Citizens and Ratepayers Now
Encyclopedia
Citizens & Ratepayers is an established right
-leaning local body
ticket
in Auckland
, New Zealand
. The Citizens and Ratepayers Association was formed in 1937 with a view to control the Auckland City Council
and prevent the left
-leaning Labour Party
from control. It has mostly controlled Auckland City since World War II.
(driven in particular by C&R councillor, then Mayor, Sir Jack Allum). Other notable events include management of the city during World War II, construction of Auckland International Airport
, and construction of the Civic Administration building.
In more recent years, C&R constructed the Aotea Centre, brought in updated by-laws, and commenced a number of cultural initiatives, including construction of a new central library, extensive renovation of the Auckland City Art Gallery in the mid 1980s, and reaching around 300 parks and reserves within the Auckland City limits. Cultural and community centres were also constructed at a rapid pace.
In 1989, amalgamation of the various council boroughs around Auckland saw the potential for some significant upheaval to the management of Auckland City. However, this was overseen with relatively little angst, in the words of Graham Bush, Auckland City Historian. C&R enjoyed almost constant control of the Auckland City in the second half of the 20th century. C&R rarely stood mayoral candidates, preferring to concentrate on the council organisation, but has given tacit and low key approval short of endorsement to some mayoral candidates.
During the 1990s, Citizens and Ratepayers came under some criticism for being seen as inflexible and out of touch with voters. Many of the C&R councillors had served for many years and there was a perception that it was lacking in fresh faces. Public discontent over issues like Metrowater, waste removal, the Britomart Transport Centre
and proposed property developments alongside it saw sustained criticism of Auckland's political management.
roots. This new organisation, Auckland NOW, was successful in winning only two council seats, but its contesting the election across the city split the centre-right vote and ended C&R control of the city.
After the 1998 election, a rapprochement between the Citizens and Ratepayers Association and Auckland Now occurred, with an agreement to contest the 2001 elections together under the brand "Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now". This merged organisation was successful in winning back the council, simultaneously with the election of the independent socially conservative centre-right mayor John Banks
.
However, at the 2004 election, a backlash occurred against C&R Now in some wards, seeing control of the city go to the left-wing City Vision ticket, as well as the election of a new mayor, Dick Hubbard
.
During the 2004–2007 term, a new constitution for C&R was proposed, with the effect that many in Auckland NOW joined C&R, and the organisations were effectively merged to contest the 2007 election. C&R gained significantly in the 2007 elections, capturing a majority on the Auckland City Council, in addition to the re-election of John Banks. In the 2010 elections, the first for the new Auckland
Council, C&R won just five seats on the twenty seat council and John Banks was well beaten in the mayoral election by incumbent Manukau City mayor Len Brown
.
The team leader for Citizens & Ratepayers is former Auckland City Mayor Chris Fletcher
; the previous leader and former deputy mayor of Auckland City was David Hay
, a former mayor of Mt Roskill Borough Council. Hay served as deputy mayor of Auckland City Council for three separate, non-contiguous terms. From 2010 to Early 2011 Jami-Lee Ross
, a Councillor for Howick was co-leader alongside Fletcher but in 2011 was elected an MP in the Botany By-election which saw the resignation of National MP and Women's Affairs Minister Pansy Wong
.
C&R also contests other regional elections in Auckland, including the Auckland Regional Council (a transport and environmental body), the Auckland District Health Board (which controls the management of Auckland's main health agency), plus controls the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust
that controls Vector Limited
, plus contests various licensing trusts for public bars.
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
-leaning local body
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
ticket
Ticket (election)
A ticket refers to a single election choice which fills more than one political office or seat. For example, in the U.S., the candidates for President and Vice President run on the same "ticket", because they are elected together on a single ballot question rather than separately.A ticket can also...
in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Citizens and Ratepayers Association was formed in 1937 with a view to control the Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council
Auckland City Council was the local government authority representing Auckland City, New Zealand, and was amalgamated into the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. It was an elected body representing the 404,658 residents of the city...
and prevent the left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
-leaning Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
from control. It has mostly controlled Auckland City since World War II.
History
The Citizens & Ratepayers Association (C&R) was formed in 1937. During the period 1944–1971, the Auckland City Council was under the control of C&R except for three years from 1953 to 1956. C&R people were involved in the sanitation and drainage infrastructure for Auckland and the Auckland Harbour BridgeAuckland Harbour Bridge
The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
(driven in particular by C&R councillor, then Mayor, Sir Jack Allum). Other notable events include management of the city during World War II, construction of Auckland International Airport
Auckland International Airport
Auckland Airport is the largest and busiest airport in New Zealand with over 13 million passengers a year, expected to more than double by 2025...
, and construction of the Civic Administration building.
In more recent years, C&R constructed the Aotea Centre, brought in updated by-laws, and commenced a number of cultural initiatives, including construction of a new central library, extensive renovation of the Auckland City Art Gallery in the mid 1980s, and reaching around 300 parks and reserves within the Auckland City limits. Cultural and community centres were also constructed at a rapid pace.
In 1989, amalgamation of the various council boroughs around Auckland saw the potential for some significant upheaval to the management of Auckland City. However, this was overseen with relatively little angst, in the words of Graham Bush, Auckland City Historian. C&R enjoyed almost constant control of the Auckland City in the second half of the 20th century. C&R rarely stood mayoral candidates, preferring to concentrate on the council organisation, but has given tacit and low key approval short of endorsement to some mayoral candidates.
During the 1990s, Citizens and Ratepayers came under some criticism for being seen as inflexible and out of touch with voters. Many of the C&R councillors had served for many years and there was a perception that it was lacking in fresh faces. Public discontent over issues like Metrowater, waste removal, the Britomart Transport Centre
Britomart Transport Centre
Britomart Transport Centre is the CBD public transport hub of Auckland, New Zealand, and the northern terminus of the North Island Main Trunk line. It combines a bus interchange with a railway station in a former Edwardian post office, extended with expansive post-modernist architectural elements...
and proposed property developments alongside it saw sustained criticism of Auckland's political management.
Recent elections
In the 1998 election, a new ticket was formed by former C&R members with a view to bringing the "old" C&R organisation back to its more fiscally prudent and centre-rightCentre-right
The centre-right or center-right is a political term commonly used to describe or denote individuals, political parties, or organizations whose views stretch from the centre to the right on the left-right spectrum, excluding far right stances. Centre-right can also describe a coalition of centrist...
roots. This new organisation, Auckland NOW, was successful in winning only two council seats, but its contesting the election across the city split the centre-right vote and ended C&R control of the city.
After the 1998 election, a rapprochement between the Citizens and Ratepayers Association and Auckland Now occurred, with an agreement to contest the 2001 elections together under the brand "Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now". This merged organisation was successful in winning back the council, simultaneously with the election of the independent socially conservative centre-right mayor John Banks
John Banks (New Zealand)
John Archibald Banks, CNZM QSO is a New Zealand politician. He served as Mayor of Auckland City for two terms, from 2001 to 2004, and from 2007 to 2010...
.
However, at the 2004 election, a backlash occurred against C&R Now in some wards, seeing control of the city go to the left-wing City Vision ticket, as well as the election of a new mayor, Dick Hubbard
Dick Hubbard
Richard "Dick" John Hubbard ONZM, DSc is a New Zealand businessman and politician, founder and principal of Hubbards Foods in Auckland, and Mayor of Auckland City from 2004 to 2007. His management of Hubbard Foods gained some prominence for its participation in and promotion of socially...
.
During the 2004–2007 term, a new constitution for C&R was proposed, with the effect that many in Auckland NOW joined C&R, and the organisations were effectively merged to contest the 2007 election. C&R gained significantly in the 2007 elections, capturing a majority on the Auckland City Council, in addition to the re-election of John Banks. In the 2010 elections, the first for the new Auckland
Auckland Region
The Auckland Region was one of the sixteen regions of New Zealand, named for the city of Auckland, the country's largest urban area. With one third of the nation's residents, it was by far the biggest population and economy of any region of New Zealand, but the second-smallest land area.On 1...
Council, C&R won just five seats on the twenty seat council and John Banks was well beaten in the mayoral election by incumbent Manukau City mayor Len Brown
Len Brown
Len Brown is the Mayor of Auckland in New Zealand and the head of the Auckland Council. He won the 2010 Auckland mayoral election on 9 October 2010 and was sworn in as Mayor of Auckland on 1 November 2010, being the first to hold that title for the amalgamated Auckland 'Super City'...
.
The team leader for Citizens & Ratepayers is former Auckland City Mayor Chris Fletcher
Christine Fletcher
Christine Fletcher, QSO is an Auckland Council councillor and also prominent for her former New Zealand politics positions, both in Parliament and as Mayor of Auckland City. She was the second woman to serve as mayor of Auckland...
; the previous leader and former deputy mayor of Auckland City was David Hay
David Hay (Auckland politician)
David Hay is the Deputy Mayor of Auckland City Council for the Citizens & Ratepayers ticket. He is a former Mayor of Mt Roskill Borough Council, and a former Auckland Regional Council politician ....
, a former mayor of Mt Roskill Borough Council. Hay served as deputy mayor of Auckland City Council for three separate, non-contiguous terms. From 2010 to Early 2011 Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross
Jami-Lee Ross is a New Zealand National Party Member of Parliament for Botany, having won the 2011 Botany by-election on 5 March.-Early life:...
, a Councillor for Howick was co-leader alongside Fletcher but in 2011 was elected an MP in the Botany By-election which saw the resignation of National MP and Women's Affairs Minister Pansy Wong
Pansy Wong
Pansy Yu Fong Wong is a former New Zealand politician. She was New Zealand's first Asian MP, serving as a member of parliament for the National Party from 1996 to 2011...
.
C&R also contests other regional elections in Auckland, including the Auckland Regional Council (a transport and environmental body), the Auckland District Health Board (which controls the management of Auckland's main health agency), plus controls the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust
Auckland Energy Consumer Trust
Auckland Energy Consumer Trust is a trust for electricity consumers in Auckland, New Zealand. Formed in 1993 as sole owner of the original Mercury Energy Limited, it is now majority owner of energy distributor Vector Limited, a child of the original Mercury, the other child being the Mercury...
that controls Vector Limited
Vector Limited
Vector Limited is a multi-network infrastructure company in New Zealand. It is the national number one provider of electricity distribution, number one provider of gas transmission and distribution, number one provider of electricity and gas metering, number two wholesaler of LPG and number three...
, plus contests various licensing trusts for public bars.