Richard Northey, Labour Councillor and candidate for Auckland City Council, says the publication of Councillors’ salaries highlights the opportunities lost by Tamaki/Maungakiekie’s Councillors Abbott and Christian to serve their constituents.

“They have both failed as independents by backing every major proposal pushed by the Council of John Banks. Sale of pensioner housing, cuts to community services, and large increases in user charges are among the measures they have supported.”

“I am sure that with elections coming up they will be making efforts to highlight the occasional time they voted against the Banks team.”

“In fact, voters are aware that it is morally dubious to benefit the wealthy by targeting middle and low-income households. Claiming to be independent at the same time is doubly wrong.”

In support, fellow candidate and former ARC Councillor Jack Henderson noted that the consistent 12-8 majority for Banks’ team from 2001-2004 has included the two.

“That majority has sold 1700 council houses, made a 20% cut in the annual events budget, and cut provision for parks.”

“Effective rates increases for low-valued houses have been 37%, medium-value 21%, and high value only 4.3%. This transfer of wealth has affected tenants as well as resident owners.”

“This is all on record. So are the low rate rises for those in low and medium valued homes and better services from both Auckland City and the ARC from 1998 to 2001, at a time when there were more Labour and City Vision Councillors on these bodies.”

Labour Council Team:

Leila Boyle lectures in statistics at the University of Auckland in both central Auckland and the Tamaki Campus in Glen Innes. The 27-year-old 2002 Labour candidate for Tamaki has lived in Auckland all her life and brings a young person’s perspective. (373 7599 x 88755)

Jack Henderson, from Royal Oak, manages his own computer business. The former Auckland Regional Councillor and Regional Land Transport Committee member has extensive expertise in transport and the local environment. (636 9020)

Dr John Hinchcliff is the recently retired Vice-Chancellor of Auckland University of Technology, a former philosophy teacher, educational administrator and university chaplain, author and editor, and commentator on future trends. (021 105 8404)

Richard Northey, from Onehunga, is a sitting Labour Councillor, former MP for Onehunga, former Chair of Oranga Community Centre, and is active in the Otahuhu Historical Society, the Onehunga Council of Social Service and the Social Housing Providers Steering group. (634 1494)

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>