Kerry looked mortified, Celia looked stunned, and the crowd that had gathered in the Wellington Council foyer looked amazed—because there had been no hint, in the media, that the election was other than a shoo-in for Kerry Prendergast.

The Dompost had largely ignored the election, and left voters with the impression that while Celia was a serious challenger, Kerry was a shoo-in. Clearly, they were unaware of the cliff-hanger right under their noses.

Anyway there were great celebrations on Saturday night, as we looked forward to Wellington having its first green-leaning Mayor—an inclusive, grass roots Mayor with a new transport vision and a commitment to working with small business and clean technology.

We were all buoyed by the Auckland election result as well. While Brown was obviously the favourite candidate, I am sure there was an element, in his overwhelming result, of Aucklanders sending a clear signal to Rodney Hide, John key and the government that they hated the way the government had rammed the super-city legislation through without consultation, and the way the government had wiped out eight perfectly well functioning Councils without even consulting voters first.

Hopefully the government will get the message—that if it interferes in local government, and rams legislation through without consultation—there will be a voter backlash.

Apparently, not only did Lochore leave his babies (not children, but three week old babies) outside in the mud while he was boozing, but he actually attempts to justify the fact that he assaulted other people’s children. WTF?

Meanwhile, also on s 59 related issues, Ari wants to know how the word ‘good‘ made its way into the referendum question “Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offense in New Zealand?”

The essential recurring problem here is that the pro-section 59 lobby have given us no objective legal way of qualifying what “good parental correction” means in relation to smacking and the charge of assault. They insist that it’s a common-sense test, which would be fine if there were evidence of good parents being convicted for, say, losing their temper once or twice.

Toad has a been having a few laughs at the expense of National and their $50 a week road toll policy.

Jackhumm notes in Southland that:

We’re enthusiastically importing palm kernal extract, to feed our dairy cows (what’s wrong with our over-abundance of grass??) and in the process, encouraging the Indonesians to fell more jungle to make space to plant out their cash-crop.

Stevedore is angry at Wellington’s attempt to get rid of STV from it’s local body voting system

Prendergast and her supporters are currently trying to get rid of STV.  Who can blame her – STV has replaced of some of her close supporters and confidants with people like this and made life difficult for those who have liked things the way they used to be (Prendergast needed 9 iterations of transfered votes to cross the 50% barrier last election).  And her newly named successor/predecessor Blumsky never had to win under STV.  So she’ll try to remove that obstacle to the dynasty’s well being next month while everyone is worrying about politics of a different sort.

And Kakariki has applied the reduce, reuse, recycle ethic to birthday presents

I recently had a birthday and it was very interesting the conversations that arose when I requested that people give me something handmade (by them or someone else) or nothing at all. Not only did some of my friends surprise me with their hidden creativity, but we had some great chats about the old saying ‘it’s the thought that counts’. After all, what do you think you’re saying you think about your friend, if you give them a cheap, plastic, throw away trinket made in a sweatshop? Personally, I’d rather get no gift.

“I’ve got no doubt that you’re not going to hear the thud of the cricket ball because it’s going to be drowned out by the dull roar of traffic.”

Gahh! I mean putting aside my Green expectation that a city with carbon neutral ambitions would invest in public transport rather than new roads, why pick on the Basin Reserve of all things? Especially given that even the proponents of the plan in the news article say it will not ease congestion. Isn’t there like some sort of heritage site or historic graveyard they could flatten instead, like last time?

Photo Credit: wiifm69

‘I think there are some [things] we have to do,’ she told The Dominion Post.

…Ms Prendergast said a new Mt Victoria tunnel should be a high priority, regardless of what submitters to the study say.

Well, that will certainly encourage democratic participation.

Prendergast’s tunnel vision is odd given the Council’s long standing cost objections to building a cheaper ($140 million) light rail system to solve exactly the same transport concerns.

As Green Party Wellington City Councillor Celia Wade Brown notes ‘people can’t take their cars on a plane.’ So the real solution to transport to the airport should include extensive public transport, not more roads or holes in our landscape.  

‘The high speed corridor concept reduces the ability to make local trips by active modes – walking, running and cycling.’