Leadership and Vision

Welcome to my first post of the by-election campaign. Over the coming weeks I will cover a range of issues that I am hearing about from the community. In this first column however I want to talk in broader terms about the need for leadership and vision in government. I have a belief, unfashionable perhaps,

Let’s invest in people and communities

I’ve written elsewhere that I reject the notion that individual success and a strong public realm should be considered mutually exclusive. Our political paradigm sometimes makes people feel like they have to choose between one or the other. – if you want individual success you vote right, if you want good public services you vote

Light Rail to Roskill: Planning for the future

I’m utterly thrilled about Labour’s commitment today to bring modern Light Rail to Mt Roskill. Labour’s plan will see modern light rail from Wynyard corner, through the CBD, and down Dominion Rd to Mt Roskill. We’ve committed to funding fifty percent of the capital cost, in partnership with Auckland Council. You can read more details

What I’ve learned from Phil

What a privilege to attend last night’s inaugural meeting of the Auckland Council. The Council clearly needs a fresh start, and there are many good people at the table. Above all, I was stoked to witness my friend Phil Goff sworn in as our new Mayor. My friend and a mentor, I’ve known Phil since

Leadership and Vision

Welcome to my first post of the by-election campaign. Over the coming weeks I will cover a range of issues that I am hearing about from the community. In this first column however I want to talk in broader terms about the need for leadership and vision in government. I have a belief, unfashionable perhaps,

Backing a better way at Three Kings

They say that all politics is local, and in the Three Kings community the big local issue is development at and around Three Kings quarry. For me, there is huge potential here. Like most locals I agree that a large number of houses could be built on the site. My vision is for a high

Two days to send a message

This post was meant to be written last weekend, but our campaign for Mt Roskill hasn’t allowed much time for writing and posting. We’ve had a real whirlwind of activity; focussed on meeting as many voters as possible on the ground, and encouraging people to send a message by voting in the by-election. We’ve now