Auckland region will be run like a business, by business - for business

"There is simply no way that this Auckland 'Supercity' corporate framework, where 75% of Auckland regional rates are to be paid to 7 unelected Council-Controlled Organisations (CCOs), can be made to serve the public majority or the public interest," says Auckland Mayoral candidate, Penny Bright.

"These unelected CCOs are the corporate mechanism by which the Auckland region will be run like a business, by business - for business," she continued.

"Those who support CCOs support the corporate takeover of the Auckland region, which was forced upon the public without our consent.

DEMOCRACY AND THE CCO MODEL: THE FACTS:

The public majority of the Auckland region have still never had our lawful right to a binding poll on whether or not we wanted our existing Councils abolished and replaced with the one 'Auckland Council', with unelected CCOs proposed to to run 75% of council functions.

(See the Local Government Act 2002 s 24 Reorganisation Proposal' Schedule 3, s49 'Polls must be held".)

The public majority of the Auckland region have never had any vote or final 'say' on whether or not we want Auckland infrastructure /assets under the corporate CCO model.

The public majority of the Auckland region have no say in the 'selection' of the unelected Chairs/Deputy Chairs and Directors of the CCOs.

The public majority of the Auckland region have no say in the formulation of the 'Statements of Intent' which govern the relationship between the proposed Auckland Council and the CCOs.

This is on top of the rather pivotal fact that there has never been a 'cost-benefit' analysis of the CCO model, which confirms the 'cost-effectiveness' of this model for the public majority, carried out by:

The Royal Commission on Auckland Regional Governance.
The Office of the Auditor-General. (OAG)
The Department of Internal Affairs. (DIA)
The Auckland Transition Agency. (ATA)
Any of the 8 Councils in the Auckland region.
The NZ Treasury.

The corporate agenda is first CCOs then PPPs.

Remember the 'commercialise, corporatise -privatise' retrogression under 'Rogernomics Mark 1'?

How billion$ of public assets held at central government level were transformed into private sector companies?

CCO (Council Controlled Organisation) is the local government equivalent of SOE (State Owned Enterprise).

But this time - the assets aren't being set up for SALE (lock stock and barrel), but for long-term LEASE under PPPs (Public Private Partnerships).

Key questions the public should ask are:

Where is the income stream going?

Who is benefitting?

Since the last Council amalgamations in the late 1980s, since all the contracting-out of Council services and introduction of CCOs - have rates for the public majority - gone up or down?

That is why I am standing for Mayor of the Auckland Council - to help lead a Rate$ Revolt - to stop this corporate takeover of the Auckland region.

The majority of citizens and ratepayers (as electors under the Local Electoral Act 2001) must have the final say on the proposed abolition of Auckland, Manukau, North Shore and Waitakere City Councils, and Papakura, Rodney and Franklin District Councils, with their proposed ‘reorganisation’ into one ‘Auckland Council’, thus the NZ House of Parliament must repeal the Local Government (Tamaki Makaurau) Reorganisation Act 2009 forthwith.

When the growing numbers of Aucklanders who object to becoming a giant 'ca$h cow' - 'all pay - no say', start taking non-violent direct financial action to uphold the fundamental principles:

'The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government'
and "No taxation without representation!'

by disputing and witholding rates payments - then this New Zealand will see some really effective, unprecedented and historic 'People Power'.

'WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW - RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY!'"

ENDS

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