Media Release
City Vision-Labour Councillors - Auckland City Council
For Immediate Release
Thursday 26 November 2009

Maungakiekie Loses Council Representation
Sam’s Vacancy Will Not Be Filled

At tonight’s Auckland City Council meeting, Citizens & Ratepayers (C&R) Councillors and the Mayor John Banks voted down an attempt by all the other councillors – the three independents from the Hauraki Gulf, Tamaki-Maungakiekie and Eden-Albert wards, along with three City Vision and two Labour councillors – to ensure that the Maungakiekie area of Auckland City had its position on Council restored following the vacancy generated by the belated resignation of Maungakiekie Member of Parliament Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga as a Tamaki-Maungakiekie Ward Councillor.

These councillors, along with community organisations in Maungakiekie and both the Tamaki and Maungakiekie Community Boards, had sought the appointment of the respected and long-serving Maungakiekie Community Board Chair Bridget Graham, but this was defeated by a party line John Banks and C&R vote.

Councillor Glenda Fryer said, “Sam Lotu-Iiga broke his social contract with the people of Tamaki-Maungakiekie when he nominated for Parliament in February 2008.  Voters who elected him in October 2007 voted for him on the basis that he would represent them on the Auckland City Council for the whole three years.  Bridget Graham was prepared to step into the breach and the community will feel doubly deprived when they discover C&R did not see fit to appoint her for the remaining one third of this term at this critical time in Auckland’s history.”

Councillor Cathy Casey said, “I am very disappointed that Bridget wasn’t appointed because she had support across the political spectrum.  To hear C&R extol ‘the majesty of the voter’ then refuse to fill the vacant precision is outright hypocrisy and leaves the Maungakiekie community of about 45,000 people with only half their rightful Councillor representation.”

Councillor Graeme Easte said, “The Maungakiekie ward, and particularly Onehunga, is undergoing serious change and is dealing with major local issues, so it needs its full quota of representatives.”

Councillor Denise Roche said, “Losing a vote at the Council table is a real disadvantage for any community and I am really worried because the Community Board will now have to pick up the extra workload.  This smacks of exploitation.”

ENDS