It's The Council That Counts

Action Hobson, the new political vehicle opposed to the planned Eastern Motorway and in favour of Rapid Transit Solutions for Auckland's gridlock, says the tight Mayoral race revealed by today's New Zealand Herald poll is good in terms of stimulating interest in the local body elections, but says it is the Council election that will determine the future of the city.

"Mayors are important because they symbolise a city and represent it to the rest of New Zealand and the world," Christine Caughey, an Action Hobson candidate for the Auckland City Council, said this morning. "But mayors do not have powers independent from their councils.

"Whomever the people of Auckland elect as Mayor, it is the Auckland City Council that will decide whether or not the planned Eastern Motorway goes ahead, and whether or not Auckland gets serious about investing in the Rapid Transit Solutions that all other major international cities take for granted.

"Action Hobson is unequivocally opposed to the Eastern Motorway and in favour of Rapid Transit Solutions for our city - modern rail, better buses, faster ferries, and all with integrated fares and timetabling."

Christine Caughey said that if people are opposed to the current administration and want to vote for Dick Hubbard, they may be disappointed if they also return a Citizens & Ratepayers Council which remained in favour of the destruction of Hobson Bay.

"John Banks can't build the Eastern Motorway with Action Hobson on the Council. Dick Hubbard would be forced to build it with Citizens & Ratepayers on the Council," she said.

Action Hobson is offering a full ticket in Hobson, contesting the ward's three Auckland City Council seats and the six seats on the Hobson Community Board. It has pledged to work constructively with whomever the people of Auckland elect as Mayor.

Today's New Zealand Herald poll suggests Dick Hubbard leads John Banks in the Mayoral race, by 32 to 27 percent. The poll suggests that other candidates are well behind.

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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>>