Cam Slater: Call a Referendum on Your Budget Wayne

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 dipsh*t 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 dipsh*t 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!

Cam Slater is a New Zealand-based blogger, best known for his role in Dirty Politics and publishing the Whale Oil Beef Hooked blog, which operated from 2005 until it closed in 2019. This article was first published HERE