Sour grapes from eco-dinosaur

Pissed that he will not be a Lord Mayor in his lifetime and the face of local government is likely to change so much that his over-rated (and I mean that literally in more than one sense) Waitakere will likely cease to exist under Greater Jafaland, the eco-dinosaur was two-faced about the new boy elected to the number one job in local government.

Yesterday, Mr Harvey wished Mr Yule well - but then launched a fresh attack, saying urban centres were the powerhouse of the economy but would continue to be denied a voice in local government.

"The country survives on the strength of the cities and what we bring to the economy. Local government believes it is based around a bunch of cow cockies," he said.

"I'd rather have cities than cows. It's always anti-Auckland, it pulls down the competitiveness of New Zealand. It holds New Zealand back. It's a bizarre sort of thinking that the cities need to be punished. "The rural sector has always dominated local government. This is the sector with their roads that no one drives on, and places no one goes to.

"They think a farmer from Hawke's Bay can spend that amount of time profiling local government. That's what they voted for."

Local Government New Zealand is an umbrella organisation for 71 city, district and regional councils, and works as their advocate with central government.

Mr Harvey said he also thought it bizarre that local government now had a president who was "suing the New Zealand Government over its health board. I wouldn't think it's a great start".

Needs to get over himself. Life in a rural setting is as equal as life in suburbia as far as councils are concerned. As if somehow those who live on the land are behind the times has long been an anachronism. I would hate to be a rural ratepayer in his fiefdom, patently obvious he doesn't care for them. It is bad enough that I still pay rates on my urban rentals there.

He would do well to get out of his plush new office fleeced from ratepayers and go for 'a drive on those roads where no-one goes' to see the real NZ, where the backbone of the economy works and plays.

I know where I would rather live as I now have the best of both worlds not having to see dinosaurs such as him. And it will be really good when the underlying corruption from this government is fully exposed. The DHB saga is just the tip of the iceberg.

Well done Mr Yule. Now you will just have to educate your new deputy about rural ways.