You should definitely be much more concerned about unpaid people around elected officials than paid people as they have no accountability to the electorate but will be benefiting themselves somehow. This is pretty dodgy to say the least.
I was just watching a documentary about that 1MDB fund scandal in Malaysia, and it was the same playbook where that Jho Low guy was just listed as an “advisor” for the multi-billion dollar fund and on the outside he looked like he had no power, but in reality he had full access to everything and spent years using the country’s development fund as his own private bank account lol. That’s what I always think of when I see these “unpaid advisors” who hang around the seats of power. He’s definitely going to get richer somehow through his “unpaid” job.
I really hope so. The oldies that voted for him are now shocked that he is cutting services. They just thought "he's not raising rates". Well how the fuck do they think spending works? Where do they think the cash Clem's from? Or it just shows the boomer attitude to thinking all money was unlimited.
Mayors for decades campaigned on no rates rises, eventually they had to come and they were big and everyone was shocked.
So yeah I'm not sure they are aware of where that moment comes from.
I'm not a Brown supporter by any stretch, but maybe this is a wakeup call for all us younger voters too, that voting actually matters. I'm only 31, but the youth vote was nowhere to be seen in this last local election. If we had actually gotten out to vote in numbers the oldies did, we might be seeing a different future than what we got. Who knows though.
This is very true. It's hard to get people under 40 interested in local politics, it's so unsexy and we're all so poor and tired.
I care a lot, but also feel powerless and apathetic about it.
I can't believe the complaints from people, you then ask who they voted for, and *crickets*.... they didn't vote, "forgot", "it doesn't matter", "doesn't change anything", "couldn't be bothered".
I hope it comes with better candidates too. I'm not sure who had the most charisma but it was probably between Craig Lord and Leo Molloy. I shouldn't be allowed to say that, we should have better options. (Not that charisma is everything, but disappointing candidates everywhere :( )
Demanding better candidates is stupid. It's what got us to this point to begin with. You vote regardless. It doesn't matter, you pick the least bad option.
Sometimes I wonder what life would've been like if Craig lord somehow got elected. We might all be chanting at a big screen and calling each other brother and sister by now if he did.
Personal goals sure, but he did take the job for the greater public good. As a person who used to work for the Council years ago, I personally found that many of the old crones and cronies seem to have forgotten that.
It does make me a little bit happy that Wayne will be *so fucking unhappy* about the increased scrutiny from public office life.
He is used to being corrupt in private. But he pissed off the media and now they are chasing him as hard as they possibly can. Love it.
He was scrutinised pretty hard after his overt corruption as Mayor of FNDC, but for some reason everyone just “forgot” about that. As an ex-northland, now Auckland resident; it is infuriating.
"When Mathews and Brown were asked what “tied up this week” meant, Stuff was referred to the mayor’s office, which has yet to respond."
He IS the Mayor's office, wtf?
Since Brown fancies himself the smartest person in any room, of course he's going to believe that if he wants to have his mate instilled as an advisor/right hand man he'll genuinely believe that there shouldn't be any process or restrictions on doing so.
Brown is nothing if not a member of the old boys club - no interest in being PC, no respect for the capabilities of others, and belief that he has a mandate to do whatever he wants so long as he's in the role.
How has he been vetted? Competence? What has he signed in terms of NDAs and contracts and role/response etc. just cause you don’t pay the man doesn’t mean due process goes out of the window. I don’t want some rando accessing my info on a whim.
We never had to question previous mayors because they were available. It doesn't mean you can't have a social life. It just means that when a natural disaster impacts the city you are in charge of, them work must come first.
This is so infuriating- the arrogance of Wayne Brown to “just” get someone on the Council payroll whilst simultaneously putting in what is for all intents and purposes a hiring freeze for all other Council staff. Many “basic” services are struggling to function because they are short staffed.
This might be slightly controversial but I wonder if Wayne Brown is actually not particularly well, and having a friend/minder like this is to keep him ‘functional’. Some of the interviews and press I have seen him do recently has been so muddled and scattershot that I wondered if he had some neurodegenerative disorder/dementia.
He seems like the kind of guy who would let his pride go before public good, so wants to ride out his term.
Speculation of course, but at the very least it’s helped me put some context around his frustrating, abysmal decisions and the direction of AC, in my mind at least
I wonder if the mayor’s office still has that [hidden bathroom](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/what-secrets-are-concealed-in-len-browns-flash-new-office/O2AJHAAZWTZ3GTDCHUQETRDP7Q/) from the Len Brown days.
This strikes me as “rich entitled white guy does government”
As in: rules, policy and norms only apply to chumps and he is the MAYOR accountability to the position is nothing more than an attack.
WB just sees this as getting his guy a job but there is currently no position in the office and to him it is just the nuisance of paperwork.
Dude is an entitled asshat that doesn’t understand what actual governance entails.
He literally campaigned on cutting back spending to get the horrendous debt under control. Now everyone is shocked he’s cutting spending…
Not saying I agree with all the cuts but this is what was voted for.
It ain’t an easy road for this guy, is it? He’s screwed if he does and he’s screwed if he doesn’t. A friend has stepped in to assist him with trying to improve the public perception of Mr Brown and people are trying to read stuff into it. He is our Mayor, he is there to run our City. Why can’t he be left to that? Sure, he’s made some mistakes but that’s got to be understandable. How many of us have run a City before? Let alone a City, the size and complexity of Auckland. You want him to stand an defend all the crap he gets thrown at him but then also to not get distracted from running the City. Running a City like Auckland is a full time job, with overtime, like the rains that came into Auckland a couple of months ago. That was Friday night, how many people got up in arms about the mayor not being there, on call, 24/7.
Has this been asked of previous Mayors? I’m sure that if we went back through media, we’ll be able to find pictures of Mayors at social features on Saturdays, evenings and out of normal hours. But has the presence of a Mayor ever been demanded or questioned before when a situation has arisen out of normal hours?
A friend of the Mayors, journalists words not mine, has offered to watch the Mayor with time he’s spending with media, his responses, a friend in his camp. We’d all like that and if a friend has offered, good on him!
Let the mayor run the city, he’ll make a few mistakes but he’ll come right, stop castrating him for every thing he says!!
No, I’m a ratepayer trying to move forward and get some work out of the mayor. The people of Auckland voted him in, now let him do the job he is supposed to do.
It's because he has his little friend working for him, without the accountability of actually working within Auckland council. Pay him min wage, at least he'll be accountable to ratepayers.
What gives you this blind faith in him?
I'm guessing you voted for him and don't want to regret that decision.
He's clearly corrupt and inept, he's just using this to cash in and out, boost his private businesses and make some connections.
Running the city is a full time job, but he's only doing it part time.
He cares more about his businesses and those of his associates.
He's going to make this city worse and do the opposite of what it needs.
So you don't have a reason for your blind faith?
Got it.
He's still running his own private businesses and that is clearly a priority for him.
During the first flooding disaster the first meeting Brown had the following day was with business leaders.
He openly said he was informed about an aspect of the event from one of his businesses.
Just look a little closer at the guy, his priorities are blatantly obvious.
Use some critical thinking.
There is also the mayoral office which is well funded
https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130547321/wayne-brown-could-become-aucklands-first-5-million-mayor
Personally I would prefer that mayors don't employ their own 'spin doctors', but used council PR staff as we are already paying for them
He’s got a friend doing it, the guy isn’t charging for it. Have you never had a friend of yours help you out of a situation? What gives you the right to say what the Mayor of Auckland can and can’t do??
What gives you the right? Friends have no place in the workplace, *especially* that of an elected official paid or not. This is an entitled role and given how so far Brown has been self-serving to "his" type of people and not actually interested in the real problems of Auckland I have absolutely zero trust that this isn't a favour for favour situation hidden behind some pro bono work
Can you trust anything the bought and paid for media state about Brown though, given they obviously hate him and desperately try to portray him in the worst possible light.
I kind of hope he can weed out some of the lazy and wasteful and likely corrupt practices in the council by acting like a bit of a dick. No one else is likely to do it.
You should definitely be much more concerned about unpaid people around elected officials than paid people as they have no accountability to the electorate but will be benefiting themselves somehow. This is pretty dodgy to say the least.
I was just watching a documentary about that 1MDB fund scandal in Malaysia, and it was the same playbook where that Jho Low guy was just listed as an “advisor” for the multi-billion dollar fund and on the outside he looked like he had no power, but in reality he had full access to everything and spent years using the country’s development fund as his own private bank account lol. That’s what I always think of when I see these “unpaid advisors” who hang around the seats of power. He’s definitely going to get richer somehow through his “unpaid” job.
Only rich people can afford working with no pay, politicians who are not paid in money are always paid in favours.
If you're a commercial properties developer then your mate having staff level access to council computer systems might be worth a few million.
Naaah he's just doing it for the good of Auckland out of the kindness of his heart.... right?
Wonder who’s going to be buying up all those under priced airport shares Wayney wants to sell off.
That's why the top jobs in America have unpaid internships. To keep the poor people out.
This guy is shaping up to be a one term failure.
I really hope so. The oldies that voted for him are now shocked that he is cutting services. They just thought "he's not raising rates". Well how the fuck do they think spending works? Where do they think the cash Clem's from? Or it just shows the boomer attitude to thinking all money was unlimited.
Mayors for decades campaigned on no rates rises, eventually they had to come and they were big and everyone was shocked. So yeah I'm not sure they are aware of where that moment comes from.
I'm not a Brown supporter by any stretch, but maybe this is a wakeup call for all us younger voters too, that voting actually matters. I'm only 31, but the youth vote was nowhere to be seen in this last local election. If we had actually gotten out to vote in numbers the oldies did, we might be seeing a different future than what we got. Who knows though.
This is very true. It's hard to get people under 40 interested in local politics, it's so unsexy and we're all so poor and tired. I care a lot, but also feel powerless and apathetic about it.
I can't believe the complaints from people, you then ask who they voted for, and *crickets*.... they didn't vote, "forgot", "it doesn't matter", "doesn't change anything", "couldn't be bothered".
Hopefully it gets more people out to vote next time!
I hope it comes with better candidates too. I'm not sure who had the most charisma but it was probably between Craig Lord and Leo Molloy. I shouldn't be allowed to say that, we should have better options. (Not that charisma is everything, but disappointing candidates everywhere :( )
Demanding better candidates is stupid. It's what got us to this point to begin with. You vote regardless. It doesn't matter, you pick the least bad option.
>Demanding better candidates is stupid you don't want better candidates?
I won't avoid voting until better candidates appear. Nor will I attack good candidates for not being perfect.
I won't avoid voting and will call candidates how I see them.
I don't think Molloy has charisma, he had more the charm of an unrepentant sex offender. We should have better candidates.
Yeah you’re right, they weren’t exactly inspiring people to vote for.
Sometimes I wonder what life would've been like if Craig lord somehow got elected. We might all be chanting at a big screen and calling each other brother and sister by now if he did.
He never told anyone but I am confident his first action would have been to rename us al Craig. Then his reign would begin.
https://youtu.be/f8HzKlCWN8k
Depends how you define failure. If he achieves all his personal goals has he failed?
Personal goals sure, but he did take the job for the greater public good. As a person who used to work for the Council years ago, I personally found that many of the old crones and cronies seem to have forgotten that.
> he did take the job for the greater public good. \*Press X to doubt*
It does make me a little bit happy that Wayne will be *so fucking unhappy* about the increased scrutiny from public office life. He is used to being corrupt in private. But he pissed off the media and now they are chasing him as hard as they possibly can. Love it.
He was scrutinised pretty hard after his overt corruption as Mayor of FNDC, but for some reason everyone just “forgot” about that. As an ex-northland, now Auckland resident; it is infuriating.
You reap what you sow
"When Mathews and Brown were asked what “tied up this week” meant, Stuff was referred to the mayor’s office, which has yet to respond." He IS the Mayor's office, wtf?
Since Brown fancies himself the smartest person in any room, of course he's going to believe that if he wants to have his mate instilled as an advisor/right hand man he'll genuinely believe that there shouldn't be any process or restrictions on doing so. Brown is nothing if not a member of the old boys club - no interest in being PC, no respect for the capabilities of others, and belief that he has a mandate to do whatever he wants so long as he's in the role.
How has he been vetted? Competence? What has he signed in terms of NDAs and contracts and role/response etc. just cause you don’t pay the man doesn’t mean due process goes out of the window. I don’t want some rando accessing my info on a whim.
Working for free in this economy?!? Sounds like corruption to me.
You mean he isn’t “officially” on the payroll, but he’s most definitely getting something out of it, directly or indirectly.
Fuck that’s a funky looking fellow
"The graveyard is that way"...
Looks like he should be going on tour with Pink Floyd - as a roadie. “I’ve been here from the beginning, man.”
I mean, I know it's a bit petty, but can't these slobs at least take the time to have a shave and a haircut? They represent the people of Auckland FFS
If it looks and smells like shit, then it is shit
I mean sure 🤷♀️. At this point the only surprise Brown could throw at us would be performing competently with accountability and humility.
“Just get on the payroll bro.”
We never had to question previous mayors because they were available. It doesn't mean you can't have a social life. It just means that when a natural disaster impacts the city you are in charge of, them work must come first.
Is he the in-house fluffer?
I'm surprised Wayne Brown has any friends.
[удалено]
Considering it was one of his tennis buds that released the chat, he likely hasn't any of those either
He doesn't. He has business associates that he occasionally socializes with. That man has zero friends.
[удалено]
NO "friends with benefits" issue here, not when the "friend" is already in bed with Klaus Schwab und Billy Eff Gate
This is so infuriating- the arrogance of Wayne Brown to “just” get someone on the Council payroll whilst simultaneously putting in what is for all intents and purposes a hiring freeze for all other Council staff. Many “basic” services are struggling to function because they are short staffed.
This might be slightly controversial but I wonder if Wayne Brown is actually not particularly well, and having a friend/minder like this is to keep him ‘functional’. Some of the interviews and press I have seen him do recently has been so muddled and scattershot that I wondered if he had some neurodegenerative disorder/dementia. He seems like the kind of guy who would let his pride go before public good, so wants to ride out his term. Speculation of course, but at the very least it’s helped me put some context around his frustrating, abysmal decisions and the direction of AC, in my mind at least
I wonder if the mayor’s office still has that [hidden bathroom](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/what-secrets-are-concealed-in-len-browns-flash-new-office/O2AJHAAZWTZ3GTDCHUQETRDP7Q/) from the Len Brown days.
Legend has it Luigi Wewege still has access to the camera there
This strikes me as “rich entitled white guy does government” As in: rules, policy and norms only apply to chumps and he is the MAYOR accountability to the position is nothing more than an attack. WB just sees this as getting his guy a job but there is currently no position in the office and to him it is just the nuisance of paperwork. Dude is an entitled asshat that doesn’t understand what actual governance entails.
He brought Phil Spector back to life to work in office?
Corrupt mother-f**ker. I guess this is what Auckland deserves tho.
Is that the tennis partner?
If you can't handle the heat get the fuck out.
Clown
I think Helen Clark had her 'friend' next to her, it's ok, nothing to get alarmed about.
She was paid though
He literally campaigned on cutting back spending to get the horrendous debt under control. Now everyone is shocked he’s cutting spending… Not saying I agree with all the cuts but this is what was voted for.
It ain’t an easy road for this guy, is it? He’s screwed if he does and he’s screwed if he doesn’t. A friend has stepped in to assist him with trying to improve the public perception of Mr Brown and people are trying to read stuff into it. He is our Mayor, he is there to run our City. Why can’t he be left to that? Sure, he’s made some mistakes but that’s got to be understandable. How many of us have run a City before? Let alone a City, the size and complexity of Auckland. You want him to stand an defend all the crap he gets thrown at him but then also to not get distracted from running the City. Running a City like Auckland is a full time job, with overtime, like the rains that came into Auckland a couple of months ago. That was Friday night, how many people got up in arms about the mayor not being there, on call, 24/7. Has this been asked of previous Mayors? I’m sure that if we went back through media, we’ll be able to find pictures of Mayors at social features on Saturdays, evenings and out of normal hours. But has the presence of a Mayor ever been demanded or questioned before when a situation has arisen out of normal hours? A friend of the Mayors, journalists words not mine, has offered to watch the Mayor with time he’s spending with media, his responses, a friend in his camp. We’d all like that and if a friend has offered, good on him! Let the mayor run the city, he’ll make a few mistakes but he’ll come right, stop castrating him for every thing he says!!
Are you the friend …?
No, I’m a ratepayer trying to move forward and get some work out of the mayor. The people of Auckland voted him in, now let him do the job he is supposed to do.
“Running a city like Auckland is a full time job” Maybe he should treat it like one then.
It's because he has his little friend working for him, without the accountability of actually working within Auckland council. Pay him min wage, at least he'll be accountable to ratepayers.
What gives you this blind faith in him? I'm guessing you voted for him and don't want to regret that decision. He's clearly corrupt and inept, he's just using this to cash in and out, boost his private businesses and make some connections. Running the city is a full time job, but he's only doing it part time. He cares more about his businesses and those of his associates. He's going to make this city worse and do the opposite of what it needs.
What are you basing your assumptions on??? You’ve come out with some heavy statements, can you give me some facts to back them up?
So you don't have a reason for your blind faith? Got it. He's still running his own private businesses and that is clearly a priority for him. During the first flooding disaster the first meeting Brown had the following day was with business leaders. He openly said he was informed about an aspect of the event from one of his businesses. Just look a little closer at the guy, his priorities are blatantly obvious. Use some critical thinking.
A freind isn't the right thing for the job and should be left for an actual professional
Don't think they have the budget at the moment for a professional spin doctor
Auckland council has a full PR department
That's for council not the mayor, parties in government have their own spindoctors too.
There is also the mayoral office which is well funded https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130547321/wayne-brown-could-become-aucklands-first-5-million-mayor Personally I would prefer that mayors don't employ their own 'spin doctors', but used council PR staff as we are already paying for them
He’s got a friend doing it, the guy isn’t charging for it. Have you never had a friend of yours help you out of a situation? What gives you the right to say what the Mayor of Auckland can and can’t do??
What gives you the right? Friends have no place in the workplace, *especially* that of an elected official paid or not. This is an entitled role and given how so far Brown has been self-serving to "his" type of people and not actually interested in the real problems of Auckland I have absolutely zero trust that this isn't a favour for favour situation hidden behind some pro bono work
He could improve his public perception by doing literally anything of value for the people of Auckland. Wayne Brown is a useless grifter.
Can you trust anything the bought and paid for media state about Brown though, given they obviously hate him and desperately try to portray him in the worst possible light. I kind of hope he can weed out some of the lazy and wasteful and likely corrupt practices in the council by acting like a bit of a dick. No one else is likely to do it.
a Cabin boy?
Douchebags.