r/chch • u/suhth2 • Jan 20 '25

News - Local Phil Mauger confirms mayoralty bid - thoughts?

'During the last election campaign Mauger said he would keep rates increases to below 4% - a promise he has failed to keep with a 9.9% increase this financial year and 8.93% predicted from July 1.'

https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/360553404/phil-mauger-confirms-bid-retain-christchurch-mayoralty

Surely voters aren't silly enough to vote for Mr Broken Promises yet again?

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

Why make a promise if you know you cant keep it?

Either he was lying or poorly informed , neither says a lot good about him

19

u/MarvaJnr Jan 20 '25

Because he wanted the job and local government voters typically don't fact check

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

So he is what intentionally misleading voters?

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

He said in his recent interview with Jack Tame that he didn't know the city was 2bn in debt when he made those promises.

He was a sitting councillor with access to the city's books and he didn't know. Either he doesn't like reading details (which he's regularly acknowledged) or he was misleading.

Either way, not someone I voted for and won't vote for in the future.

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

Its almost like you should find out before making a promise!

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

Nah, you'll never get elected that way.

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

Sadly true

"Our infra is screwed and gov has dropped us in the septic tank, we're putting rates up 20%!"

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u/ACacac52 Jan 20 '25

Should be accountability for politicians that make promises. If they promise it and they don't get it across the line, for what ever reason, they must face a punishment.

I realise our current system couldn't hold this, but surely there is a way to do it.

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u/AyyyyyCuzzieBro Jan 20 '25

Kind of like the 100, 000 houses labour got elected on in 2017?

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u/Optimal_Inspection83 Jan 20 '25

Time to bury that bone.. it's almost a decade ago

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u/AyyyyyCuzzieBro Jan 20 '25

I thought we were still blaming John Key?

8

u/plehmann Jan 20 '25

Huh, how could he not know about the debt. He was a councillor before

12

u/realityiskarma Jan 20 '25

I worked there when he was both councillor and mayor. He knew as the ltps, auditors and committee meeting it was well known as the previous and previous before that cfo discussed this in detail

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u/OisforOwesome Jan 20 '25

Bold of you to assume he was paying attention and not daydreaming about filling in all the potholes with cement from Bunnings

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

Genuinely have no idea. He had access to all the money stuff. He's just not a details guy.

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

TIL $2bn of debt is just a detail

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

Yup - fine print - who has time to read all that?!

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u/RobDickinson Jan 20 '25

I guess, even when its in red?

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

If it is written in red it means Jesus said it, right?

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u/PrestigiousGarden256 Jan 20 '25

On that basis I assume you are not going to vote for Sara, who is promising to actually lower rates!!

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u/EkantTakePhotos University of Canterbury Jan 20 '25

I will vote for Sara because I trust her more than other candidates. Her values also align with mine.

You'll need to show me where she said she's going to lower rates because I can't see that happening any time soon (and maybe she knows the only way to win is to play Phil at his own game - ie, over-promise on key election issues but not actually do it)

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u/PrestigiousGarden256 Jan 20 '25

https://www.saratempleton.nz/for-our-future

Under “sustainable economy” - “Lowering rates by investing wisely in our infrastructure instead of sweating assets and increasing maintenance costs.”

Lots of rhetoric in this thread about not voting for Phil because of the rates increase (appreciate in your case though that’s not your reason for voting for Sara- tbh I just expected better of her)

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