Wayne Brown is doing what he was elected to do; slashing the profligate spending ways of Auckland Council and in the process he is annoying both the media and the liberal elites who seem to think you can go to heaven without dying.
Wayne Brown is having none of it, calling a spade an effing shovel. It is a splendid and awesome spectacle to behold as the media luvvies unhinge themselves at a plain-speaking mayor who will tolerate neither fools nor whining media:
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown forwarded councillors an email that called them “dip s***s” after publicly criticising councillors in a shambolic invite-only press conference.
Brown took aim at four councillors at a meeting at Auckland Transport’s headquarters on Thursday, calling them “financially illiterate”.
Not only did he lambast his hosts for occupying a “waterfront palace” with a promise to move them into cheaper accommodation, but there were chaotic scenes involving the media.
The Herald has seen an email sent by Brown to all councillors on Thursday afternoon, which says, “On behalf of Mayor Wayne Brown, please find attached – Emails received today – Feedback on Mayoral Proposal for Auckland Council’s Annual Budget 2023-24.”
Attached to the email is PDF of a collection of critical and insulting comments aimed at councillors who were not supporting Brown’s budget.
“Can l ask which of the dip s*** councillors are against the sale of the airport. Shame you can’t kick there [sic] ass as that’s where there [sic] brains are. Keep up your good work Mayor Brown. Regards Jim.”
“I have been watching your battle with the entrenched management of the Auckland council, and you seem to be winning. To get rid of the airport shares which are highly inflated, like everything in New Zealand, would be a coup for you, and a great part to take down the cities deficit,” said an email from Stephen.
“The next round of champagne & smoked salmon is on me!” said Roger. “Keep doing what you are doing ? Auckland needs you now more than ever!”
“I only wish Wellington could have a right wing mayor instead of a lightweight greenie who loves handbags, and we’re stuck with Grant Robertson MP who squanders money wholesale.”
“Keep up the good work and your attacks on the left?wing media ? they are drongos,” said an email from John.
NZ Herald
Some of these councillors are really out of touch with reality or indeed ratepayer sentiments.
There is an easy solution, though, and helpfully, it is provided for in Auckland Council’s Governance Manual.
If the budget impasse continues then Wayne Brown should hold a referendum on his budget.
Among several possible approaches, one is very simple, another far more complex. It all comes down to the framing of the questions. Simply,
1. Should Council adopt the Mayor’s budget to limit rate increases to X?
Or a more complex set of questions:
Auckland Council faces a massive deficit that requires cost cutting, increasing revenue or selling assets. The Council is seeking ratepayers’ input on what should be done to close the deficit:
1. Increase rates by X to cover the entire deficit;
2. Make luxury council-owned assets user-pays, including all Art & Cultural facilities and organisations;
3. Close the economic development agency;
4. Sell the shares in Auckland Airport.
I favour the latter approach because it will force dipshit councillors to realise that most Aucklanders don’t ever use the arts stuff, and would rather have lower rates.
Nothing focuses the minds of politicians like staring a humiliating loss in the face.
He is also struggling to come to terms with councillors who do not support his reasons for the sale, which is to use the proceeds to lower debt, saving $100m a year in interest costs. That is considerably less than the expected dividends that the council will receive if it keeps the shares.
With his first budget teetering on the votes of a handful of councillors, Brown picked out Mike Lee, Christine Fletcher, John Watson and Wayne Walker for signing a pre-election pledge to hold rate increases at or below the rate of inflation.
Excellent, you stood for something, Brown said, “but I’m expecting you to honour your pledge”.
“Having explored all the other options, there is only one way to keep rates within inflation and that involves selling the airport shares or cuts will come back and rates will rise,” he said.
Lee said it was petulant of the mayor to chastise councillors who support him and are doing their best to find a way out of the budget deficit while taking on widespread opposition to the sale.
“The mayor continues to dig himself a hole of his own making,” he said.
Two councillors who do support selling the shares and will be voting for the budget are Greg Sayers, who calls it a “bandaid fix budget” to get the council out of the current hole, and Maurice Williamson, who is disappointed some of the proposed budget cuts have been reinstated but said, “that’s the horse-trading that has to be done.
“I’m disappointed there isn’t commonsense in regard to the airport shares. It is eminently commonsense not to own an asset that is costing you a lot more than you are earning from it, even in the best of times,” Williamson said.
Auckland Business Chamber chief executive Simon Bridges also gave the budget the thumbs-up, even though it means the overall business rates increase of 9.8 per cent would lead to rates higher than inflation for his members.
He called it a strong proposal for the times and circumstances and Brown is right about the airport shares, saying it’s like a household investing in shares when they can’t pay the mortgage.
Borrowing a quote frequently used by Williamson, Brown said: “Everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die,” referring to the difficult choices that needed to be made.
He said he has listened to people’s calls and has softened some of his spending cuts, saying arts and culture leaders were present in the room and had spoken well for their fields.
NZ Herald
One thing is certain in New Zealand and indeed Auckland politics: if Simon Wilson thinks something is a good idea then it really isn’t. These media and arts luvvies are upset that their gravy train is coming to an abrupt halt – like the political careers of those politicians who seem to think Auckland ratepayers’ pockets are bottomless.
Hold a referendum and see what the voters think Wayne, go on, do it!
Let the dipshit councillors die in a ditch for subsidised seats at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra or any other stupid poorly attended arts events and facilities. Let the luvvies pay their way.
Most Aucklanders are loving what Wayne Brown is doing, but if we are having a referendum, why not add another question in capping Auckland Council staff at a maximum of the number on day one of the creation of the super city. That’ll see around 3000 staff axed. Oh and sack all those staff that are currently working from home where “home” is a foreign country!
Hold a referendum, let’s do this!
Help Fund Our NewsDesk
We are building a NewsDesk, hiring journalists and taking the fight to the mainstream media. Will you help fund our NewsDesk?
- For security reasons, credit card donations require Javascript. Please enable Javascript in your browser before continuing.
Your Donation
Your Recurring Donation
Donation Period *
Your One-Time Donation
Details First Name * Last Name * Email * Address Address 2 City State Postcode Country Afghanistan Åland Islands Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belau Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo (Brazzaville) Congo (Kinshasa) Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba CuraÇao Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Republic of Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palestinian Territories Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Martin (Dutch part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia/Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom (UK) United States (US) Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican Venezuela Vietnam Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Western Samoa Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Phone Number Payment Name on Card * .StripeElement { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 1em; } #charitable_stripe_card_errors { color: #eb1c26; font-size: .8em; margin: .5em 0 0 0; } Credit/Debit Card Donate
Please share this article so others can discover The BFD.