Why you should vote for me: Penny Bright

Penny Bright. Photo / Natalie Slade

"The will of the people is the basis of the authority of government."

Who elected this unholy alliance of the New Zealand Property Council and the hugely powerful private lobby group the Committee for Auckland to effectively run our Auckland region "like a business, by business, for business"?

The mechanism for this corporate control of the Auckland region is through council-controlled organisations - run by boards of appointed business people and executive private-sector staff.

CCOs must go!

Key council officers effectively run Auckland Council as if it were their own private business.

I support citizens' lawful rights to privacy, but transparency and accountability for those in public office.

We need a publicly available register of interests for both elected representatives (council and local boards), CCO board members and council and CCO staff responsible for property and procurement. And to publish in council annual reports the names of the consultants and contractors, and the scope, term and value of these contracts.

Unless there is a cost-benefit analysis which proves contracting-out (privatisation) of council services is better value for money, bring them back "in-house".

I am totally opposed to the Auckland draft Unitary Plan.

Why does all this "growth" need to come to Auckland? Who benefits apart from property developers, speculators and overseas investors? Who will benefit from all this intensification (slummification)?

I am opposed to road tolls, or higher rates and fuel taxes, to pay for "improving Auckland's transport system". Why should the public subsidise what we no longer own?

We need to take back public ownership, operation and control of Auckland passenger transport, and water services.

I am opposed to user charges for water services.

We need to take back Auckland from corporate control.

Vote Penny Bright for mayor!