Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Wednesday 15 July 2009

John Banks Supercity Submission Opposed to Auckland Residents' Views

Banks Supercity Submission Opposed to Ak Views

City Vision-Labour Auckland City Councillors are disappointed but unsurprised that John Banks used his Parliamentary Select Committee appearance on the Auckland Supercity yesterday to boost his own interests and views and not those of Auckland City Council or its residents. They believe this disdain for what Aucklanders think is typical behaviour for ‘Banksy’ and feel let down by his grandstanding return to form which is extremely disrespectful to, and completely out of step with, the people he represents.

Councillor Richard Northey said, “It was galling to see John Banks use a serious Parliamentary hearing on the future of Auckland to promote his own interests and opinions rather than those of his City. I am upset that he took this as an opportunity to glad-hand Auckland MPs present to seek their votes for his mayoralty ambitions and effectively launched his campaign and promoted his own views rather than those of his council.

“First he sought to more than double the amount Mayoral candidates could spend campaigning, effectively seeking to limit the field of candidates to millionaires like himself, and promoting a viewpoint he never discussed with his Council even though he had ample opportunity to raise this at the committee and full council meetings he attended where the Council’s written submission was discussed and agreed to.

“Then he promoted a so-called ‘fresh means’ of local authority finance, the issuing of local authority bonds. Since the Labour Government changed the law two years ago, I have fought to have Auckland City Council issue such secure bonds to its mum and dad residents only to have this opposed by Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) councillors and staff to the extent that only one bond issue has been made, and I have received no support to issue bonds whatsoever from the Mayor until yesterday.

“Banks performed in a manner to promote his own future, not the future democracy and development for the residents he has pledged to represent,” said Councillor Northey.

Councillor Leila Boyle said, “John Banks has repeatedly promoted the Auckland Supercity as the answer to unlock the region’s economic potential but he has failed to support the local boards having any powers to promote local mainstreets, growth industries or business development areas. Banks and his C&R mates have refused to increase Auckland City Council’s mainstreet programme funding and have cut many capital projects from the Council’s 10-year plan which would make a real difference to Auckland’s economic growth. Projects like the Tamaki Innovation Precinct, the New Zealand Innovation Centre, upgrading town centres and improving access between town centres and the rail network could all have a significant impact on economic development but Banks and C&R have deleted them all!”

Councillor Glenda Fryer said, “John Banks and C&R councillors know they are out of step with the residents of Auckland city, the community boards of Auckland city and the rest of the councils in the region. Banks and his C&R cronies are only concerned with the ‘prize’ of gaining the reins of power of the Supercity by the mechanism of the at-large election system. They hope their mates within the National Party can ‘deliver the goods’ for them on a plate against the wishes of Auckland.”

ENDS

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