More trouble for City Vision
City Vision Councillors have been pinged in Auckland, according to the Herald:
Independent auditor John Walton says the existing local contractor, Clean Stream Waiheke, has been “canvassing” City Vision councillors – forbidden under the tender rules.
Mr Walton has recommended the company be disqualified.
I’m not sure what is worse – lobbying Councillors to give you the tender, or the Councillors who respond positively to the lobbying. Tenders should be based on the best fit against agreed criteria – not personal whims of Councillors.
Mr Walton said Clean Stream’s executive director, John Stansfield, had sent emails to City Vision’s councillors and one of those councillors, Cathy Casey, had responded and appeared to be advising Waiheke groups favouring the local company.
Mr Walton has recommended Dr Casey be forbidden to take any further part in the tender process. He believes other City Vision councillors should also be excluded to remove any perceived conflict of interest.
Ouch – that is a big slap down. It is saying we can’t trust you to do the right thing as you have shown bias.
Last night, Dr Casey said she had hired a lawyer after she discovered her emails had been searched by a council officer without her permission in an attempt to discredit Clean Stream.
They are not Dr Casey’s e-mails. They are the Councils. She sent them from her official Council e-mail address. That in itself is a staggeringly stupid thing to do.
Mr Bhatnagar said Dr Casey had tried to unethically influence the tender outcome in Clean Stream’s favour and sought to organise media stunts, such as getting islanders to block part of Queen St with wheelie bins.
Another email from City Vision councillor Glenda Fryer agreeing to raise a matter from Mr Stansfield at a City Vision caucus was “outrageous”, Mr Bhatnagar said.
And here is where it gets very murky. The partner of Mr Stansfield is a City Councillor – Denise Roche, who often votes with City Vision. She is a Green Party member, and represents the Hauraki Gulf Islands. Now there is no suggestion here Denise has done anything wrong, but it is a bad look that City Vision Councillors are inappropriately involved, when they have such strong political links.