CANCEL COMET LANGUAGE STRATEGY

Affordable Auckland Mayoral and Albany candidate Stephen Berry says CCO COMET should be disbanded. “The Auckland Council’s foray into education costs ratepayers $580,000 annually and goes well outside the basic core functions specified in the Local Government Act. I’m hopeful that Phil Goff will back up his talk about waste and duplication last weekend by joining me in calling for the abolition of this duplication of a central government function.”

COMET is a Council funded education think-tank which has launched and Auckland Languages Strategy which aims for every Aucklander to become fluent in English, Maori and one other language. COMET Chief Executive Susan Warren believes New Zealanders “can’t truly know ourselves as Kiwi’s” until they know how to speak Te Reo.

“Headmistress Warren is of course talking collectivist claptrap while using our money to fund a political platform. Individuals come to know themselves through their own actions, thoughts, principles and character rather than the learning of an alternative language. She is quite entitled to advocate for trilingualism and collectivism but Auckland ratepayers should not have to pay her for doing so.”

Mr. Berry says Auckland Council should only be funding those goods and services which are required by the Local Government Act. “Central government already funds educational services; we don’t need additional levels of government muddying the waters with their additional interference. Stick to the essentials the city requires to function not the warm fuzzies that only waste money.”

ENDS

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