Party lines blurred in local govt

Academic wants candidates to be more transparent in their political allegiances

Local politics is not like national politics when it comes to party lines. Politicians from opposing parties sometimes share the same platform and policies, politicians of the same hue often oppose one another, and many politicians just stand on an “Independent” platform.

For example, Auckland Mayor and former Labour MP Phil Goff chose Bill Cashmore, a member of the National Party, to be his deputy. Alf Filipaina and Efeso Collins are both Labour councillors for Manukau on the Auckland Council, but vote differently on many issues.

On the North Shore at this election, former Alliance MP Grant Gillon and National Party member Danielle Grant are standing together on a ticket, More for the Shore. The name implies they will do more for locals than incumbents Richard Hills and Chris Darby, who share values but are standing on different tickets.

What this says is that party political lines can be blurred.

Generally speaking, political tickets like City Vision — Labour, Green and community independents — have left-leaning policies and are likely to support higher rates and debt for community, social and environmental outcomes.

Right-leaning tickets like Communities and Residents, and Better Auckland, are likely to want to hold rates down, reduce waste and be more open to selling assets.

Dr Karen Webster, a researcher in local government at AUT, said what makes local politics different to national politics is local politics is based on local issues.

At local government, she said, politicians have to work together.

“Governance that represents more views from the community is going to be more sustainable governance than governance that dominates one particular view in the community,” Webster said.

She said political affiliation is important for people to be aware of during the election period and she would like to see more people being open about it.

Webster said a great concern was the non-transparency of National Party tickets, saying she did a count at the first Super City elections in 2010 and found National stood 96 candidates.

“I call that covert affiliation because they don’t use the brand,” said Webster, saying Labour openly stands candidates under its name.

AUT research has found since the Super City was set up in 2010, candidates affiliated to a central political party are more likely to win seats and candidates standing under local groups also do quite well because they can clearly communicate policy platforms.