Some insight into the policies of the ACT party.
 
Yes I used the naughty word. I am so sorry. I'd love nothing more than to assume the plan for the supercity is in our best interests, but unfortunately the facts speak for themselves.
Lets start with Rodney Hide; figurehead and policy maker of the supercity. Does anyone out there actually understand what the ACT party stands for? Sure, you know they fall on the Right-wing of the political spectrum, but did you realise the ACT party believes in the idea of "Anarcho-Capitalism" and the true "free market.?" Now, some of you out there are probably scratching your head wondering what the hell "Anarcho-Capitalism" is; it is nothing short of the near total elimination of government, replaced with the "governance" of the free unregulated market.
It sounds like a novel idea, but once you have meditated on it for awhile; you understand that this would mean corporations and big business would be responsible for the environment, your personal well being and the well being of others unable to look after themselves. I think everyone already knows the track record Corporations have of totally disregarding environmental and health and safety concerns, in the never-ending pursuit of profit. Does this sound like New Zealand? Or a place you'd like to live?

I invite you all to go to the ACT website and view their policies. Of course you wont find them openly admitting to their more extreme ideas, but the general policy they have towards every instance of public ownership is to privatize and "create a competitive market." This includes schools, health care, prisons, infrastructure etc. Privatization has its place, no doubt, but it has been proven worldwide that the privatization of essential services is detrimental to citizens and results in ever rising prices, poor service and refusal of service altogether. The near fully privatized health care of America is a prime example of privatization gone awry.
Since 2001 basic family cover in the United States has risen 78% compared with wages rising 19%. This is due to price fixing by insurance companies, who have disregarded any notion of a competitive market. 47 million americans are without healthcare insurance, due to not being able to afford insurance, or being denied cover outright for having a "Previous condition", or any other loophole the insurance companies can find to deny them cover, or treatment.

So, why would the ACT party support ideas that had so obviously failed in other countries? And why would we let Rodney Hide and ACT- who received 3% of the vote last election- dictate and create the entire policy surrounding the Auckland supercity, governing over 1 million people, or 1/4 of the country? There is a simple answer- the greater right wing privatization agenda.

Rogernomics and it's repercussions
 
Roger Douglas is the head economist for the ACT party. His economic reforms were brought into effect under the 1984 Labour government. Roger's theories were based on the free market principles theorised by Milton Friedman; popularised by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. The long term consequences of these reforms were- the transference of wealth from the poor and working class to the rich  and overseas investors, greatly increased un-employment (76,000 lost their jobs), increased poverty, increased crime and lawlessness, casualisation of the workforce,  and a huge loss of skill in every working sector.. Several commentators at the time noted that many New Zealanders had become ego-centric and obnoxious in their attitude, a symptom of a society whose social systems had been severely eroded, or dissolved altogether. Believers of  free market principles still praise Rogernomics for opening up NZ to the world economy, but I believe the negative consequences far outweigh any miniscule financial gain we attained. The entire point of Rogernomics was to pay off the national debt; a feat which it never even came close to accomplishing.

Free market principles at a local government level

The idea of using free market principles at a local government level, isn't a new one. It was already implemented in Colorado ten years ago. A spending cap was introduced that meant any social service was legally obligated to hold a binding referendum on any spending.  The results? On average, one in three street lights no longer work, buses no longer run at night or on weekends, public parks are left overgrown with grass and unmaintained, crime is the highest its ever been (the police were even forced to sell their last 2 helicopters on e-bay), people are more insular and afraid to come out of their homes, most social systems no longer exist or have been scaled back to a skeleton service.This place sounds more like an apocalyptic wasteland than a society. Implementers of this bill have compared community centres to "a bunch of parasites." This quite eloquently shows the mentality of  people who believe in free market capitalism.  Roger Kerr- member of the business round table and unelected advisor to Rodney Hide- believes the Colorado model should be introduced for Auckland, despite its obvious failure in America.

"Our" Supercity

The Auckland Supercity Bill not only eliminates the majority of elected officials, but sets a new precedent for Ministerial interference in the running of local government. It allows the Minister of Local Government (Rodney Hide) to appoint his cronies to the boards of all of the council’s CCOs (Council-controlled organisations). Many of the key functions of the Auckland Council, such as transport and water, will be siphoned off into these unaccountable CCOs, which meet behind closed doors.

Rodney Hide is advised and supported by key members of the Auckland business sector, as well as the Business Round Table (BRT)- which surprise surprise also supported Rogernomics. So why would these seemingly intelligent businessmen lobby for a system that had so obviously failed in other countries? The answer is simple- A free market environment increases profits for rich businessmen through decreased governmental competition-facilitating exponential price rises, price fixing, the buying of sought after government assets and also to obtain privileged unelected positions in CCO's  that allow them to manipulate the system for their own personal interest; positions given to them by their pin up boy- Rodney Hide. Besides that, rich elitists just get off on having power over us. It's the only way they can get it up.

We are in danger of losing our democracy. It is slowly being replaced by the corporate dictatorship form of government that exists in America.Write to your MP. Protest. Vote for a left-wing candidate in the coming supercity election. Do whatever you can, before we wake up in a country we don't recognise.

If you find my views of the coming theft of our democracy offensive, then I suggest you do your own research on the subject and read this enlightening expose from Herald writer Matt McCarten. Or for the technical workings of this fraud, I suggest skimming over the Royal Commission's inquiry into the Supercity, including some of the potential ramifications for the citizenry.


References:


 Swale, B. (23 June, 1999).  The New Zealand Economy and Rogernomics. http://homepages.caverock.net.nz/~bj/Economy.htm


The New Zealand Press Association (9 June, 2009). Rodney Hide Says Local Councils Need To Rein In Spending  http://www.guide2.co.nz/politics/news/rodney-hide-says-local-councils-need-to-rein-in-spending/11/8553  


Kerr, R. Business Round Table (19 April, 2010). Spending Cap An Idea Whose Time Has Come.
http://www.voxy.co.nz/politics/spending-cap-idea-whose-time-has-come/5/45441

The Independent. (17 April, 2010) Colorado: Criticisms and Republican Grassroots Support.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/read-our-lips-no-new-taxes-and-to-hell-with-the-results-1947239.html


Campbell, G. (3 May, 2010) Rodney Hide and The Colorado TABOR Model.
http://werewolf.co.nz/2010/05/rodney-hides-wet-hot-colorado-dream/

Shuh, A. (25 May, 2002) Corporations and the Environment.
http://www.globalissues.org/article/55/corporations-and-the-environment

Starfield, B. MD. (26 July, 2000) Doctors are the Third Leading Cause of Death in America.
http://www.health-care-reform.net/causedeath.htm

Investopedia. Definition of the Free Market
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/freemarket.asp

NZ Herald. (2 May 2010) Supercity Seeks Superpower.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10642122

Rodney District Council. (10 Feburary 2010) Auckland Governance Consultation.
http://www.rodney.govt.nz/AboutRodney/NewsNotices/Pages/AucklandGovernanceConsultation.aspx


McCarten, M. (December 20, 2009) Read Hide's Fine Print, Before he Steals our City.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10616545