMoreRates campaign starts Royal Commission revolt

NoMoreRates has this morning sent out hundreds of email to its supporters around the country urging them to tell their MPs and the Government to slow down on any moves to implement proposals from the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance.

This new campaign ‘No Representation without Real Representation’ emerged from a speech last evening by NoMoreRates founder, David Thornton, to a public meeting called by Takapuna Residents Association.

Mr Thornton told his audience “The Royal Commission proposals for an Auckland Council place all power in the hands of a tiny group of people who will be far removed from the concerns of ratepayers who are likely to face substantial rate increases.”

Talking about the proposed 6 local councils he said “The people we will elect as our representatives on local councils will be, at best, toothless tigers - easily able to be devoured by the powerful beasts in the remote Zoo which will be called the Auckland Town Hall.”

David Thornton also warned that the rest of the country could easily be converted to the SuperCity Model, and wondered why there was such a rush to change Auckland, “So why the rush to move immediately to set up a SuperCity council?

“I suspect this is to give the SuperCity enough power to increase rates to meet the inevitable increase in the cost of staging the Rugby World Cup in two years time.

“And after that we will see a drive to introduce the SuperCity concept to the other metropolitan areas of New Zealand - especially Christchurch and Wellington and even Dunedin which could engulf Otago and Southland.

“The Royal Commission report could well almost certainly lead not only to higher council rates all round, but also a massive redistribution of wealth right across the region…”

Mr Thornton covered a wide range of issues and that part of the speech on the Royal Commission can be viewed at;- http://www.nomorerates.com/index.htm

ENDS

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