Just like that, autumn is easing us into rainier and chillier days and nights.
Despite the weather, stabilising Covid-19 case numbers means we can continue supporting and enjoying our many incredible owner-operated small businesses in the neighbourhood and once again engage, politically, in person. As always, if you, your whānau, organisation or business, ever need a chat or assistance with anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office. Or just shout when you see me out and about; I must report I’ve had some of my best impromptu constituency clinics in the later hours at Ponsonby Pool Hall.
Site visits are also back on the agenda, meaning after months of liaising online I was able to directly check in with some of our local schools. This month we were hosted by incredible Principals Cindy Walsh of Freemans’ Bay Primary and Kerri McKay of Bayfield Primary, who’ve done incredible mahi with their teams under immense pressure of ever-changing rules and restrictions to keep our kids looked after and learning.
It was also a privilege to get behind-the-scenes with owner-operator Steve Purton of New World Victoria Park. We had a fulsome discussion with valuable insight into supply-chain issues, the Commerce Commission’s report and potential solutions to escalating prices and “excess” profits. It was heartening to learn Steve and the team are open to the beginnings of systemic transformation with a sectoral code of conduct. I must also commend the connection they have with the likes of Auckland City Mission, diverting kai and essentials that may have otherwise gone to waste to supporting our community.
All of this feels miles away from just a few months ago when I was sitting on a Zoom with representatives from numerous community services to pinpoint any holes in provision for our most structurally marginalised as Omicron landed on our shores. Since then, collaboration between Student Volunteer Army, Sunday Blessings and my office have helped coordinate more than 1,340 warm meals on Tuesdays and Sundays to those who may otherwise go without.
We can, and do, achieve incredible things when our community mobilises to make it happen. It’s this attitude we’ve been taking to unpacking the many threads of disruption and concern in our city centre; working across Auckland Council, Business and Resident Associations, Police, NGOs, State Agencies and even directly with some Body Corps.
For those following the Body Corporate-related law reform – the Unit Titles (strengthening body corporate governance and other matters) Amendment Bill – making its way through Parliament, you may’ve seen some fireworks in the Committee of the whole House debate on Friday 14th April. As I noted in last month’s edition of Ponsonby News, as your local MP and as a Green, I’ve stood steadfast on three key issues: limits to proxy voting, workable disclosure regimes and professionalisation of body corporate managers.
Liaising across the office of the Bill’s sponsor, Nicola Willis, and that of Minister Poto Williams, we were able to make some improvements on the law as reported back from Select Committee. These improvements have largely fallen in the realm of disclosure regimes, so that buyers and sellers can have confidence about getting the right information at the right time. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky on the issues of proxies nor BC managers.
Both myself and Nicola put forward Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs; potential legal amendments) to give the government options on proxy voting limits (these prevent proxy ‘farming’, or the unfair aggregation of votes by one powerful entity in a dense building to sway decisions of budget, maintenance or otherwise). The Labour majority voted both of these down, noting they thought online participation (which I pointed out has no current standards for implementation) fixed the issue.
My SOP to require body corp managers to belong to a professional body, like real estate agents and other professions must, also failed. Knowing this was a potential likely outcome, I still pressed ahead knowing the trail of legalistic breadcrumbs may be of use to future legislators. Although, I hope it takes less than the nearly 15 years it’s taken to now professionalise property managers (which a select committee report recommended in 2008, later rejected by the incoming National Government). (Chlöe Swarbrick)
www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick
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