I had a fight with someone I respected recently who accused me of being a bad political ally. Personally I’ve never played well with others in the sandpit and I have never sought allies, but Julie Fairey’s recent blog on being a good ally has reset my thoughts on the issue.
Often our focus on the left seems to fall on the tiny differences of ideological disagreement rather than the many greater things that bind us. That’s not to say that when people drift right off the reserve that they should be supported regardless (you will notice that Len Brown is not on this list due to his terrible sell out of Port workers), but those who are genuine about progressive change in Auckland deserve our backing.
If only 30% of 150 000 Auckland Union members vote as per this voting guide for the Auckland Council Elections, it would be landslide for the left. The Unions are feeling buoyed by the incredible role they had in shaping the new leader of the Labour Party and that sense of change should cascade onto these elections.
We urge all progressive voters to use this guide as their vote plan. When it comes to the Mayor, let your conscience decide. You can back Len with his light weight fluff and total support for corporations to develop Auckland or you can support John Minto, a man of the people who always champions the underdog.
If you are angry at the way in which the right have taken over the values of our country with their user pays default setting – now is the first step in fighting back. Let’s throw National and their cronies out of Auckland and take our city back!
Tut, tut, do tell me why the mayoral candidates are not listed, or can I guess that this is because Len Brown the great Labour hope has not yet endorsed the living wage and certainly did not support the port workers. Len is still regarded as on the left, I wouldn’t know why. The only candiate who has supported the living wage and the port workers is John Minto!
I gather Len is going to endorse the living wage on 4th October at a living wage forum in his (what a joke) territory of Otara. By then many will have voted who would totally disapprove of the living wage and many in Otara are less likely to have got around to voting and Len will be their heroe.
Clever strategic move on Len’s part.
.Don’t be fooled into this ridiculous endorsement.
Please elaborate.
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