Comments on: Capital at the Crossroads

By: Ross Clark

Ross Clark — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:26:19 +0000

As much as light rail can be a good idea, one thing the intrview could have touched on was, how to pay for it. The current central government regime is not exactly in the mood for doing so, and there is no way the region and especially the city (by themselves) will front for it.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:29:45 +0000

Hi Gordon, my apologies if I sounded too accusing in my previous comment but I’ve tired of the easy ride Celia has had from the left given the outsourcing and her appearance at the anti-union hobbit rally.

I voted for Celia expecting a change in the way things are done but seem to have got nothing for my vote but the same old right-wing policies with the addition of a liberal green alibi.

By: Gordon Campbell

Gordon Campbell — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 03:16:03 +0000

@Bob
I find it a bit annoying to be personally chastised because someone else did not include in their question line the Council outsourcing issue that Werewolf has not only put on the public agenda, but is the only media outlet to examine it in any depth. Let me explain how it goes when you’re not operating from a comfy sofa with the blessed wisdom of hindsight. Sue K did the Celia W-B interview on Feb 5th. I began researching and writing my article on Council outsourcing a week later, and finished it on February 26th, the day before publication. Do you see the problem ? Should journalists always do things sooner, faster and better ? You bet. In this case though, we have all year to question and weigh Celia W-B’s support say, for the Living Wage campaign, against her administration’s record on Council job outsourcing. As we all hold her to account on that score, I hope it will be noted which publication first raised it. And yes, we will be revisiting this issue over the coming months.

By: Richard29

Richard29 — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 01:13:43 +0000

@Hojocolaca – I agree with you, and cringe a little when I hear NZers describing National party MP’s as “Tories”. Except that in this case the CEO has been brought over from the UK where Conservative Party controlled councils are commonly referred to as Tory so it’s entirely appropriate in the context.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 22:11:54 +0000

Why no mention of the contracting out the Council is undertaking or the other rationalising measures? Celia’s council is in the process of a massive restructure that will lead to dozens if not hundreds of redundancies and not a word? And yet the government’s public service cuts get a mention?

Gordon, it’s not like you don’t know the issues, you did a very good interview with Paul Eagle about this. It’s is a real pity the opportunity to have CWB account for her council’s cuts and privatisation of services was not taken.

By: Hojocolaca

Hojocolaca — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 19:51:32 +0000

“…has worked for both a Labour-controlled council and a Tory-controlled Council”. Oh dear, another Left wing wannabe, who still thinks they are fighting a class struggle in England.

By: Giggle | Kiwiblog

Giggle | Kiwiblog — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:00:48 +0000

[...] I had to giggle. Scoop’s Werewolf has a patsy interview with Green Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown. [...]

By: insider

insider — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 04:28:47 +0000

It was a patsy. Kedgley was never going to challenge her party colleague. Where was anything about rates? The issue most commonly of concern to ratepayers.

There were four questions on the flyover – hardly the biggest issue for the city except for a few activists in mt vic. And then this….

“Were you offended by the New Zealand Transport Agency letter threatening the Council that would be serious implication for future transport investments in Wellington, if the Council opposed the flyover? Is there any way to interpret that letter other than an attempt to hold a gun to Council’s head?”

Whereas it was CWB and her cohorts that reversed their position. That was ignored. It was a patsy interview, which is fine, but don’t pretend it wasn’t

By: Celia WB

Celia WB — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:56:25 +0000

Please note I said Xero not Zeus in the interview – otherwise accurately reported

There’s a huge number of socially positive and also very successful companies in Wellington like XERO, {which] is selling its financial accounting software to a huge number of small businesses around the world.

By: Max

Max — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:19:46 +0000

Huddark Part building. Isn’t it Huddart Parker?

By: Gordon Campbell

Gordon Campbell — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:24:50 +0000

@insider
Since I commissioned Sue Kedgley to do this interview, I think I should answer you. The issue you raise was part of the initial discussion we had – and it was understood that a patsy interview wouldn’t be published. This isn’t a patsy interview. What I thought would happen is that people would begin the interview with that suspicion but quickly come to realise that fear was unfounded. Basically, I trusted the fact Sue K had been a journalist before she became a politician and that she would be aware that she’d be under the microscope as well as Celia W-B. That’s also why I ran it as a q & a, so that the exchanges would be utterly transparent. Finally, I happen to share Jon Stewart’s disdain for the ” Crossfire” type approach, and its left vs right theatrics. Journalism is either good or bad. The labels on the interviewers don’t guarantee anything.

By: insider

insider — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 10:47:41 +0000

Wow, sue kedgeley interviews CWB. Challenging. Next issue, joe karam puts the hard word on David Bain.