This post will be updated throughout the afternoon as the Council election results come in. Key areas of interest include:
- Obviously the mayoral result. Seems very unlikely that Len Brown won’t win but after the America’s Cup I’m hesitant to ever count chickens before they hatch.
- Key council wards like the North Shore (can Chris Darby unseat George Wood?), Albert-Eden-Roskill (Christine Fletcher and who?) and Albany (perhaps one of the most open races)
- Specific Local Boards will probably be interesting to follow.
- The Wellington mayoral race might be quite interesting too – as polls show it’s pretty close.
We’ll be updating this post from 2pm onwards.
1.47pm – NZ Herald saying Len Brown has been re-elected as Mayor.
1.51pm – Penny Hulse back in, looks like Christine Rose might miss out.
1.53pm – All current Councillors for Manurewa-Papkura & Manukau seem to have been re-elected.
1.55pm – Mike Lee back in. Sounds like Chris Darby & George Wood might have won on the Shore. Ann Hartley’s sudden dislike of intensification backfired perhaps?
2.08pm – Wayne Walker reelected for Albany. Plus his running mate John Watson. Perhaps a bit of a surprise there.
2.13pm – Penny Webster reelected in Rodney. No surprise there. Looking close in Whau and Tamaki-Maungakiekie.
2.27pm – Preliminary Auckland Election Results: Brown (Mayor), Hulse, Cooper, Darby, Wood, Watson, W Walker, Lee, Krum, Raffils, , Fillpanina, Anue, J Walker and Penrose. (Plus Brewer, Quax & Stewart).
2.30pm – Mayoral progress results here. Councillors results here. Local Board results here.
2.57pm – Hard to be sure (especially before Whau & Tamaki-Maungakiekie are finalised) but seems like there should be sufficient support for the City Rail Link on the new council to ensure it happens.
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See https://twitter.com/juliefairey for results.
Waiheke elections: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WaihekeParliament/
Chris Darby and George Wood, does this mean one Shore vote cancels the other?
Lol, only if you believe that Ann Hartley’s vote was preferable to Chris’ – I think the Shore’s political representation just got a lot better.
Yes this is great news. Chris is fantastic, congrats to the good people of the Shore.
Damn. Waitemata is going to be 5-2 again…
How did Tricia Reade not get in? She’s excellent
Looks like Vernon Tava is just going to get in ahead of her. A shame as they were both excellent candidates. Both deserve to be on the board ahead of Greg Moyle.
Richard Barter missed out on Puketapata, that’s a real loss for Auckland’s cyclists
On the other hand, good to see a City Vision majority on that board.
Though its worth mentioning the Cityvision aren’t exactly 100% in sync regarding the unitary plan. They endorsed the general downzoning in the isthmus.
http://cityvision.org.nz/news/significant-unitary-plan-gains-for-the-community/
Definitely, much I disagree with. But their support for public transport and things like a living wage for council employees are important to me.
Surprised at Richard’s low scoring myself. He seemed a bit tired of politics, maybe that affected the outcome? But he’s not a politician only – he’ll be doing good work with his charity organisation, and his Greenway project will propser I think, and I hope he will stay involved with it in some fashion too, despite not being on the Local Board anymore.
While Richard was from the other team, we are very sad that he is no longer on the Board too. A great cycling advocate, and generally a top guy. We are hoping to continue working with him in a different capacity, to advance the Greenways project, and other PT and walk/cycle initiatives in Puketapapa.
Bugger, Denise Krum beat Richard Northey. She’s pretty objectionable from any perspective involving an intensified future, and scored very average for her views on public transport.
Losing Northey & Coney’s seats to right wingers is potentially a blow for public transport.
I’m not too confident about Krumm but I think Linda Cooper may be pretty good. time will tell.
Hopefully Ross Clow can get up and beat Noeline Raffills. It’s very close. That would be one back for the left.
Clow now ahead by 48! 😀
Cooper will be okay. She was getting good reviews from Penny Hulse so I am willing to see this through on the big Auckland Plan Committee and Strategy and Finance Committee. Krum is the one I am not displaying confidence about
At the end of the day AT are a government controlled organisation so the council has no real say in how they spend their money, they’re bound by the government policy statement on transport, it will take a change of government to see AT take PT seriously.
I know that for some archaic reason the major political parties do not overtly get involved in local government elections. Is it time that changed to make everything more transparent?
Because local government doesnt matter to national parties. They only have so much money to spend and volunteers to utilise. They dont want to waste any on local boards. However Manukau is mostly Labour terrority where they do bother to run candidates who are a shoe in.
That I understand; but, isn’t it time they got with the 21st century and realised that power is power, no matter what level it is wielded.
National don’t get involved, but plenty of candidates run under either a Labour or Green banner, and City Vision is also pretty explicit about its ties with Labour and the Greens, to the extent of featuring both of those party logos underneath its own.
But it is definitely a farce. Most “independents” are anything but, and in any case, if a person really were independent, who’d vote for them? What’s valuable is having a team of allies on the council, not being a one-man band.
National is heavily involved with local politics. They figured Len was set, so didn’t waste money on Palino. However they do throw huge resources at Denise Krum and Linda Cooper, and I think to Lisa Whyte and Brent Robinson in Albany too.
Yes, but not “overtly” involved, to quote the OP.
Grant Gillon, who led a campaign of smokescreen and deception against the Unitary Plan elected to both the Devo-Takapuna and Kaipatiki boards, can he serve on both?
Yeah I think Warren Flaunty is on about 4 local boards.
reading through the Local Electoral Act, it seems that you can sit on multiple boards, but the new Devonport/Takapuna board looks like it might be in for a difficult triennium
The huge plus of John Palino not winning is not having Cameron (Mr Negative) Brewer as Deputy Mayor. The CRL just wouldn’t happen if those two were at the top.
Indeed, that would have been a pretty depressing Sunday to wake up to. Cameron Brewer is such a backwards looking obstacle on council it would have been a nightmare having him as deputy. Especially considering his only policy appears to be being opposed to everything Len Brown says and perhaps a second policy which is watering down PT priority. That would have been the end of the CRL as you say, a long with what I think are important projects for the city like the Quay Street boulevarding etc.
Good old FPP – Len Brown: 149000 for, 171000 against.
The same thing happens with MMP – if say National were to get 40% of the vote in 2014 but Labour only got 35% John Key would still become the prime minister.
Hamish:
Maybe so, and maybe no. It would depend on what the parties making up the other 25% of Parliament decided to do.
You can’t have proportional representation for a post like Mayor that only elects one person. Though STV would make sure that the preferences of people whose first preference was not one of the top two still was taken into account, and we’d know how many of the 10,279 people who voted for Minto (say) preferred Brown over Palino.
See Wellington in 2010, for example, where Prendergast got more first preferences than Wade-Brown, but not a majority. Once the minor candidates were eliminated, though, it was clear that a majority favoured Wade-Brown over Prendergast, and so, under STV, the person with more actual support won.
yes but for example I didn’t vote for him just because I knew he would have won and I thought I’ll instead give my appreciation to more extreme candidates, just to make a point that we’re not all black or white. or worse all grey.
Well then you’re poorly casting your vote. Vote for the person you feel best suited for the role, not some silly mishmash message.
You are missing the point of democracy. Your voting for the best man is sending a message just as much as Gian’s voting for a different candidate.
Geoff, that’s a fallacy. Just because you vote for one candidate in an FPP election, does not necessarily mean you are against one, or any of the others. If we had STV in Auckland, it would be interesting how the 2nd preferences would flow.
What’s your point? 800,000 didnt vote for ANY candidate. Maybe thats mean 800,000 people are happy with Len? Or does that mean 800,000 are casting votes of no confidence for any of the candidates. Does that mean we should have no mayor and no council and no local boards and no health boards because of that? Or perhaps you would prefer random selection? Or drawing the short straw? FPP may not be best for national elections, but for local elections, it is fine.
Just an observation.
Oh, right, Fair enough. Just seemed like a complaint without offering solutions.
Wow, just saw that the Mangere – Otahuhu Local Board is pretty much all Labour candidates!
Whau Local Board 5/7 Labour although Noelene ‘Missing’ Raffles seems to have scraped in by 80 or so votes which will ensure that the ward remains under-represented at governing body level. Not surprising though, Ross Clow seems to have conducted a pretty inconspicuous campaign, only gaining a measure of publicity when Lincoln Tan/Bernard ‘Wrong Again’ Orsman/ stuffed up their ward report in the Herald.
Ha, joke candidate Matthew Goode still got more votes than David Willmott.
http://www.3news.co.nz/Len-Brown-elected-for-second-term/tabid/423/articleID/316960/Default.aspx
Quoting this:
Mr Brown offered his congratulations to Mr Palino on a well-fought campaign – but Mr Palino wasn’t returning the compliment. He told 3 News he’s “very concerned” about the future of Auckland.
“If [Mr Brown] continues on the path he’s going, Auckland is going to be in trouble.
“It’s not the way you grow a population. It’s not the way you build.”
Mr Palino blames the media for his loss, saying he struggled to get any coverage. But he plans to run for mayor at next election.
An Auckland Council spokesman said that with 95 percent of votes counted, Mr Brown had received 148,944 votes. Mr Palino was on 98,930 votes.
Sour grape much?
Humble in Victory – Gracious in Defeat. Something someone needs to learn rather fast
Len Brown got coverage last time because he campaigned for 9 months after recently recovering from a heart attack. It pretty much was his destiny.
The kiss of death for Palino was when he was photographed with smiling Johnny Key, you knew straight off where the council agenda was headed after that.
“Something someone needs to learn rather fast”
Why? He’s out. He doesn’t have to learn. Sure he says he’ll run again, because people like that can’t take the idea that they could have LOST.
By next election, any idea of Palino running will be laughed at. Loudly, if he insists. Len Brown’s make or break time was 10 hours ago, and he was reelected with a massive lead, despite all the grumping about the Unitary Plan. Leave politics, Palino. It’s not for you. You’re just a slightly less stiff Mitt Romney.
Hope Manurewa voters are proud to have elected two Councillors and two Local Board members who do not live in the area. Obviously 53% attendance is acceptable as well.
Are you talking of Walker and Penrose? Where do they live?
Dead right. Their addresses are secret, but candidate statements said they don’t live in area.
saw this in the local today ………..
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/manukau-courier/9280658/Familiar-faces-back-on-council
Wow, that’s pretty sad. I would never vote for someone who didnt live in my area, unless I knew them personally and knew they would do a good job. But I suppose people think they represent them well enough.
Yeah – I ruled people out if they weren’t in the area …being that how do they know what the deal is if they aren’t prepared to live in the area they represent. But actually I thought Walker was “in zone” from the booklet (?) ..can’t double check as haven’t kept it ….I knew he lived rural but sort of out the back of Manurewa-Papakura way (or that’s what I recalled from the election prior to this one – perhaps he moved). Looks like local board was totally Manurewa Action Team too in a clean sweep from what I can see …….Think from what a friend said voter turn-out for the area was about 17% ……..
Wonder if anyone else had the same problem I did – voting forms water damaged and return to electoral office envelope had got so wet it sealed itself shut …….not sure that can be blamed for low voter turn-out though 🙂
I have the booklet and John Walker stated “My principal place of residence is not in the Manurewa-Papakura Ward area.” Yet Colleen Brown lives in the area and has been an asset as Councillor and Local Board member, but not wanted this time.
Yes Colleen Brown is def v. active in the area and a local and by all accounts
from those who have had extensive dealings with her over the years a very proactive representative
……..I note she choose not to run for the local board (or couldn’t go for both ?) this time ………and Walker and Penrose won the positions she contended …….wonder how far off she was vote-wise as I only saw the votes of those successful ?….
I know she is on the DHB – elected in first position, I am sure if she had gone for the local board again
she would have got in. Noted Colleen and her “running mate” (who did not live in the area either) had PT as part of their campaign billboards.
You can stand for both Councillor and Local Board Member. Chris Darby did in Devonport. If successful in both, you become a Councillor and next highest joins the Local Board.
I’m having a great laugh over what happened to Nick Kearney (unelected because Ann Hartley lost) and Joseph Bergin (re-elected because Chris Darby won) which meant his re-election chances would be lower by getting together with old man George was proven right. Thank you North Shore for providing me with some laughs.
and genzero had nothing for whau… so I ended up voting based on their official blip on the elections site.
From what I can see looks like Manurewa Board went almost completely to the candidates from the same more conservative/right leaning team …………..none of the ones who campaign was strongly focused on PT got in from the look of it ……..will be interesting to see if anyone on the new board is going to have PT on their personal agenda in the coming term ……
Any idea who will be the new mayor after Len Brown falls on his pork sword? What chance his replacement will continue to champion the crl and sky path?
Because Phil those sorts of issues aren’t what this blog is about, we don’t care about the private lives of politicians and we would be just as silent if it was Gerry Brownlee who was in this situation.
Is your name REALLY Gary?
The CRL and skypath should be Browngate proof.
If he resigns, the Left should put up a Bob Harvey/ Mike Lee type- either of them could win a Mayoral re-run.
Are you really asking or trolololing?
No point writing anything till something actually changes. Len could stay for all we know in which case there is no impact. If he ends up resigning – and at this stage I hope he doesn’t – then it depends on what happens after that. It’s way too early to even think about.
seems like the mess is on both sides of the fence judging by this article in the herald this morning ……..
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141316
would rather move on to some of the actual issues affecting Auckland soon I think …..
I’m now utterly fascinated by the name Luigi Wewege
It’s too good…
Got two snippets for you on some enquiries I made to Auckland Transport the other day:
Auckland Transport will be in a position to answer the Manukau South link in March. The rail strategy will be testing the Manukau South Rail Link along with full development of the network from an operational as well as patronage point of view.
So in March we get to see what Auckland Transport has for us with this wider rail strategy and what it means for Auckland.
The other snippet was that Kiwi Rail is due to complete all electrification except for Pukekohe with the Eastern Line to be last finished by April 2014
That’s interesting to know – since last I heard of the Manukau South connection was a comment from
the AT staff member at one of the consultation open days saying there was no room for the connection to be
built at all ………….seems that’s not quite the case ……….shall be interesting to see what their conclusions are