Phil Goff –
Congratulations to Indian Newslink on the 17th Anniversary of its establishment and first publication.
Launched in 1999, it is now in its second century of publication!
It is a tribute to the paper’s Editor and General Manager Venkat Raman that the paper has grown and thrived.
I would also like to acknowledge owner Jacob Mannothra who took over ownership of Indian Newslink in June last year. Their commitment to investing in a quality publication with high standards of journalism content, design and production has been outstanding.
Now, about Auckland.
Auckland attracts
The Maori name for Auckland is Tamaki Makaurau which is translated as “The place desired by many.”
From the beginning of human settlement in New Zealand, people have been attracted to Auckland as a place to live.
From its bicultural foundations, Auckland has become a multicultural community. Over 40% of Aucklanders were born overseas and our city contains over 100 different ethnicities.
As MP for Mt Roskill, I was proud to represent the most multicultural electorate in New Zealand. I often stated that the students studying at our local schools never needed to have multicultural explained to them. It was a normal part of their existence. Children grew up learning together, playing together and working together.
Over time, as the young people of each different culture are born or grow up in New Zealand, they develop many common values with others of their generation and they proudly call New Zealand home.
Preserving culture
To every family who comes to Auckland to make a new life here, I would encourage them to work to ensure that their children still learn the language, faith and culture of their forbearers. These are the gift of generations who have gone before them and should not be lost.
Today, I am just as proud to represent our city as a whole as Auckland’s Mayor.
A part of my vison for our city is an inclusive community, which reflects all its people equally and regards our diversity as something that enriches, rather than divides, us.
Each year, I participate in our key cultural celebrations around Auckland – Chinese New Year and the Lantern festival, Eid Al Fitr, Pasifika and Polyfest, and Diwali.
It is great to see the vigour and excitement at these events as we draw on the cultural heritage of all of us, enjoying the music, dance and cuisine.
Reality hurts
My hope for the future of our city is that more and more of our people are bilingual or multilingual. They should never believe they cannot equally be proud of their Kiwi status and equally proud of where they have come from.
While I celebrate our generally harmonious and naturally respectful society, it would be wrong to be wilfully ignorant to the existence of intolerance and prejudice.
We should stand firm against actions or words that suggest in any way that any one individual is not equal to another in their status as a New Zealander.
Equally we should reject political movements that seek to exploit and appeal to the prejudices and dark side of the people. Such movements have only brought damage and division to society.
The message of Diwali should be shared by all of us – as light triumphs over darkness so must good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
We can and we will create in our city a community which will celebrate our diversity, as well as the things we share in our common humanity.
Phil Goff is Mayor of Auckland. He served as an elected Member of Parliament for 35 years (1981- 2016), 32 of which were from Mt Roskill and one term of three years (1996-1999) from New Lynn. He was elected Mayor of Auckland City in October this year, polling 187,622 votes, with a lead of 75,891 votes over his nearest rival. Since becoming Mayor, Mr Goff has made a number of changes in the working style of the First Person of the City. He has done away with the Mayoral car and security detail, preferring to use his motorcycle from his home in Manukau. He has also planned significant moves that would save money for Auckland. Mr Goff has been a regular columnist in Indian Newslink and we hope that he would continue in that role.
What Phil Goff promised Aucklanders
No more reclamation of the Harbour by the port company will be allowed. This decision will give the port company the clarity they need to start making alterative plans.
Keep rate rises low and affordable at an average of 2.5% per annum or less, if current Council fiscal projections are correct and the CPI stays low
Ensure that the Council does more with less. That means cutting fat, eliminating waste and duplication, and finding efficiencies
Setting each department within Council an efficiency target, averaging 3% to 6% across total Council expenditure to contribute toward future cost pressures.
Ensure that the Council has a gold standard procurement system where savings are made.
Undertake an urban forestation programme for Auckland which aims to plant a million, predominantly native, trees and shrubs across the region in the next term of Council
Support the thrust and implementation of the Unitary Plan so that Auckland can go up and out
Institute an immediate review to determine how the consenting process can be faster, cheaper and in line with best practice.
Prioritise the development and signing off a business case for an isthmus light rail system so that the resulting programme can be included in the 2018 Long Term Plan
Investigate and negotiate alternative funding mechanism for infrastructure building in Auckland, including looking at Government partnerships and private-public partnerships.
