KEY POINTS:
There was more confusion over City Vision's water policy yesterday when one of the co-leaders appointed to replace Bruce Hucker on Wednesday, Vern Walsh, said higher water bills were in line with party policy.
Less than 24 hours after Dr Hucker was dumped as leader for supporting higher water bills, Mr Walsh defended his support for raising water bills 9.6 and 9.1 per cent in consecutive years. The price increases were in line with party policy of "keeping water prices affordable", he said.
The centre-left ticket has been divided over water policy, with Dr Hucker, Mr Walsh and Penny Sefuiva offside with the majority of the nine-strong City Vision-Labour caucus.
City Vision promised in 2004 not to treat Metrowater as a "commercial commodity", to have "fairly priced" water and abolish user charges for wastewater and pay for it out of rates, in the same way stormwater was financed.
City Vision councillors are trying to park their differences over soaring water bills by focusing on a new water policy. Mr Walsh called his support for higher water bills "historical" and indicated the new policy would lead to lower prices.
Water Pressure Group spokeswoman Penny Bright said Mr Walsh's comments showed City Vision had replaced one "sell-out" councillor with another.
"He has reneged on City Vision's 2004 election promise. Why would he care about a new policy when he is standing down?" she said.
The Herald's reporting of the water issue came under fire yesterday. Mr Walsh told Radio Live "if you want your facts, avoid the Herald".
Labour councillor Richard Northey told colleagues the Herald had told him that councillor Neil Abel leaked Dr Hucker's resignation to the newspaper.
The Herald never spoke to Mr Northey on the issue. Besides, Mr Abel was not the source.
Mr Walsh, a former Citizens & Ratepayers politician who is standing down at October's local body elections, was appointed with Mr Northey yesterday to share the leadership until the elections.
Dr Hucker continued his silence yesterday on whether he would back down on his hardline on water bills and toe the party line.
