Comments on: Submitting in your summer holiday http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/ hopping along the corridors of power Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:16:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: jarbury http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-100195 jarbury Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:48:29 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-100195 Part 6 is definitely the best bit. ARC Councillor Joel Cayford has an interesting analysis of the government's takeover of the Auckland Transport Agency: http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2009/12/auckland-transport-authority-bill.html

Part 6 is definitely the best bit.

ARC Councillor Joel Cayford has an interesting analysis of the government’s takeover of the Auckland Transport Agency:

http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2009/12/auckland-transport-authority-bill.html

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]]> By: frog http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-100192 frog Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:24:51 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-100192 Owen, please post some more information explaining why you think Part 6 is so important. At the moment, I see far more dangerous and undemocratic aspects of the Bill, but I am open to argument. Please provide some.

Owen, please post some more information explaining why you think Part 6 is so important. At the moment, I see far more dangerous and undemocratic aspects of the Bill, but I am open to argument.

Please provide some.

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]]> By: Owen McShane http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-100191 Owen McShane Thu, 24 Dec 2009 08:16:47 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-100191 Do the people who dislike my comment on part 6 have any idea of what it means to the rule of law and our constitution, let alone the economy of Auckland? Please tell me what it is about part 6 that appeals to you.

Do the people who dislike my comment on part 6 have any idea of what it means to the rule of law and our constitution, let alone the economy of Auckland?

Please tell me what it is about part 6 that appeals to you.

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]]> By: Mark http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99817 Mark Sun, 20 Dec 2009 05:02:55 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99817 Frog; i think this Government is pracising it's only known form of governing. Grab the Numbers and the Money - they have shown themselves always at the ready to ride roughshod over popular opinion. My only worry is that they've found a way to rig Elections - cos their behaviour will not win them an honest seat in 2011. Can I point to George JR's spurious 'wins' in the US as a forerunner? I believe that for some, absolute power, corrupts absolutely. "It's important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want."--Harry Browne

Frog; i think this Government is pracising it’s only known form of governing. Grab the Numbers and the Money – they have shown themselves always at the ready to ride roughshod over popular opinion.
My only worry is that they’ve found a way to rig Elections – cos their behaviour will not win them an honest seat in 2011.
Can I point to George JR’s spurious ‘wins’ in the US as a forerunner?
I believe that for some, absolute power, corrupts absolutely.

“It’s important to realize that whenever you give power to politicians or
bureaucrats, it will be used for what they want, not for what you want.”–Harry
Browne

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]]> By: frog http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99815 frog Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:15:07 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99815 @wtl 4:53 PM I suspect the reason Sue and David didn't include the "ratepayer vote" in the submission guide is that it is not a new initiative. "Ratepayer voting" where ratepayers are entitled to vote in local authorities or wards or community boards where they are non-resident but own property is already provided for under <a href="http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2001/0035/latest/DLM93949.html#DLM93949" rel="nofollow">section 24</a> of the Local Electoral Act 2001. It is appallingly undemocratic, because it gives more voting power to people who own multiple properties and derogates from the principle of "one person - one vote", but it has always been part of local government elections and is not something new promoted by this Bill. So let's submit in opposition to it for Auckland - but also argue for an amendment to the Local Electoral Act 2001 to remove it from all local authority elections.

@wtl 4:53 PM

I suspect the reason Sue and David didn’t include the “ratepayer vote” in the submission guide is that it is not a new initiative. “Ratepayer voting” where ratepayers are entitled to vote in local authorities or wards or community boards where they are non-resident but own property is already provided for under section 24 of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

It is appallingly undemocratic, because it gives more voting power to people who own multiple properties and derogates from the principle of “one person – one vote”, but it has always been part of local government elections and is not something new promoted by this Bill.

So let’s submit in opposition to it for Auckland – but also argue for an amendment to the Local Electoral Act 2001 to remove it from all local authority elections.

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]]> By: toad http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99813 toad Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:57:52 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99813 BTW, for those who are too young to remember or have forgotten the effects of the privatisations of the late 1980s, I've just noticed a great guest post by <a href="http://www.thestandard.org.nz/rights-privatisation-arguments-rubbish-2/" rel="nofollow">Frank Macskasy on The Standard</a> published a couple of hours ago.

BTW, for those who are too young to remember or have forgotten the effects of the privatisations of the late 1980s, I’ve just noticed a great guest post by Frank Macskasy on The Standard published a couple of hours ago.

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]]> By: wtl http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99812 wtl Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:53:51 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99812 Is the clause 35 of the bill allowing multi-voting by ratepayers something to be concerned about? It was highlighted by Matt McCarten today, but I can't see anything on the submission guide about it. I understand that rate payers are usually allowed to vote in local council elections if they don't usual reside in the area, but I guess the difference this will allow multi-voting even if they are still, technically, even when they are resident in the same area (i.e. Auckland as a whole).

Is the clause 35 of the bill allowing multi-voting by ratepayers something to be concerned about? It was highlighted by Matt McCarten today, but I can’t see anything on the submission guide about it. I understand that rate payers are usually allowed to vote in local council elections if they don’t usual reside in the area, but I guess the difference this will allow multi-voting even if they are still, technically, even when they are resident in the same area (i.e. Auckland as a whole).

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]]> By: toad http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99811 toad Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:51:54 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99811 Tell us why you think that, Owen. There are so many bad parts to this Bill, but I would have thought the worst aspect of it is that it permits the Minister of Local Government to decide what functions and powers in Auckland are to be exercised by Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) rather than the Council itself, permits the Minister to make all the initial appointments to the CCOs, and (apart from up to 2 out of 6 to 8 directors of Auckland Transport), prohibits the appointment of elected councillors as directors of the CCOs. In other words, Rodney Hide can put all his Act Party pro-big business pro-privatisation cronies on the Boards of the CCO's, and they can do whatever they like with no oversight or control by elected councillors.
Tell us why you think that, Owen.

There are so many bad parts to this Bill, but I would have thought the worst aspect of it is that it permits the Minister of Local Government to decide what functions and powers in Auckland are to be exercised by Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) rather than the Council itself, permits the Minister to make all the initial appointments to the CCOs, and (apart from up to 2 out of 6 to 8 directors of Auckland Transport), prohibits the appointment of elected councillors as directors of the CCOs.

In other words, Rodney Hide can put all his Act Party pro-big business pro-privatisation cronies on the Boards of the CCO’s, and they can do whatever they like with no oversight or control by elected councillors.

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]]> By: Owen McShane http://blog.greens.org.nz/2009/12/20/submitting-in-your-summer-holiday/#comment-99808 Owen McShane Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:35:14 +0000 http://blog.greens.org.nz/?p=8770#comment-99808 The worst part is part 6.

The worst part is part 6.

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