Biased Bassett Book Blasted

At today’s Auckland City Council Finance & Strategy Committee, Citizens & Ratepayers (C&R) councillors voted to spend $120,000 to commission a history of the council from 1989 to 2010.

The move was supported by four C&R councillors (Goldsmith, Armstrong, Bhatnagar and Hay), despite strong protests from City Vision and Labour councillors. The $120,000 comes from all councillors and community board members who forewent a pay increase last year and this year.

Councillor Richard Northey said “It is totally inappropriate to use ratepayers’ money contributed by elected representatives across the political spectrum to pay for a book to glorify the actions of the C&R councillors. It would have been much better to go with the original proposal to provide accessible street furniture in the form of critters for Aotea Square that would be enjoyed by future generations of children and adults alike.”

Councillor Glenda Fryer who has Masters in History with honours said “This will be a political treatise. How dare the C&R councillors use our money to produce their own version of the last 21 years. Michael Bassett has been touted as the favoured writer. Who C&R would pick as their historian and who I would pick would be poles apart politically.”

Councillor Cathy Casey said “I have had legal advice that says that Council may not appropriate my foregone income without my permission. I made it very clear that in no way will I support a hagiographic portrayal of Mayor John Banks and his C&R cronies. We have had enough revisionist history over Monte Cecilia School.”

Independent Councillor Denise Roche is not on the Finance & Strategy Committee and therefore was not present at the meeting. She said “I am furious that I have had no say in where my money is to be spent. I would never have supported paying for a book by Michael Bassett or someone of his ilk. I am preparing a Notice of Motion for the Council meeting next Thursday (24 June) to ensure that all councillors have a say in how this money is to be spent.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media