Media Release

Come Clean on ‘Savings’, Mr Hide

The Minister of Local Government has been challenged to back up claims he made this morning on savings in Auckland local government.

Pat Watson, a spokesperson for the Community Coalition of Auckland- Voices of Tamaki Makaurau has issued the challenge after attending a breakfast meeting in Waitakere addressed by Mr Hide.

Mr Hide spoke to a meeting consisting primarily of business people, on regional governance. Answering a question, Mr Hide claimed that Auckland Transition Agency officials had identified ‘several hundred millions of dollars’ of savings from the Long Term Council Community Plans (LTCCP) submitted by Auckland’s Councils this year.

“I’m sure councils and communities alike would love to know in what areas these ’savings’ can be made,” said Ms.Watson.

“He referred to making these savings by rationalisation of assets and services. Which assets is he or the secretive Transition Agency proposing to sell? Perhaps the stadium he addressed us in?

Which local businesses will miss out on contracts with their Councils because their services will now be taken over by multinationals?

Does he intend to tell us at all?

Despite repeated requests for information, there have been no estimates of the cost of the super city transition, and no previous estimates given of the savings it may bring.

If Mr Hide now has real information, its time he came clean, or admitted that he is simply misleading Auckland communities.

ENDS

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