Herald launches iPad app

This is forward-thinking: the NZ Herald have timed the launch of the iPad in NZ with a special Herald app to view their articles and content.

The Herald seems to be at the forefront of mobile news content in NZ, they were very quick to bring mobile content for cellphones to access back in 2008 - well ahead of the TV channels and other online news sources.

It's good to see NZ media rapidly embracing new technology.

Paul showing off his campaign vehicle

The campaign for council wards is truly underway - here is Auckland City councillor Paul Goldsmith showing off his campaign vehicle. He is standing with Christine Fletcher for C&R in the Albert-Eden-Roskill seat.

Rich lister for supermayor? Read the fine print.

The Herald on Sunday breathlessly announces via a headline this morning "Rich Lister prepares for Supermayor role", conveying a certainty about Tenby Powell, Auckland businessman, as a candidate for the Auckland mayoral elections.

Except you need to read the fine print. In the body of the article it says:

- he might stand if he thinks John Banks can't win
- he is seeking to be deputy mayor under John Banks, which means he is running for a council seat

And in the article in the gossip section it makes it more clear what his intentions are (article not online, but I have transcribed each quote accurately from the article):

Powell told Spy he would only consider running for the Mayoralty if it looks like Banks is losing the race. "I'm a big fan of John Banks, but if I don't think he's going to win, I'll stand." 

and

"I believe John Banks is the right man if he has the right council. I'd like to work with John. I'd be very interested in being his deputy Mayor. I think we'd be a fantastic team".

I'm pretty certain Powell is resident in Waitemata ward. That means he would be up against Mike Lee from City Vision, and an as yet unnamed C&R candidate (Michael Barnett has had to stand down due to illness).

Could Powell win as an independent or perhaps even as a C&R candidate for Waitemata? I'd be inclined to think he would have a good chance, especially with the Queens Wharf/Party Central debacle that Mike Lee and the ARC has presided over this week.

The book of Len

This is some of the best satire I have seen in some time, from "In tray", the humour column in yesterday's NBR.

The book of Len

1. And so it came to pass in the days of economic tribulation that the children of Auckland cried out for a new leader who would bring them to the promised land.

2. And there came from Taumaranui, which was on the main trunk line, one whose name was Len, who as a child in swaddling cloth first journeyed to Auckland.

3. And thus did the wise men marvel as they beheld his entrance to the ancient city, prophesysing that he would worketh many miracles and wonders.

4. And the one called Len girded up his loins and went unto the children of Auckland and promised to lead them out of the wilderness, saying unto them “Its our time” which soundeth a little too much like the slogan of the one named Barack Obama.

5. Yea, and the one named Len vowed to deliver the children of Auckland from the Evil One whose name is Banks.

6. And so it came to pass. And Len spoke to the multitudes, vowing he would make the crooked paths straight and fashion a wondrous tunnel through which the travelers might pass unto the other side and behold the light of the new supercity.

7. Yea, even as he had once built his own business in the land of East Tamaki.

8. Thus did he also promise the housewives of Auckland that their experience buying all manner of goods would no longer be likened unto that of the housewives of Apia, and thus did he later apologise for this unfortunate remark.

9. And yea, his procession was accompanied by many other signs and wonders and thus did the pundits rejoice, even the one whose name was Rudman, as they beheld him walking on water.

10. And those on the left proclaimed him the Chosen One, for they saw him as the one who might yet drive the moneychangers from the temple, and they waited on a miracle.

11. And verily, the miracle occurred, and even the doubters marveled after he arose from the dead after a heart attack.

12. And so it came to pass. But sadly the rulers of the old city took counsel among themselves, asking “Who among us with cast the first stone”

13. And then they cried out with one voice “We all will!"

14. And so it came to pass that the one whose name is Len was asked about his credit card.

15. And when he faced his accusers, Len waxed terrible in his wroth, and smote himself many times, crying “Woe unto those who would seek to crucify me”

16. Thus did he tear his credit card asunder, crying if any man think that I trespass he is submitting his accounts to the Auditor General, let him see the fate that has befallen this tablet

17. And among his disciples was one whose name is David Lewis, who said unto the newspaper scribes that this was no lunatic behaviour but an ancient act known as the kanohi-te-kanohi, or the smiting of the chest.

18. And the newspaper scribes laughed at the one called David Lewis and told him not to be such a prat.

19. And so it came to pass that another prophet was born into the land of Israel, one whose name was Jesus, and much was expected of him. And Jesus told the multitudes that no one would be scrutinized as much as him except for the one whose name is Len Brown.

20. And thus it was, even as the prophets had foretold, that it was back to the square called one.

And then there were seven

Andrew Williams, controversial North Shore Mayor has now entered the race for the Auckland Mayoralty.

This now means there are seven candidates in the race to be the first Mayor of the new Auckland Council. Alphabetically, they are (with links to their website, where available):

John Banks
Penny Bright
Len Brown
Colin Craig
Ewen Gilmour
Simon Prast
Andrew Williams

Some of the above candidates don't yet have a campaign website, such as Mayor Williams, but I am confident we will be able to follow Andrew Williams' campaign from the website textsfromlastnight.com

(Updated 17 July, added Penny Bright's link to WPG website, plus Andrew Williams' actual website)

Herald on Sunday interviews Len Brown

I would encourage all those interested in the Auckland Council elections to read the interview with Len Brown in the Herald on Sunday this morning. 

For those people who are undecided about clicking through, I have included some choice quotes from the story to help tempt you. Make sure you click through to the second page as well.

He said only Jesus Christ had withstood such a high level of scrutiny as him, and come out clean. If ratepayers demand that he identifies who he meets with, then he will quit as Manukau mayor.

and...

And he has utterly refused to identify who he and mayoress Shan Inglis hosted at their table for an $810 fundraiser dinner at Volare restaurant in Manurewa.

He had good reasons for refusing to identify his guests, he said.

"It is against my principles. I am fighting back on what I believe are they key issues of this campaign and what people are vitally interested in."

He shouted: "I clearly don't give a damn about this stuff."

and...

"I sit in this room. I don't tell anybody I am having an interview with you today. It is between you and me. It is totally confidential."

He said there was no requirement for him to disclose who he spent council money on.

"Transparency is not a perfect thing," he added.

"Transparency doesn't just happen in a perfect world. You have to measure that up against other significant principles and that's what I'm doing and I will live or die on that.

"If people make a judgment and say, 'we all agree you should tell everybody who you are seeing all the time', then I'll say, 'that's it - I am not the mayor any more'.

and...

Brown added: "I'm under extraordinary scrutiny and maybe Jesus Christ was the only one to withstand that and come out completely pure."

What's going on with Len Brown's expenses?

I've been reading with interest the things Len Brown has been buying on his council credit card over the last week.

The ratepayer has been helping Len Brown purchase:

- family groceries
- Christmas hams
- expensive lunches
- toys from Kmart

However, I am especially interested to learn that this morning, the Sunday Star-Times has printed that Manukau City Council officers have been into the restaurant that Brown had an $810 dinner at, and asked for a new invoice, this time, without listing any of the alcohol purchased.

It is also interesting to see that this work expense (the $810 dinner) happened on a Sunday evening at a restaurant close to where Len Brown lives.

David Farrar on Kiwiblog says there are only three explanations for why an invoice would be retrospectively changed;

1. MCC has the full tax receipts showing details of how much alcohol was consumed, and asked restaurants to manufacture new receipts leaving off this detail, so they could hide the real receipts from disclosure under the OIA.

2. MCC never received the full tax receipts from the Mayor, in breach of Council policy.

3. MCC were given the full tax receipts by the Mayor, but despite being legally required to keep them for seven years have lost or destroyed them.

At best, this saga illustrates an ongoing negligence and carelessness when it comes to use of ratepayer cash.

At worst.... well....