Latest FromBrian Rudman on Auckland
Brian Rudman: Council can't let AT take it for a ride
This week Mayor Len Brown was caught asleep at the wheel. Neither he nor his retainers were aware, until alerted by the media, that a resolution was about to go before councillors.
Brian Rudman: Catton clash shabby, but trumps the Harawiras
As we head into the Waitangi Day circus, Titewhai and her whanau have been gazumped by literary prima donna Eleanor Catton, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Get real, Len, and look at the trams
Auckland mayor is struggling to put together a budget that will accommodate his magnificent obsession, the $2.5b underground City Rail Link, Brian Rudman writes.
Brian Rudman: Welcome to 'lickspittles to foreign dictators' club
The things you have to do to keep on side with your oil merchant, writes Brian Rudman. Wouldn't a card and pohutukawa blossoms been enough for the Saudi king?
Brian Rudman: Liveable Len could stop the chop
Just because pohutukawa trees prosper in Auckland's coastal setting is not a reason to treat them as a weed and hack them down when they get in the way of a road builder.
Brian Rudman: Paris mourners display shameless hypocrisy
Russian President Vladimir Putin's new-found love of "free speech" was too much for surviving Hebdo cartoonist Bernard Holtrop to stomach, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Terrorism no justification to fight others' wars
Government MP Mark Mitchell argues that the Sydney hostage drama is 100 per cent justification for the anti-terrorist legislation he helped bulldoze through Parliament last week.
Brian Rudman: Remember John - we could lose again
We all know John Key is susceptible to brain fade when it comes to historic events, writes Brian Rudman. But to forget what happened at Gallipoli 99 years ago does suggest he should really start upping his ginseng and cod-liver oil intake.
Brian Rudman: Labour needs to look at back office
Taking the party organisation by the scruff of the neck and giving it a good shake might be a good start to ensuring his longevity, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Loyalty's reward? Ankle bracelets
If I were running Mercury, I'd regard people like myself as perfect customers, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Windfall for the few should go to the community
With Auckland councillors searching the city vaults looking for a long-forgotten hoard of gold bars to fund their "visions", it was only a matter of time before someone zeroed in on the $2....
Brian Rudman: Take the revolutionary road, Len
What a shame Mayor Len Brown doesn't surrender to his inner revolutionary when it comes to Auckland's transport woes.
Brian Rudman: Justice can and must be served
Mercy is not what the innocent seek. It's justice, writes Brian Rudman. An independent body, sifting all the facts in a dispassionate way, is the best way to get to the truth.
Brian Rudman: At last! Hope for St James Theatre
Given Auckland's chequered history in saving heritage buildings, best to keep the Lindauer on ice for the time being, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: One man's dream a nightmare for poor students
As the Labour Party goes through its latest leader selection circus, could I suggest they avoid anyone who admits to having visions.
Brian Rudman: If Key wants to send troops, here's a better war
The argument that if we don't join the American crusade to wipe out Muslim fanatics in Iraq and Syria, they'll swoop down to Godzone and behead us all is a rerun of the old Vietnam War domino theory....
Brian Rudman: Forget the myth, let's talk about Waitangi charge
Prime Minister John Key says he's upset that the Waitangi National Trust is charging New Zealanders $15 to enter the historic Waitangi Treaty Grounds.
Brian Rudman: Labour must retake centre-left, with a new leader
Late Saturday night, while Labour Party workers were still cleaning up the blood from the worst electoral thrashing the party had received since 1922, leader David Cunliffe was busy on his computer trying to save his skin.
Brian Rudman: $25m dream a bridge too far
Who wants to shell out a king's ransom for "optimal uplift" of a bridge on Auckland's waterfront when there's already a decent one there, asks Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Dotcom's been pipped ... but it's politics as usual
Spare a thought for German money-bags Kim Dotcom. He's spending more than $3 million to buy himself into the general election.
Brian Rudman: The housing crisis - a private solution
At long last the cavalry has ridden in to deal to Auckland's housing crisis. Indeed, not one cavalry, but several.
Brian Rudman: Auckland volcanic cones settlement
No doubt the Government was delighted the publicity following last month's Auckland volcanic cones treaty settlement was dominated by talk of the replacement tree for Maungakiekie.
Brian Rudman: It's only dirty politics when someone else does it
John Key damned 'News of the World'-style tactics during the 'teapot tapes' saga but shrugs off his adviser's infiltration of Labour Party records, writes Brian Rudman.
Brian Rudman: Drop the dreams, we need reality
In the Auckland Council's brief existence it has inspired enough "visions" to rival the Vatican's 2000-year-old collection. Queen's Wharf, coastal walkways, sewers, volcanic cones - scratch the surface and you'll find a corny vision to go with it.