Did you have a good sleep on Monday night? If so you would be a great disappointment to Maurice Williamson who did his best to scare his 60+ listeners at the Changeover meeting this week.
Maurice’s address was in two parts, the first with the underlying plea to exercise our vote in the forthcoming local body elections. With the fact that less than 42% of eligible voters in the ward bothering to use the privilege he stressed the point that for the many complainers they have only themselves to blame.
For our local area he showed the way in which three existing Local Body Board areas are to become 4 with the addition of Flat Bush and the rearrangement of the other boundaries. This for a population which is greater than that of Tauranga or any other centre in the country other than Christchurch and Wellington. Elected to Auckland Council on a pledge to cut costs he said that $332 million had been saved in the last three years but much more was needed.
Comments on the Eastern busway were far from complimentary given that 50% of the width available is taken up with walkway, cycle lane and bus lanes leaving just two lanes in each direction for other vehicles – and who wants to stop using their cars?
However he expressed delight in the restoration of the 60kph limit on the Pakuranga Highway.
Maurice then moved on to the state of the nation’s finances – far too many details to outline here but the current and projected expenditure figures shown were indeed sleep-depriving. To have 11% of the population (other than superannuitants) on benefits is an indicator of where much of the national income goes and the prospect of an 8.8 billion net crown debt in the current financial year should have us reaching for the sleeping pills!
We are used to Maurice’s inimitable style of presentation – his wit and volume – and were not disappointed this time round.