Is central government sending the right message to local councils?

Last week, we reported on the issues at Wellington City Council after councillors voted against selling airport shares, forcing a rethink of the council’s long term plan.

The Coalition Government labelled the council a ‘shambles’, and threatened to send in a Crown Observer.

Well, they’ve now delivered on that threat, with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown confirming that appointment will be coming.

The move puts more pressure on Mayor Tory Whanau and her councillors to sort out their issues – but it has also sparked debate around if the bar is too low for the Government to intervene.

Today on The Front Page, Jim Palmer, a consultant who chaired the Review into the Future for Local Government, is with us to discuss the issues at our council tables.

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

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