 Water
Pressure Group NetNews |
Reply to WPG's Letter of complaint
Dear Penny Bright,
I have discussed the column and your letter with Brian Rudman. Mr Rudman
has provided me with the following explanation.
Dr Hucker and Penny Sefuiva have not taken legal action against the
signs at Ike Finau's Warnock Street house for a variety of reasons, foremost
amongst them being they are democrats who are reluctant to stifle free
speech. Refusing to act against a libel is hardly proof that the
claims
are true or not defamatory.
Of the many signs, one the two find particularly offensive. The following
translation was done by Ms Sefuiva's husband Sam.
"This year the election (or ballot) for City Council. Please take note.
Do not vote for these people who lie Penny Sefuiva and Bruce Hucker..."
Another reads, "Bruce Hucker now chief apologist for Metrowater and
Waikato pipeline."
Both councillors signed the pledge, before the 1998 council elections,
to work towards the swift dissolution of Metrowater and to return the Auckland
water service to direct democratic control. Both acted accordingly
once returned to office.
In a series of votes in February 1999 and again in June and July 1999,
theCity Vision councillors, of whom Dr Hucker was the leader and Ms Sefuiva
was a member, made attempts to carry out the policy to abolish Metrowater
and put water under the control of a stand alone buisness unit. The
reality was, the left was in a minority and did not have the numbers
to win. In 2001, they did get a majority for a resolution opposing privatisation.
The left did achieve some significant reforms to Metrowater however,
getting new directors appointed, reviewing the tarriff structures to help
the elderly and those on a low income.
It is true that Mrs Sefuiva voted against and Dr Hucker abstained on
June 26, 2000 when councillor Leadbeater moved that Metrowater be abolished
and its operations transferred to a SABU. They says they did this for strategic
reasons. Ms Leadbeater's move was sprung on her fellow City Vision team
members. Dr Hucker says the resolution was doomed to failure anyway
because of lack of numbers.
Prior to this, he had come to an understanding with the Citizens and
Ratepayers majority that neither side would endlessly relitigate old issues.
The Left had had some victories on issues like council housing and
the risk was that if he broke this deal, then the Right would feel free
to
review, in turn, these other issues.
It wasn't a case of breaking their pledge. They knew they did not have
the numbers to win over Metrowater. They feared that if they voted
for Ms
Leadbeater motion, they would not only inevitably lose that, but risk
all the gains they had made in other areas.
In those circumstances I believe that the councillors were within their
rights to challenge the continued display of the signs and that Mr
Rudman's column reflected the facts of the matter.
You are within your rights to submit a letter, to be considered for
publication, setting our your views but I am not prepared to publish a
retraction of Mr Rudman's comments.
Yours sincerely,
Gavin Ellis
Editor-in-Chief
NZ Herald Article by Brian Rudman
Water Pressure Groups complaint letter to the NZ
Herald Editor
Reply from NZ Herald Editor Gavin Ellis
Response from WPG to the Reply form Gavin Ellis NZ Herald
Editor
Open letter from WPG to Auckland City Council
The Dominion Article David Mc LOUGHLIN
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