Friday 3 September 2010
It is 13 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 36 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.
We’re heading towards the straight and the release of the voting papers for the first ever
election of Council and Mayor of the new Auckland City. It’s really exciting and I urge everyone - exercise your democratic right to vote. We can all contribute to the future of this great City by filling out the voting papers when they come out and posting them in before 09 October.
I had an exciting day today. After spending the morning working on a major television programme proposal I headed off to spend time with Mayor John Banks at the Raukatauri Centre in Grey Lynn. It’s a music centre where over 100 children and young adults with special needs go to as part of their overall therapy. Raukatauri is the Māori Goddess of Music, and so a fitting name for the Centre. The driving force behind the initiative is Singer/Songwriter Hinewehi Mohi. Her 13 year old daughter Hineraukatauri was born with cerebral palsy and the two have been champions of music therapy since. John Banks has always admired 
Hinewehi first as a Singer/Songwriter and then as a Mum who worked tirelessly to establish the Centre. 
Hinewehi works with a very strong Board and Centre Manager, after some korero with them John Banks generously offered to host a fund raiser for the Centre next year. I’m really proud of the Mayor for making this offer. John Banks didn’t have to as the Centre holds an annual fund raiser in Ngaruawahia. The late Māori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was a great supporter of Hinewehi as is King Tuheitia now. So the fact the Centre now has two major sponsors is magnificent and well deserved.
A crew from Māori Television was tagging along with John Banks it was one of two Maori TV crews out and about the other was with Len Brown. The crews are filming an expose
‘The Day in the Life of Auckland’s next Mayor’. The item screens Native Affairs 0800pm next Monday night 06 September. Obviously their focus is on which Mayor will do best for Māori. I think that’s a relevant question. Every interest group and individual wants to know which Mayor will do best by them. Auckland needs John Banks, even Dr Brian Edwards thinks so. He came out today in his blog endorsing John. http://brianedwardsmedia.co.nz/. This is an absolute coup. Edward’s journalistic/media reputation is outstanding. But he’s also a champion of the ‘left’, a life-long Labour man, Helen Clark’s biographer – and he’s just endorsed John Banks.
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