Brian Rudman: Black, red and white flag a spark of sense
The faith modern executives have in the transformational powers of rebranding is remarkable.
The faith modern executives have in the transformational powers of rebranding is remarkable.
Hopefully Alf Filipaina, chairman of Auckland Council's Unitary Plan committee, is right when he wrote in Wednesday's Herald that most Aucklanders want to protect our cultural heritage.
Two of the Cunliffe donors have had their money refunded to preserve their anonymity - and who could blame them, writes Brian Rudman. For the small amounts, who needs the hassle.
Aucklanders are notoriously slack when it comes to preserving our heritage. A resident was fined for hacking into the scoria flow of his unique Mt Eden-edge lava forest property.
The "right to enjoy owning dogs" has to be protected, even at the cost of 20,000 human victims, writes Brian Rudman.
Mike Williams, quipped that Cunliffe's choice was either a stroke of brilliance or of lunacy, writes Brian Rudman. Certainly keeping the reins on McCarten is going to be a task for Cunliffe.
There were times when whistles should have been blown and loudly, but were not, writes Brian Rudman. Is it any wonder the police are taking their time?
Labour's decision to back the fast-tracking of Auckland's $2.86 billion city rail link at this year's general election is the good news.
Millionaire Colin Craig says this is the sixth defamation threat he has instructed his lawyers to send out since entering the political arena, writes Brian Rudman.
Bad loser to the end, AT has finally caved in and admitted it was all bluster, writes Brian Rudman. It has no power to force neighbouring residents to mow AT's adjacent roadside berm.
Surely the scandal of school donations should have been Ms Parata's focus this week, rather than a bloated taskforce set up to appease the ideological sensibilities of Act, writes Brian Rudman.
What grates is the cavalier, non-consultative process involved in the selection of the Queens Wharf site, writes Brian Rudman. As far as I can ascertain, it's been presented as a fait accompli to Waterfront Auckland.
After years of Labour and National concentrating on winning the political middle ground, both party leaders have launched their 2014 election campaigns by reaching out to their respective left and right heartlands.
Residential prospects should never have entered university-council deal for much-needed sporting facilities, writes Brian Rudman.
The Brown hearing was more akin to a show trial, writes Brian Rudman.
However John Key tries to spin the result, the 67.2 per cent to 32.5 per cent vote against asset sales was emphatic, writes Brian Rudman.
Regardless of the rights or wrongs of the upgrades arithmetic, the mayor's reputation is in tatters, writes Brian Rudman. His redemption, and his legacy, now relies on him delivering the goods.
Like the colourful Mayor Rob Ford of Toronto, Mr Brown, if he so desires, can sit it out until hell freezes over, writes Brian Rudman. That's unless he's chased out of town and thus ceases to remain an elector.
The Auditor-General's damning report into the Kaipara District Council's Mangawhai sewerage scheme is a salutary counterbalance to the positive Ernst and Young report on the public private partnership model for building new infrastructure.
If there's any compromises that have to be made to persuade native birds to become urbanised, it's surely time for humans to do the bending, writes Brian Rudman.
The basic problem Mayor Brown needs to confront is not how his extra roads and railways and tunnels are to be built, writes Brian Rudman. It's how best to prune his $12 billion shopping list.
Len Brown has written to the seven council-controlled organisations that together run the business side of the Super City, reminding them they are members of Team Auckland, not macho, self-governing, fiefdoms.
I'm not a fan of binding referendums, writes Brian Rudman. Like mass petitions, they're a one-sided megaphone that is no substitute for the checks and balances built into the parliamentary process.
Researchers from Australia have come up with a way of putting a dollar value to the "feel-good" factor of a major culture event, writes Brian Rudman.
Mayor Len Brown makes great play of telling Auckland councillors to leave their politics at the door of city hall.
A few days ago, former Tory Prime Minister Sir John Major said it was truly shocking that "every single sphere of British influence" in society was dominated by men.
Auckland Transport is acting like an Indonesian execution squad, refusing to give victims any prior warning of their appointed date with destiny, writes Brian Rudman.
The thriving performing arts side of Auckland's $1.31 billion arts and culture economy is all but forgotten, writes Brian Rudman.
For nearly a week, anonymous blogger Kracklite slagged off the police in the most vituperative way, writes Brian Rudman. Then he got a call at home from none other than Police Commissioner Peter Marshall.
Years of neglect and wilful damage to the cones will have to be addressed before we can invite the Unesco judges to inspect them, writes Brian Rudman.