Another important difference from local govt. ymmv but my experience as a local board chair, and now as a working party chair, is I couldn’t alter detail in agenda reports. The organisation’s view was that the agenda was not mine (as chair) until published.

There is a very serious flow on from the public sector job cuts in Wellington that is difficult to understand if you don’t live here.

Who will support and spend on

📚☕️🍽️👖Books, clothes, dining at our independent CBD hospo and retailers?
🎫🎶 Tickets to shows & gigs

#NotAllAucklandCouncillors

Infometrics Brad Olsen’s independent report on costs for Local Govt.

Average two income household —

Council rates v Central govt tax.

Councils are responsible for fronting up to approx 1/4 of the infrastructure deficit in NZ.

“Mum and dad landlords”
- isn’t that just living at home? 🤔

This is a good article. I learned about how government works from Richard Shaw, and the points he makes are bang on the money rnz.co.nz/news/political…

ONCE AGAIN: THE SICKNESS BENEFIT DOES NOT EXIST. IT WAS MERGED WITH JOBSEEKERS. YES, THERE IS SUPPORTED LIVING BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO GET ON AND IS DECIDED BY WINZ STAFF, NOT DOCTORS. A DOCTOR CAN BACK YOU 100% AND WINZ WILL SAY NO EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ZERO MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE.

I was reminded yesterday of something me dear ol (departed) dad said to me about women’s sport a million years ago: women shouldn’t play rugby because they have too many soft bits. I believe this chat was after the Shelford testicle incident. 😂 Alice Soper

Amazing Australia can provide such better quality of life when it has unaffordable and economically destructive policies like Fair Pay Agreements, capital gains taxes, an income tax-free threshold, 45% tax on income over $190k, and a higher minimum wage stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350235…

The thing to understand about the Fast-Track Approvals Bill is that it isn't really about speeding things up.

It's about allowing projects that don't meet our environmental standards to go ahead and giving ministers - not independent decision-makers - the power to decide that.

Trying to do my bit to speak up for the precious taonga that is the Growing Up in NZ study.
This study has so much to offer, and in all honesty belongs to the young people whose lives and stories are in it.
Tx John Gerritsen RNZ for covering.
rnz.co.nz/news/national/…

Anyone on the Tāmaki Makaurau #ClimateStrike March got an eta on when you may get to Albert Park? Asking for Christina Robertson and I who are by the band rotunda :)

When elected in 2019 I vowed not to be a Mayor that kicks the can down the road.

We are playing catch up, and without water reform, it comes at a serious cost.

Higher rates won’t win me votes, but burdening the next generation by making the problem worse is not an option.

Strong recommend, I did this last year and it was incredibly useful and interesting.

Like a bull at a decision gate

Pushing through the bikelash, the visit of Janette Sadik-Khan and wow look at the results of the Koi Tū / Auckland Council deliberative democracy forum on transport: column today, nzherald premium and paper nzherald.co.nz/nz/what-people…

Unfortunately including one of the largest real term reductions to the minimum wage on record.

It’s really interesting to me how often the timeline on this stuff is about two years after marriage. Learning from The Aunties over the years, 18 months to 2 years is frequently when DV starts (coercive control, gaslighting, not just physical violence).

Happy Annual Rediscovery of Education Tuesday Day to all who celebrate