AUCKLAND SUPERCITY ELECTION RESULTS OVERWHELMING

I'm not really sure what to say after being totally overwhelmed by the results this weekend. I think the reality of what has been achieved is now starting to sink in.

So I would like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone for helping with the campaign, voting & supporting the candidates that can really make Auckland into the super City we truly deserve.
Len Brown IS the man for the job & I want to pass on my heartfelt congratulations and full support to him. The most important thing we can do now is work together to make sure he can achieve the results Auckland so desperately needs to move forward.

It has been a long and arduous road to get to this point from the day Rodney Hide threw away the Royal Commission's report. I certainly feel like I've fought every step of every day since then. Now I want to turn my efforts into something more positive to make this City work for all of us.

Democracy has been returned to Auckland by the people, for the people, with bells on. We have the right man for Mayor & a left wing Council. The Local Boards are a mixed bag, some are full of fantastic people, others will be more challenging, but together we can and will make a difference if we continue to participate and support them. The most important thing will be to ensure that local people do feel included and listened to & that their unique community identities are retained - this is the promise of the left that we must deliver on & we can all help to achieve that.

The successful candidates have a huge job on their hands & their remuneration is a pittance compared to the undoubted workload they will face, so I wish them all luck and strength in their quest - congratulations to all of them. I will continue with my work to feed them the information they need to make quality, informed decisions on the issues that matter to me and my community, which just got a whole lot bigger.

There's just one person I want to single out for special praise & that's Greg Presland, the Chair of Future West and now new Local Board member for the Waitakere Ranges. Congratulations Greg and thanks for running such a professional & smooth campaign for Future West. It has been an absolute pleasure & very easy to work alongside you, I certainly don't feel anyone could've done more than you to deliver the right results for the west & we should all be incredibly grateful to you. I have learned heaps, thoroughly enjoyed myself & am looking forward to doing it all again in 3 yrs time :)

Auckland has taken back the power of its own destiny from those who would strip it from us. The Government has been sent a very strong message they would do well to listen to. Roll on the General Election - and here's to Auckland - our super City.
cheers
Mels Barton
President, GAG
Secretary, Future West


PS there have been some excellent articles analysing the results I've listed below FYI as well as links to the full results in case you haven't seen them.

The full results on the www.elections2010.co.nz website:
http://www.elections2010.co.nz/2010/elections/auckland-council#auckland-council-whau-ward

Left Leaning Council for Len Brown by Bernard Orsman & Michael Dickison:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679299

Left wing flying high over the Supercity by Matt McCarten:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10679363

Super Len to lead Supercity by Kieran Nash:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679464

Power shifts to Auckland by Jonathan Milne:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679481

Left, right & centre - it's a council for all by Bernard Orsman:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679675

Names at top of alphabet sweep DHB seats by Martin Johnston:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679646

Brown's lefty hordes show the big boys who's in charge by Brian Rudman:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679672

Brown's town just got a lot bigger by Frances Morton:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10679400

Articles "Thanks for your support" by Greg Presland and "This is only the beginning" by our youngest candidate Lincoln Dam on the Future West website:
http://futurewest.org.nz/