Media release

Auckland Councillor Cameron Brewer

Friday, 13 May 2011

Len Brown has to reprimand Deputy Mayor

Pressure is on Auckland Mayor Len Brown to reprimand his Deputy Penny Hulse in light of her comments that the Super City council is “not working”, says Auckland Councillor Cameron Brewer.

“The majority of councillors are incensed by her comments and by all accounts so is the Mayor’s Office. Councillors now want the Mayor to show some leadership - just as John Key would have to if Bill English declared the Government was ‘not working’.”

Mr Brewer says the Deputy Mayor refuses to back down from her comments about the new council’s failings.

“She has proudly posted today’s New Zealand Herald article titled ‘Super City is not working: Deputy Mayor’ on her Facebook page. What’s more she adds that ‘the article in the paper today reflects my thoughts after six months of the Super City’ and she describes the article’s content as ‘accurate’.

“I understand former Auckland City Mayor and Citizens & Ratepayers Leader Christine Fletcher is among those who have complained to the Mayor’s Office and former North Shore Mayor Councillor George Wood has articulated on Facebook his strong disagreement to Hulse’s latest comments. Councillors are not impressed and would like to see the Mayor take some action.

“The Deputy Mayor is the Mayor’s representative and we now need to know if this is how Len Brown wants to be represented. It’s certainly not how the rest of us want to be represented. Nearly 8,000 staff, 149 local board members and 20 councillors are desperately trying to make this council a success. To have the Deputy Mayor saying it’s “not working” is frankly a kick in the guts to so many hard-working people.

“Yesterday councillors praised the chief executive and his senior team after they presented the organisation’s performance review for its first five months. I even said at yesterday’s Performance and Accountability Committee that while we may often disagree politically, operationally this council has done well through these difficult transitional months. It was a pity the Deputy Mayor didn’t attend Thursday’s council performance meeting.

“I appreciate that Penny Hulse literally marched against the formation of the Super City, but she’s now Deputy Mayor and the Mayor must remind her of that,” says Mr Brewer.

www.cameronbrewer.co.nz

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