Watch them hide

It is amusing to watch in Auckland as the Council has tried to pull a swifty to fool the ratepayers. After the backlash against their huge rates increases of 11.4% and 13.4% for the last two years.

Now instead of cutting back their spending, they are just trying to make it look like they are spending less by hiking up water charges instead – up 19% in two years.

But what I find funniest in the story is the reluctance to comment:

Mr Hubbard, who promised more “openness, transparency, honesty and accountability” at the start of his mayoralty, yesterday was reluctant to discuss the financial problems at Metrowater and price rises of 19 per cent in two years for the 142,000 customers in Auckland City.

The mayor said he was not at the committee where the latest price increase was discussed and had not had a chance to go through the background papers. “It is on my list of things to go through tomorrow.”

Finance committee chairman Vern Walsh, whose City Vision ticket promised at the 2004 elections to keep water bills “fairly priced”, could not be reached for comment.