August 21, 2001

Auckland Greens will launch their “Auckland City: Clean, Green and Moving” campaign today with their team of eight candidates making a return lunchtime trip on the ferry to Half Moon Bay. In keeping with their commitment to a GE FREE Auckland, GE free food and wine is being served for the celebration.

The Green candidates are a diverse and enthusiastic team, reflecting youth, business and tangata whenua. They include Maire Leadbeater who is restanding for Council on an independent Green ticket, Metiria Turei, a resource management lawyer, of Ati Hau Nui A Paparangi and Ngati Kahungunu, who is standing for Mayor; and James Redwood who has been actively involved with the Basque Park community garden.

They have endorsed the Positive Politics Pledge (see below), and call on candidates from all parties to join them in working towards a more respectful, non-partisan, and clean approach to public politics.

Key elements of the campaign are the support of a strengthened local democracy; safe, healthy and just communities; and the development of a sustainable local economy, in partnership with manawhenua and tangata whenua. They plan to introduce STV (Single Transferable Voting) in local elections as soon as possible.

Mayoral candidate, Metiria Turei, said, “A more active local democracy needs to be developed to allow greater participation in planning decisions from the diversity of peoples in Auckland, and in particular to work with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Council can play its part in supporting community economic development through local, fair and environmentally friendly procurement policies.”

Neil Abel, a business man of over 30 years, and standing for Council in the Eden-Albert ward, said, “We must bring vital services such as water and sewage, back into public ownership and control, and stop further privatization of local services.”

The Greens believe the addition of their candidates in the local body election will energize voters looking for candidates who will put people before profits. Now, more than ever, it is vital to ensure that Auckland City is Clean, Green and Moving.

ENDS

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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>>