John Banks. Photo / Herald on Sunday
Supercity mayoral contender John Banks failed to show up to a committee meeting where his council voted to allow private companies to manage the town water supply for up to 35 years.
Auckland Mayor John Banks is running for the top Supercity position and said he would be “very nervous” about 35 year contracts at a debate on Tuesday.
Auckland City’s Finance and Strategy Committee voted on their submission to the Government’s Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill on June 16. Mr Banks was not at the meeting.
The Committee chose to support the clause Bill which will allow multi-national companies to manage the town’s water supply for up to 35 years.
An amendment to oppose the change was narrowly lost by four votes to three.
Speaking from the streets of North Shore, where he was door knocking this morning, Mr Banks said he could not attend every committee meeting.
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“I am not an apologist for every decision taken at Auckland City,” Mr Banks said.
He said any decision taken by an Auckland City Council committee will carry no weight once the Supercity Council comes into being on November 1.
“I am not interested in rich and powerful third party contractors wanting to come to Auckland to engage with the water reticulater. I am absolutely committed to public ownership of the reticulater,” Mr Banks said.
He said a 35 year contract would undermine the “sovereignty” of the water utility.
“In other words, I lease my house to you for 35 years. I’ll see you in 35 years.
“In 10 years it is starting to fall down. In 20 years you’re not paying the rent and in five years time I can’t get rid of you and the asset is falling over.
“I’m a business man and I’ve been around too long to get dragged into the net that we would get value for money from a rich and powerful foreign national. I’m going to take a lot of convincing,” Mr Banks said.
Auckland City councillor Richard Northey voted for the amendment and said it was disappointing Mr Banks was not there.
“But I think his opposition to this is new because he would have raised it with the staff and his colleagues and he didn’t,” Mr Northey said…..
What a load of bumkum….why wasn’t John Banks at this meeting – 35 years is one hell of a long time. But Banks of course wants to be Lord Mayor of the new Super City Auckland – fuck off….he sold up all the pensioner housing throwing many pensioners out of their pensioner flats which had been sold from under them, this happened the first time around as Mayor…….what will he sell now if he gets the new Mayoralty? Sell – You and Me?
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Just stumbled across this site. Typical politician. I live in the U.K. and exactly the same is happening here. Dirty greedy little fucks are selling off public services (which are not there’s to sell) to the highest bidder. In the U.K every utility and transport provider were nationalized up to the mid 80′s. All paid for by the tax payer. Not any more all private companies now. They sell nationalized services to private corporations then fuck you two ways they will increase your water bills while still expecting the tax payer to subsidize any repairs. Do not stand for it Auckland. Multinational corporations are the biggest threat mankind has ever faced, no shit.