For those interested in local body politics, there was a great piece from Radio NZ’s Insight programme looking at the relationship between the Auckland Council and the Government. It is a bit long but at 30 minutes but well worth a listen.
Or listen here.
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I listened to this, it was very good piece and captured many of the issues we talk of here.
Unlike the RoNS piece last year which did not.
But even half an hour is too short for many of the issues to be fully canvassed.
So maybe we need a follow up a bit later on to see how or if things are progressing/improving.
What surprises me is that there is nothing in the general media about this, where is TVNZ, TV3 or NZHerald I ask you?
Isn’t Radio NZ part of ‘general media’?!
Anyhow, my take is that TVNZ, TV3 and NZHerald don’t really do ‘news’, they do ‘sensation’.
This sort of stuff doesn’t fit with their model of what their audience want, which is lowest common denominator fluff; they are primarily interested in their audience as consumers of advertising, not as thoughtful and engaged citizens. The intricacies of the relationship between central government and Auckland works (or doesn’t work) isn’t easy to fit into that template of what counts as newsworthy. To be fair, it’s not really news, it’s more background material that helps explain the news, and TVNZ/TV3/NZH certainly don’t have time for that.
Of the three, it’s most disappointing that the Herald doesn’t find at least some space to cover these kinds of issues. Rudman occasionally delves into aspects of this topic, but again, they are generally are after something more ‘news-y’.
I suppose Radio NZ is part of the general media.
I personally consider this really interesting news, much better than TVNZ’s main news about possible food in schools from tomorrow’s announcement. Why put it in the news tonight and make guesses about whats in the programme? Just wait until tomorrow night and do a story once the announcement has been made and we have the facts – that is news.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10886288
These constant pro sprawl opinion pieces seem to display some very dubious facts, e.g. the city density comparisons.
I see David Farrar is using Brash’s piece linked to above for yet another squeal about Auckland over at Kiwiblog. Someone with more ready access ought to quickly post a riposte on his comments section. My caveat though would be to open the page, post the reply and get out of Dodge before your eyes are defiled by the rantings of his resident zombie loons. I am at a loss to know why he is so obsessed with Auckland, being Wellington based and clearly having about as much in depth knowledge of the topic as a pig does of the US space program. Actually, coming to think about it after listening to the story above on the weekend, I think his obsession with interfering with Auckland’s decision making processes reflects a wider fear amongst Wellington’s political class that allowing Auckland to simply get on with things will weaken the absolutist grip on power our elected dictatorships have grown accustomed to.
This fear of Auckland, as manifested in the current desire of the National government to control and white ant Len Brown, won’t go away under next years Labour/Green coalition. it would just become less visible, because (for example) such a coalition would look more far more favourably on PT. Historically, reactionary attempts to deny the march of reality eventually fail. However, these attempts to keep an increasingly dominant Auckland’s governance under the thumb of an increasingly feeble and backwater capital can do serious damage to our country economically, socially and culturally in the meantime.
Perhaps the time has come to move the capital to Auckland?
His increased panicky ranting about Auckland must reflect what his polling for the National Party is telling him: that they face electoral defeat here, that the CRL is extremely popular, that people want a good liveable functioning city run for by and for them. Everything he does is for ‘the cause’, lord knows why, makes him feel wanted and important I suppose, poor dear.
Did anyone see this interview with John Key? He is actually very balanced about the UP and the future growth of Auckland. he is basically saying a lot of the anti-sprawl arguments we see on this site:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886630