Q: Why aren't you all standing as independents?A: There are groups of like-minded candidates standing together across Auckland. We think this has worked very well for many other areas across the city as it creates a cohesive Board focused on delivering for its community.
Previously the Board was made up of independents. Often this meant there was no cooperation and we think this is a bad thing for Rodney because it took a lot longer to make decisions, in fact sometimes agreement could not be reached. In a fast-growing district such as ours, we cannot afford to have this sort of political deadlock.
We think giving a clear set of policies and agreeing to stick to these as a group, plus seeking out high-quality candidates with excellent skills, offers a great choice for Rodney voters.
Q: Are you aligned to any political party?A: No. Central Government politics doesn't play much of a role in the decisions we have to make as a Local Board, our team comes from across the political spectrum and is focused on doing the best for Rodney.
Q: Will you be endorsing a Mayoral candidate?A: No, to be effective we need to be prepared to work with whoever is elected as Councillor and Mayor to ensure the best outcomes for Rodney, so we are not going to endorse any particular candidate.
Q: How can I be sure your candidates will stick to your policies?A: Candidates worked together on developing our policy platform to ensure everyone was in agreement with our proposals. Outside our agreed priorities members are free to exercise their own decisions on issues.
Q: Does being part of a group mean that all Rodney First members have to vote the same way on every single issue?A: Not at all, outside the agreed policy platform we campaigned on members are completely free to exercise their own choice on how they vote. During the last term there were a couple of examples where members decided not to support a particular direction the Board took and exercised their independence in voting.
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