GUEST BLOG: Judith Tizard – Cover-Up or Contempt over AECT?

The present AECT trustees need to front up to Aucklanders now.  Their plan to hold their AGM 22 hours before the present postal election closes is either a cover-up or it shows contempt for Aucklanders.

The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust (AECT) has advertised their Annual General Meeting, to account for their stewardship of public assets, at 7pm on Thursday 29 October 2015.  The postal election for the Trust closes at 5pm on Friday 30 October; 22 hours later.

They need to explain why they plan to hold their AGM so late that no one will be able to question them over their handling of $2.1 billion of public property. Are they covering up a catastrophe or is it just a deeply cynical move to stop anyone asking questions before the election?

C&R candidates; 4 of who are existing Trustees, have been told yesterday by the Returning Officers to take down their hoardings. They appear to be trying to bribe voters with our own money which would be “a Corrupt or Illegal Practice ” if this election was being held under the Electoral Act 1993,

It is hard enough for people to vote in this postal election as local and suburban post boxes have been removed all over Auckland but no one will be able to respond to whatever news the AECT appears not to want us to know, because the poll closes 22 hours after their AGM begins.

I think that this is either an attempt to cover-up bad news or it shows complete contempt for democracy and they refuse to front-up to the people of Auckland, Manukau and the northern part of Papakura, who are the real owners of this community asset built up by the former Auckland Electric Power Board.

People across the old Auckland City, Manukau City and Papakura District have already begun voting in the postal ballot so the present Trustees need to account for their bizarre and cynical AGM timing along with their shonky election signs.

I urge Aucklanders to vote for the 5 City Vision candidates who promise public accountability and ownership along with working for lower power prices and dividend for Aucklanders into the future. “We need to Future-Proof the network to ensure an affordable sustainable system.

Judith Tizard is a former Minister for Auckland and a City Vision candidate for the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust election