Although Auckland re-elected Len Brown he can hardly claim a mandate, indeed no one really can given the appallingly low turnout.
Len Brown gained 148944 votes. That is less than ten percent of Auckland’s population. The turn out was just 34.33% or 341611 votes. 995080 were eligible to vote.
Len Brown has won on 14.9% of the possible vote. He can hardly claim a mandate. His best statistic he can claim is that he won 43% of those who voted…no mandate there either.
There are some more interesting council results though.
Governing Body Results
Local Board results
Veteran trougher, Richard Northey, despite skiting to those attending a recent concert that he had the race in the bag has been unseated by Denise Krum. Well done to Denise. Northey has been supping from the public trough since Adam was in nappies. Good riddance.
Ann Hartley, another of Len Brown’s flunkies has be unseated in North Shore. The North Shore returned George Wood and Chris Darby. I’m glad Joseph Bergin didn’t get elected despite him being a young Nat…he is wetter and more left than Nikki Kaye, so Auckland dodged that bullet. Chris Darby will be interesting to watch though, because he is slightly loopy, a planner, and a fair weather right-winger…I expect Len Brown will attempt to buy him off with a chair position of some sort.
In the local board races I was very pleased to see Michael Williams unseated. His little team of nasties has been destroyed with only Jim Donald and Steve Udys being returned. Bullying people and getting drink driving convictions doesn’t really help your election chances. There is now a clear majority on the local board of like minded people who can work together instead of against each other. I was very pleased to see a good friend in Katrina Bungard get elected to the local board in the Pakuranga subdivison. Michael Williams supporters Wayne Huang and the bewildered Shirley Warren were destroyed. The shame in that ward is Simon Williamson missed out despite a fair bit of hard work. Never-mind, Steve Udys is on borrowed time. Read more »
As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.
They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.
He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.
Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.
To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.