We are just seeing some of the most extraordinary tactics being used as the Boomer King attempts to ram his firesafe Airport privatisation through.
He has threatened steep cuts in arts, culture and public transport.
He is bribing huge increases in arts, culture and Bus Driver wages.
He is now censoring media from the press conference where he’s attempting this firesale!!!!!!!!!!
New Zealand’s media alliance has panned Auckland mayor Wayne Brown over a “cack-handed” attempt to cherry-pick journalists to cover a council budget announcement.
On Wednesday morning, Brown presented key points from his refreshed budget proposal to an invite-only crowd, including business leaders, former politicians and former rugby league coach Sir Graham Lowe.
Brown’s office had cherry-picked the media organisations invited to the update. Stuff, TVNZ and Newshub were not invited.
The mayor’s press secretary, Josh Van Veen said: “We invited a select few journalists from media outlets who we feel were best able to convey the mayor’s message and Stuff isn’t one of them.”
…if a Lefty Mayor was seizing a golf club and was then censoring the media there would be riots down Queen street!
Mike Hosking would be on ZB reading out molotov cocktail recipes and publicising the home address of the Mayor if this was a Lefty pulling this shit, yet the silence is deafening!
Dear Auckland, you need to get VERY angry, very quickly and now.
He is really going to try and sell our Airport!
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The 26 readers of TDB, of which 5 are from AKL (the city with ludicrous rates), are very very angry.
Who are the other 21 readers? Boffins at the N.S.A. listening station?
What both the Tories and New Labour know is that privatisation, while never popular, is extremely difficult to reverse: re-nationalising anything will be roundly denounced as “extreme”, “not realistic”, “old-fashioned”, “no longer feasible”, “a danger to democracy”, “dangerously socialistic”, etc.
Ram it through, suppress dissent, receive your corporate political donations and revolving-door kickbacks.
Ha! So true…
Well i can understand why Stuff would not be on his list of ‘journalists’ that do journalism.
So cherrypick the ones that agree with hmmmmm?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/300893959/insult-to-voters-media-freedom-boss-pans-auckland-mayors-office-for-cherrypicking-journalists#cx_testId=900&cx_testVariant=ctrl&cx_artPos=2
There’s a name for people like Brown and it’s not good.
And that did not stop any of them insisting on attending.
They had to do their job to keep the public informed…. There was no reason to attend, really. The council will vote on the revised budget soon enough.
None in the mainstream media will report that a number of councillors were called to stick to their promises to the voters.
Nah, the left would be doing no such thing, they just lie to journalists, then pretend that they did not lie, then pretend that they did not know, then pretend that some did now but not everyone knew, and well tomorrow is another day.
boring.
To use your stupid comeback “the left” are not the mayor of Auckland. You guys all wank on about the government and how bad transparency is, so why the inconsistency?
I mean fuck Wayne Brown. I’ll try and use more articulate words.
Number one Wayne’s in the right place at the right time. And also he didn’t twist nobodies arm to assign management rights to the Mayor. Wayne Brown sees opportunity where for some reason ratepayers don’t do there homework to see the opportunity that they’re giving away.
Wayne Brown got this opportunity to privatise key strategic assets from insider information basically. You can’t just be anyone and hold onto shares long term. The agreement is between ratepayers and a land Lord and Wayne Brown figured out how to get ratepayers to give the Boomer king there rights. Your rights are worth money and in the neoliberal FIRE sale everything is for sale. And these investors are taking income producing assets at a fraction of the costs.
It’s smart for investors but it fucks over every stakeholder. If he’s fucking over ratepayers then Wayne Brown is one smooth talker. There’s nothing illegal about it but it’s questionable because every rate payer should benefit from the sale. Is keeping rates at the highest levels it’s ever been at beneficial? I don’t know because I’d never be caught dead with an Auckland Super Council residential property. The rate payer community are just stupid.
I mean I don’t know anyone who pays 10. 20. 30% rates, management fees, commissions. The people I know pay 1. 2. 3% commision because they deal in larger numbers. At 15% rates somebody is greasing the wheels. They pay water rates, strategic assets earn untaxed income. Someone’s being fucked over here.
You got to make it make sense to the ordinary working class rate payer. Key strategic assets like Auckland airport are the only large assets these people will have a stake in besides there own house. They’re not going to risk borrowing against there only asset just so Wayne Brown can give airport leaseholders a sweet capital gains bump up by funding an expansion project the details of which are already written into the lease and it pretty much says I’m leasing the existing land that Auckland airport sits on so if it needs to be expanded then you pay because the agreement is for the existing property and if I was a smart CEO of Auckland Airport protecting the rights of shareholders then I’d make council pay for any contingencies they failed to write into the lease agreement.
Someone needs to protect the rights of stakeholders.
Sausage gone down Alice’s rabbit hole.
Or that the ministers did not read the standing orders.
Lol…
Have you forgotten Martyn, about others dictating who can ask questions or who they will talk to?
Tova…Jessica…Tova. Trigger a memory?
Or Ms Ardern boycotting Hosking
Or Labour and Greens refusing to talk to Sean Plunket on The Platform
Brown is grumpy… Simon Wilson (Phil Goffs goid mate) at the Herald goes after Brown constantly just for being from the Right. As for Stuff its so far Left its run out of room at the end of the table
If you feel you’re not getting fair coverage walking away from that media organisation seems fair enough
Hosking and Plunket are jocks, they should be ignored. Those examples are completely irrelevant here and are a different discussion entirely, a discussion about right wing jocks with way too much influence spreading misinformation to the gullible and uneducated.
He is such a gutless wanker. Why is he afraid to have the media there? Like Newshub are left leaning? No one asked for charisma ( and clearly Waaaaayne doesn’t disappoint) but he should be able to state his case and actually answer a question. He’s accountable to the public ffs.
Good on you Mayor Brown upholding your election promises,a rare commodity in modern politics,particularly the last 5 plus years.
Think he’s got the numbers to get the sale over the line.
His election promise was to sell the Auckland Airport Shares?
You are right, Simon Wilson is exactly what you said.
A self serving, gutless wanker!
You are right, Johan Thiart is exactly what you said.
A self serving, gutless wanker!
Arrest rate increases.
What a really dumb shortsighted idea to sell off Auckland airport shares.
What’s next when the inevitable shortfall comes around again. Especially when Wayne Brown is on a year $300,000…a stupid amount of money. Why doesn’t he take a cut to get the ball rolling.
Lose control of your Ports and Airports at your peril!!!
We will soon become another Kenya , Sri Lanka, Solomon Islands, Peru, Pakistan, Maldives, Fiji, Cambodia , Malaysia etc etc etc China is now lining up Panama, Brazil and guess who else ???
Stupid is stupid does !!
So The Disinformation Project can hold publicly funded conferences with selected media to tell them how to sell hate speech laws to the public but the mayor can’t do the same thing to sell his plan to the public?
That’s like McNulty saying we have to discuss co governance and the MSM refusing to allow any discussion because of the Pravda Fund
Or the Government consulting only with iwi on co-governance and TOW issues, without inviting any public participation or even awareness.
the treaty is with the crown. mind your own business, peasant. -lol- let the lordbaron do your wagering.
you let it slide for so long. yet now you simper?
Looks like Mayor Brown has it over the line.
Well done ,lower than forecast rates increases.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/06/opinion-auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-s-feud-with-media-distracting-from-city-s-key-issues.html
The most undemocratic and delusional Mayor in history alongside his love child Bob. He will not last his tenure, as dictatorship is a thing of the past. To support Brown displays a lack of intellect unheard of. Since Brown has become Mayor he has been responsible for the worst increase in crime in downtown Auckland in our history.
I don’t live in Auckland but those that do and those who voted Brown, you get what you fucking deserve. Violence always comes with a right wing Dictatorship.
Not really.
The budget must still be voted on.
The budget is a compromise and now it is up to the councillors to decide.
Most ratepayers said they do not want to pay more and this budget delivers a slightly under inflation adjustment, if the sale of the airport shares goes through.
You don’t live in Auckland do you Bob?
Not on a permanent basis Charles.
We can most certainly tell.
Happens in Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan, China etc. Handpicked to control the narrative. A dictatorship.
And Wellington? Jessica, then Tova…and then Jessica.
No not Wellington you idiot, just Auckland and it’s mayor, jeez!
Yes correct MHK New Zealand joins the club.
Yes Wayne Brown represents NZ
How does one take an electoral system to court when that electoral system is recognised as “democratic” despite less than a third of the population contributing to it? That Wayne Brown can call himself “mayor” is an outrage. He has been a criminal business person his entire career; but he is still allowed to be Auckland’s Mayor? I thought this was Aotearoa, not USA?
A good number of people defending wankers like Brown scream about council
‘assets’ and cry about democracy when it comes to three waters ( when parts are a future liability) but no problem with ditching an asset that has grown and pays a healthy dividend, and this stupid old prick not being able to answer questions. Is he scared tennis will come up or someone might ask him to grab a bucket when it starts raining?
In the interest of accuracy over ideology –
AIA hasn’t paid a dividend for years and the forecast dividend is 2.3%, should it even happen which is questionable considering they have just started a multi billion dollar tweak which they have to pay for somehow.
It has a totally ‘Why would ya’ P/E that is not supportable with the results.
Also interesting or telling depending on how you want to look at it is that in the last year the Board/management personal have sold over 4 times as many shares as they have brought. If the Board/management, who know shit we don’t, are selling down…..
It’s also regarded as being massively over valued, not little but by well over 350%, so if the market corrects then the value of the shareholding could plummet big time.
It’s also hardly being privatised. The Govt and Council are only minority shareholders.
If the media weren’t a bunch of useless arseholes they would have banded together and refused to attend Brown’s budget bullshit.
I doubt they even considered it.
This is the primary issue with the world right now, people acting like desperate rats get run rough shod by the evil tyrants.
What you say Martyn about the 90% v the 10% is bang on, and should be the central theme of every article, as the middle and poorer classes bickering about shit is the main reason we are in the shit.
Is it though?
He stood by his election promises to the voters.
The council will get to vote on his budget soon.
Will those elected stand by their election manifestos?
NZ’s version of that wanker Donald Trump. Being a businessman does not make a public servant. His arrogance and obvious incompetence should be ringing the warning bells for Aucklanders. Welcome to assets sold, support services run down to virtually nothing, gated communities, massive increases in all crime, more fake news, and no responsibility. Aucklanders voted for the moron who is so far out of his depth it’s hilarious – unless you have to live there – good luck
I do live there and in the last few years we’ve had:
– support services run down to virtually nothing.
– massive increases in all crime.
– more fake news.
– and no responsibility.
Ok, so selling the Airport share is new, but while I don’t have much confidence that Brown can improve the rest of it I’m not going to pretend that things haven’t been shit under Goff for some time now.
He is the first elected representative prepared to stands on principle and stick to his election promises in the face of adversity for some time.
That makes him evil!
Pathetic behaviour from a publicly elected official. The fact his Council media minders tow the line on his narcissistic demands of invitees only and no questions despite being paid by the ratepayer is even more appalling.
But to be honest if you were a journo would you really want to have to endure 45mins of listening to Grandpa Brown pouring his disdain over the room, droning on about how everyone before him, those currently around him and those yet to come aren’t as good as he is? Then waffling on about other inane topics that aren’t even relevant, all while barely being able to string two coherent words together in a monotone drawl that makes him sound like he’s just had a stroke.
Even when he had to eat humble pie from the public backlash about slashing Council services and Local Boards budgets, the contemptuous old fart still tried to make out that he was doing us all a favour, rather than actually having to back track on his previous empty threats.
Personally I think that press conference just reinforced the fact the our “esteemed” Mayor is nothing more than a morally corrupt, delusional and incompetent narcissist…..no surprises there!
if it’s such a bad investment why is private equity slavvering at the thought…sounds like council employees making policy again, I smell brown envelopes
“if the Left did this there would be riots down Queen Street”
Well Martyn, nobody from LINO or the so-called Greens will talk to The Platform, and I haven’t noticed any riots yet.
But selling off a public asset like an airport is a ridiculous short-sighted way to “solve” a budget blowout. And shares pay dividends, dontcha know? A sustainable solution means a reduction in annual spending, not a firesale! Get rid of any bureaucrat who isn’t strictly necessary. Get rid of anyone who works in Focus area 5: “Recognise, value and celebrate Aucklanders’ differences as a strength”.
Hypocrisy much Bomber? I think this is a case of “What’s good for the goose ..”
It’s the fact that giving Auckland Airport assets back to Maori once they’re finished with it has more accountability incomparision to selling those assets with no gaurentes that rates will fall. Infact according to the council’s own figures they’ll go up a bit anyway. Don’t do the white thing. Do the right thing.
Hahaha you are so funny Bomber!!!!
The left is fucking doing it, censoring the media. You outraged about 5 minutes ago – MINISTRY OF TRUTH!!!! remember? freedom of speech? you wrote it, like in your next blog! that was you? We’ll riot down Queens Street…no, bad idea, we’ll get mugged and stabbed.
Politics isn’t a straight line. If you follow the lines all the way around it makes a circle till you meet people like the dumb lives matter protests.
Get mugged and stabbed under the Dementia Kings reign… makes perfect sense.
The mood to mug and stab in Auckland brought about by the disaster known as the Labour Government assisted ably by the Greens.Homelessness and poverty a product of poor government.A dereliction of duty.
Nothing to do with Mayor Brown.
Browns attitude has worn off onto Aucklanders, “we can do whatever the fuck we like”.
Nothing to do with the Government, only a complete idiot would believe it was the Governments fault.
my teens aren’t scared of Queen St. nor am I. what a riot. wouldn’t try to drive up it though. the krauts in AT will make sure of that.
Is he senile or demented?
ACT MY BRAIN MONEY SEE NOW MY MAYROL BRAIN MY MONEY MIND.
eh! shoose! let!s shoot the socialists.
Dare, you, question, im the Mayor,, question me, ask her! shee!s my deputy.
The best thing about the Boomer King is it will be guaranteed votes in Auckland for the left bloc.
The right are fucked for having old Alzheimer’s one term Mayor running Auckland. Chloe must be doing hand stands.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/06/opinion-auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-s-feud-with-media-distracting-from-city-s-key-issues.html
Bomber,, daft this next election, our old modern times,, is not capitalism a serious profit uncare old new time also.
Hand picking compliant media and supporters for a big announcement?
Hmmm, looks rather familiar.
Has Mayor Brown got a secret hot line to the Kremlin or something?
Mar a Lago
No he’s copying the example set by Jacinda Ardern.
Oh that old hory conspiracy chestnut. Bahahahahahahahaha!
Poor old bastard. He was fucked at the get-go.
Auckland, as much as I love the funny little thing, it’s a dead town walking. All its puff ( pastry) and bravado’s coming back to bite it on the arse.
What Brown couldn’t see was his sacrifice coming. He’s the captain of Auckland, a sinking dung barge and as it gurgles to the bottom he’ll be known in perpetuity as it’s captain. Captain Pugwash of Burbling Bottoms.
I never knew that knowing everything would feel so uncomfortable.
AO/NZ = agrarian exports economy.
AO/NZ= 14 multi-billionaires.
AO/NZ = 3118 0r -9 is it? Multi millionaires with a minimum $50 million each.
AO/NZ = How?
Cockies? Yes, you. You’ve been fucked without the kissing by the very mates you trusted around the barbi.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/67647540/why-politicians-should-just-stop-eating
Here’s you. Bent double picking through the mud for pennies. The Trader: https://www.netflix.com/search?q=The%20Trader
Good old chap is Mayor Brown.
Senile old fool.
As a ratepayer i say – Sell it off! Taxpayers will buy it back. lol. privatise the gains, socialize the losses.
My old landlord used to put Desley Simpson signs in my front yard. Orakei Ward, lol. what a chuckle.
..she ended up getting it all wrong and paying out at the tenancy tribunal – poor dear and her family trust nearly choked on that one.