‘Pass with care’ – A short photo essay on the imagery of local body elections

By Grant Brookes

It could be Anytown. NZ. For the last month, the city’s been awash with billboards of politicians and would-be politicians. Median strips, grass verges and traffic islands are a sea of wooden frames and images.

They all look the same. Smiling photos of men wearing ties. Women in expensive outfits. “Vote Jim for experience”, “vote Jane for change”.

The same handful of words combine into slightly different slogans – “caring for”, “listening to”, “working had for”, “you”, “the community”. But the faces tell the real story. It’s all about “me”, the candidate. Me, me, me.


‘Visual pollution’

I’ve door-knocked along this stretch of road at election time. I found locals were angry. As one man told me on the doorstep, they come into our neighbourhood and put up their signs without asking us. “It’s visual pollution”, he said, bitterly.

The business politicians have got the money to do it and the law on their side. They don’t need to ask. The people who say they “care” and “listen” are really invaders. An occupying army, marching in columns one in front of the other, who impose themselves on the locals and put their stamp all over the land.

Different

But this is not Anytown. It’s Lower Hutt, home to a new grassroots coalition called VAN – Valley Action Network. In case you hadn’t guessed, that’s the group I belong to.

We’re not politicians. We’re trade unionists, environmentalists and community activists. We decided early on that although we were standing for election, we weren’t going to start acting like  politicians. We resolved in 2007 that our billboards would only go on up on fences, where people told us they wanted them. And they wouldn’t even have a picture of the candidate. Our billboards were not about personalities. They were about the issues facing grassroots Hutt residents.

Staring back

“We don’t really notice them”. That's what a person in this house told me, when I asked her what she thought of all the billboards on the council land opposite her house, in the background. Two doors down, another person told me exactly the same thing.

Political scientists spend whole careers puzzling over dwindling voter participation rates in elections. But there’s no puzzle. The billboards of the politicians aren’t saying anything meaningful to the residents of this suburb, which ranks with the “most deprived” in the country according the Ministry of Health. The residents know they’re being sold lies. Switching off is a healthy option.

But these people chose another healthy option. Staring back from their fence are VAN billboards, with loud messages for the “caring”, “listening” “hardworking” Hutt City Councillors on the grass behind.

They still can’t get it right

Driving round Lower Hutt this month, there do appear to be a few more billboards on fences. “Do you think they’re learning from us?”, another VAN activist asked me.

I think they did notice the impact of our 2007 billboard campaign, when it was obvious that we were the ones with roots in the community, we were the ones who respected the local people enough to ask their permission to put up billboards.

But this is what happens when it’s the landlord – not the tenant – who’s in charge of what goes on the fence.

“For sale”, says the sign. Alongside, current and former figures from the National Party, the conservative Christian wing of United Future and the Labour Party rub shoulders. Their fence billboards usually sit on the side of commercial buildings, vacant properties, and large blocks of flats (as in this photo). Speaks volumes. Fake community roots.

‘Pass with care’

This is my favourite image of all. Staring back at the flashly-dressed councillors in the background is another message on a fence. To begin with, the Samoan family in the house weren’t going to let us put a billboard up. “I used to do it for the Alliance Party”, said the matriarch of the house. “But this lot”, she said, waving towards the ones over the road, “I have nothing to do with any of them”.

But for me it’s the traffic sign on the back of the parked truck, and the pointing arrow, that tops the image off. “Pass with care”, indeed.

Door-knocking just down the road, I came across another response to the billboards.

“They're just more people I don’t know”, said one woman. “They could be another David Garrett”, she added, referring to the disgraced and disgraceful ACT MP.

Funny she mentioned that. Did she know, I asked her, that the man in the yellow billboard (a current councillor) was a leading light in the ACT Party? The architect of their Treaty Policy, in fact.

Of course she didn’t know that. How could she know that our council is stuffed with ACT and National Party hacks, lawyers, accountants, real estate agents and business lobbyists, or that many of the challengers are local figures in the Labour Party? The billboards tell us nothing at all about what they really stand for.

I liked the “pass with care” image so much, I took another one.

For more info on VAN – Valley Action Network, visit:

http://www.huttvan.org.nz/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128328787200169

No 90-day trial periods for Hutt City

Media release
VAN – Valley Action Network
19 August 2010

Union members and supporters will be taking action around the country this weekend in support of Fairness at Work. Candidates and supporters from VAN – Valley Action Network will be joining Saturday's rally in Wellington.

 “This is a major issue for voters in the upcoming local body elections”, said VAN spokesperson Grant Brookes, “especially in Lower Hutt.

 “The Hutt City Council elections are about what sort of city we want to create. The actions of the council set the tone for the whole community.

 “Hutt City Council has a responsibility to set a positive example in how it treats the many hard-working people providing its services – not just for the sake of council employees, but for all residents.

 “The government is planning more than a dozen law changes to undermine everyone’s rights at work, including 90-day ‘trial periods’ when all new workers can be sacked unfairly, and restrictions on the ability of union organisers to support union members on the job.

 “VAN supports Fairness at Work, and opposes the impact that the law changes will have on the grassroots residents of Lower Hutt.

 “Unfortunately, many of the current councillors privately support these changes. One Harbour Ward councillor even wrote an article in the Hutt News last year publicly supporting 90-day trials.

 “The good news is that some employers are giving commitments now that even if the laws are passed, they won’t be using 90 day trial periods and won’t stop unions from supporting their members at work. 

“If VAN candidates are elected, we pledge to make Hutt City Council a fair workplace and give these same positive commitments.”

See more at: www.huttvan.org.nz www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128328787200169

Hutt network backs water protest, launches Council election bid

Media Release
VAN - Valley Action Network
12 June, 2010

VAN - Valley Action Network is backing a protest against water privatisation at Hutt City Council Building at 12 noon today.

VAN is expressing opposition to both the Local Government Act Amendment Bill and to water meters, and is simultaneously launching its election campaign for Hutt City Council.

"Privatisation of water is the last thing we need", said VAN organizer Grant Brookes. "Hutt residents are already facing the squeeze from GST increases, and from mortgage and rent rises, while our incomes are threatened by global economic woes.

"Water privatisation will only add to the financial strain facing grassroots Hutt residents. It won't save our natural water resources. International experience suggests that the profit motive encourages private owners to sell more water, not conserve it, and to cut costs on fixing leaky pipes.

"The so-called 'protection' against water privatisation in our current law is full of holes", added Grant.

The Local Government Act passed by the Labour government states that a council "must not divest its ownership or other interest in a water service". But a council may transfer assets to a "Council Controlled Organisation".

"Councils can then sell off 50 percent of the so-called 'Council Controlled Organisation' to private investors", Grant said. "This kind of "public-private partnership" is the most common form of water privatisation world-wide.

"As if the current law wasn't bad enough, Local Government Minister Rodney Hide wants to extend the length of time that companies can manage water from 15 to 35 years. The bill will also allow private companies, as well as the so-called 'Council Controlled Organisations', to own water utilities.

"But businesses looking to get into in water supply will want a customer base and a product they can sell. That's where domestic water meters come in. Water meters enable water to be sold to households by the litre. They're the linch-pin of privatisation.

"Today, there's a small army of consultants lobbying councils around New Zealand to introduce water meters.

Hutt City councillors, and the current mayor, have expressed interest in water meters, while distancing themselves from introduction at this stage because they know meters are unpopular.

But Capacity Infrastructure Services, the water management company for Wellington and Lower Hutt, is recommending universal water metering right now.

"Capacity is half-controlled by Hutt City", said Grant. "According to its latest Annual Report, the Council 'has significant influence over it'. What influence is the Council exerting over water meters?

"I don't think we can rely on our current Council to stop water meters and privatisation. Residents need to come together to take action. Protests, meetings and submissions on Rodney Hide's bill are needed to raise awareness and put pressure on decision-makers.

"In Auckland, where water meters were introduced from 1991, some residents engaged in civil disobedience by organising disconnection of the meters.

"But while grassroots action is needed, Hutt City residents can also use their vote this October to stop water meters and privatisation."

VAN - Valley Action Network, is standing for election in October with a policy of opposition to water meters and water privatisation.

For more information, contact:

Grant Brookes
Organiser, VAN - Valley Action Network
www.huttvan.org.nz
organiser (at) huttvan (dot) org (dot) nz
021 053 2973

Saving Public Water & defending democracy in Canterbury

Environment Canterbury’s (Canterbury Regional Council) elected councillors are getting the sack, to be replaced by a Government appointed commissioner.

This anti-democratic move will save supporters of industrial dairying from humiliation at October’s local elections, and allow industry and government to get on with their goal of polluting and privatising Canterbury’s water.

The Water Forum has called a public meeting to bring together water campaigners to discuss the next step.

Saving Public Water

Saturday April 10

4 to 6 pm

WEA, 59 Glouchester St

Christchurch

Federated Farmers want poll tax, user pays and no rates

By Pat O’Dea


With the planned rise in GST to 15% tied to income tax cuts, the wealthy are continuing – with the help of their friends in parliament – to transfer the central tax burden away from themselves and onto the rest of the community.

Following success at central government level, the battleground for neo-liberal restructuring and deregulation of the economy is set to move to the local government level.

Hoping to take the advantage of Rodney Hide’s enforced amalgamation and centralisation of councils, right wing business lobby group, Federated Farmers are lobbying for a Maggie Thatcher type poll tax, which they call a “Residents Tax”, to replace rates on property.

The Fed president Don Nicolson sess this as the next step in changing what he calls the “three Fs” for councils: form, function, funding. With changes in form and function well under way, Nicolson says, “I do look forward to taking this third ‘F’ out of the shadows and into the light of day.”

If they are successful in dominating the new council bodies, the Feds and other right wing lobbyists, will seek to fund a huge rates cut for themselves, by imposing a poll tax on every single adult, including pensioners and beneficiaries. They are also demanding much more user pays for council services.

From Nicolson’s speech:

We want local government to get its tax income from every resident and not just those who are considered to be ‘landed’.

The ‘landed’ should not be expected to subsidise the rest of the community as a result of a theoretical value placed on their property.

Our future must be one where everyone pays for activities where everyone benefits equally – perhaps through a fixed charge on every adult resident.

I believe if it looks like a tax, feels like a tax and impacts your wallet like a tax, then let’s stop calling it rates. Let’s call a spade a spade.

A Residents’ Tax is our preferred outcome as it impacts 100 percent not just 64 percent. Our starting point is that every adult should pay a Residents’ Tax. Handing over your hard-earned money to a local council changes the psychological stake you have in a community. That includes beneficiaries too. Building community wellbeing starts with having an investment in a place. That place being your community.

The not quite overt message from Federated Farmers, is that the bulk of the urban and rural working poor are bludgers on the farm and business owners. As race and class are often very much intertwined you can detect the silent dog whistle behind these statements.