Hector McLachlan

musician

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@Bob247874 I think the NZDA is good and many Fish & Game councils are fantastic fresh water advocates, but increasingly 'hunters' are politically represented by heli hunting tourism firms et al. who are having a terrible influence on conservation and public access

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@comrade_dcs @smithkstead it's Lord Echo's in Pātea

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@MusicalChairs14 scandalous!

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@rustie5555 agreed. gotta make the most of the predator free efforts

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@JoelMacManus This is great but misses the existing protected lane from Kilbirnie up Crawford Road that meets the top of Constable St, and the piece of uphill protected lane at the top of Constable St

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@Bob247874 A funny idea I had during the last gov was that Labour had a secret list of policies which detailed a pretty solid social democratic programme which they would pick from every now and then to appease the people. E.g. Hillside rebuild, free dental, Jobs for Nature, etc.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@salviapalth with a state of the art private hospital, private clinic, and private radiology clinic literally on the same site

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@RichardHills_ NFP (left bloc) have the most MPs but don't have an absolute majority. They proposed a candidate for PM but RE (Macron) used outgoing ministers (unconstitutional), and worked with LR (right) and RN (vichy), to vote in an RE PM again, despite being decimated in the elections.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@Bob247874 I disagree. I think both parties have been pretty firm that cops should be underpaid, and that there should be less local policing. The Police Association seems to be run by people who don't mind low pay and bad conditions, so long as they can get more discretionary powers.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@nikau4poneke @Video_Forensics @WgtnCC @dpfdpf I guess the difficulty is that the council doesn't really have any good mechanisms for financially benefitting from the increased economic activity that WellingtonNZ is mandated to encourage.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@ponekeben @nikau4poneke we can now assume that O'Neill, Matthews and Rodgers have 'changed their minds' and now support selling the shares.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@Bob247874 @CSS_NewZealand yeah but, unlike AKL, Christchurch has maintained a deep passion for public ownership, social services, community arts and music, and conservation.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@CSS_NewZealand @Bob247874 I'm not denying that each city has its own little group of elites, I'm saying more that in Auckland casual racisms, crime anxiety, and bizarre prejudices around where people live, went to school etc. are really deep rooted among ordinary people, and are reflected in the culture.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

This is bad, but also shows that the GWRC's intervention into the union and the operators' bargaining – topping up drivers' pay from council coffers – was highly problematic from the start. It's subsidising and condoning low wages, and now operators think they're entitled to it.

[Craig Renney @CLRenney]

Ed Miller @labourcartel and I have a piece up on one of the underreported cuts in the Budget - $47m being taken away from Bus Drivers. Not to support public transport, but to support tax relief for Landlords. Something to think about when the bus is late. https://t.co/mZ1wQhnksl

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@Bob247874 I reckon Auckland is the only place in NZ with a genuine right wing popular political culture. It's where our ruling class lives, and where they've been able to constitute themselves properly as a class and effectively spread their ideas and culture among working people

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@RebeccaJEmm If you really believe they are essential, then you and your colleagues should be working to substantially increase the revenue of the council so that we can afford them.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@grogersxyz @JumpJamLuvr Something tangible that WCC could do to improve the situation (and its finances) would be to buy one of the bus operator contracts. It's steady cash for the city, and it would allow us to speed up the electrification process, improve workers' lives, and suggest network expansions

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@RebeccaJEmm I'm not advocating antagonising officials, but success has come from taking initiative, and we have lost when we haven't. Without T Paul requesting a full bike network option, we wouldn't have these lanes. No one came up with an alternative for City Housing, and now it's gone.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@RebeccaJEmm In saying ur power comes from votes, ur conceding swathes of territory to the ELT, consultants, business etc. U resign councillors to being forever on the back foot, having very little control over the terms of debate, what is being voted on, policy direction, access to info etc.

[Hector McLachlan @hector_lev]

@AbsentHog Also, (in NZ) house prices are primarily determined by the amount people are willing to pay. So a large increase in rates can only push those prices down, which in turn pushes landlords out and helps lower rents