Auckland Greens

Kia ora koutou

Thank you to all the people who have helped us run a fantastic campaign in Mt Albert and to all of you who voted for Russel on Saturday. Our result was twice the percentage that we got in the electorate vote in 2008 and a fact that hasn't had much coverage is that we came second in around 30% of the polling booths. This is a huge achievement and clearly makes NZ politics a three party race, this has been echoed in recent media coverage and debates where only the Greens, Labour and National have been included.

The release of an obscure cabinet paper revealing a plan to gut local government and open the door to privatisation of assets has Russel Norman calling on the Prime Minister to rein in Rodney Hide. The Cabinet paper wants to implement ACT Party policy by narrowing the powers of local government and making it easier to sell Auckland’s $23 billion in public assets. The paper proposes to do this without public consultation.

The sun came out this morning for the thousands of Kiwis who walked and cycled across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman and MP Keith Locke both spoke at the rally before joining the historic bridge crossing.

The Government has named the membership of the Auckland Transition Agency, who will bulldoze through its changes despite widespread opposition in Auckland, the Green Party said today. “The group is very well qualified to make rapid change happen, it’s just too bad that Aucklanders don’t approve of many of those changes,” Sue Kedgley, Green Party Local Government Spokesperson said today.

The people of Mt Albert deserve a political leader who is prepared to publicly debate the electorate’s issues, so Melissa Lee should engage at tonight’s community meeting on SuperCity proposals, Green Party Co-Leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

Super-City lobbyist Grant Kirby’s appointment to the Local Government Commission undermines its independence and exposes Rodney Hide’s cronyism, Green Local Government Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

The National Government’s plan to bulldoze a motorway through Mt Albert is shortsighted, destructive and unnecessary, said Green Party Co-Leader Dr Russel Norman today.

The Green Party continues to protest in Parliament at the undemocratic way the Government is ramming through Super City legislation that eliminates eight elected Auckland Councils, and cedes dictatorial powers to a Transition Agency. “The only power left to us to protest is to delay the passage of this iniquitous legislation,” Green Party Local Government Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said today.

A few handpicked mates will have stripped Auckland’s local authorities of all meaningful power by the end of this week, the Green Party said today. A Bill being passed under urgency today establishes an Auckland Transition Agency with draconian powers over the people of Auckland, accountable only to Rodney Hide.