Conservatives in the mainstream media keep giving me plenty of things to comment on, bless their stoney little hearts, and I'm happy to accept the gift. Today's turn is the New Zealand Herald and its coverage of New Zealand's local elections, Auckland's in particular.
The Herald is New Zealand's largest daily newspaper and seems to have a vendetta against the Auckland City Council that endures irrespective of who's mayor. Which makes it odd that their reporter, Bernard Orsman, seemed barely able to contain his glee that Aucklanders who bothered to vote returned failed mayor John Banks to the position they turfed him out of three years ago.
On the Herald website, Orsman wrote: “In a remarkable comeback, Mr Banks capitalised on three years of soaring property and rates bills, political infighting on the left-leaning council and poorly managed projects like the $43.5 million Queen St upgrade.”
There's much in that statement that's debatable, including the “left-leaning” description, unless he meant as compared with the right wing bunch who ran the council prior to 2004 (the same crowd, actually, who will now have a big majority of the seats on the Council). “Poorly managed projects”, a list he adds to later in the article, can also be a matter of opinion. He later says the City Vision councillors “went crazy with the chequebook”. While his main point that rates and water rates soared was true, his language was inflammatory and unprofessional in a supposed news story. That kind of language, and the overall tone of much of the article, belongs in an opinion column (and opinionated blogs, like this one).
Orsman wrote, “Mr Banks entered the race in July, promising a new style and new policies. He has promised to consult ratepayers in future and build goodwill,” but had also quoted him as saying “My mayoralty will be driven by goodwill, affordable progress and constant decisive leadership.” It's this last part that's worrying, because it was Banks' arrogance and chutzpah that defeated him in 2004; is Auckland in for a re-run? Will they kick him out again in three years? Orsman can't answer that, but neither did he raise the questions or even acknowledge that plenty of Aucklanders are worried about Banks version 2.
Among those who will be watching are those in Auckland's GLBT communities. In his campaign, Banks made overtures to GLBT voters, but as Mayor last time he was openly hostile, and in fact has a long history of homophobic statements (which he denied while on the campaign trail). Many of the Councillors elected with him are likely to be homophobic (at least one is rabidly so). They will all need to be watched.
In brighter news, New Zealand elected its first out lesbian Mayor, Jenny Rowan, who was elected Mayor of Kapiti Coast, which is about 40 minutes north of Wellington. Also, a man described as an “arch-homophobe” by GayNZ.com was defeated in his attempt to oust the gay-friendly Mayor of Waitakere City in west Auckland.
All of which means we should be thankful for the alternative media who will tell us what the mainstream news media can't, or won't. I have a feeling we may be relying on them quite a bit over the next three years.
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