Is Mexico City Junket Reason for Joining Climate Change Group?

13 OCTOBER 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

On Thursday Auckland Council’s Development Committee will be debating whether to join a coalition of cities to share information on climate change. The group, C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, is to gather in Mexico City next year.

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance spokesperson Jo Holmes says:

"Despite Council Officers claiming that membership of the Group comes at no additional cost, it is clear that sending a group of Councillors and Council officials to Mexico City will cost tens of thousands of ratepayer dollars - money that will have already been earmarked for the development of Auckland. We need a Super City looking after Auckland, not one determined to get involved in international diplomacy."

“It’s not clear how ratepayers paying for an Auckland Mayor and his entourage to join up with a new group of cities, in addition to the existing 19 sister cities, is going to solve climate change. Any relevant information from the conference can be provided by sister cities Los Angeles and Guangzhou who are already members of the Group.”

The Auckland Ratepayers' Alliance call on Auckland’s Mayor and Councillors to focus on their core responsibilities of providing infrastructure to meet the city’s development needs and reject placing yet another cost onto already cash strapped ratepayers.

Help us stop this unnecessary waste of ratepayers' money. Sign the petition here.

ENDS

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