State of Auckland’s Local Democracy and Regional Deals w/ Councilor Shane Henderson

The deadline for enrolling to vote in Local elections and nominations for candidates closed last week, with last minute pushes across the country to make sure as many seats as possible were being contested. 

There were concerns from the Electoral Commission and Local Councils across the country that some seats might go uncontested or only have one person running.

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what the state of local democracy is in Auckland and whether the council is doing enough to make sure it is healthy and thriving. 

Also in today’s discussion is a conversation about Regional Deals. Recently Auckland Council signed a memorandum of understanding with the government in order to begin “negotiating” a regional deal. 

Producer Sanat wanted to understand what a regional deal is and what it can do for Auckland, especially as recent unemployment and homelessness figures suggest that our city has been hit hardest by the recent economic downturn. 

He started off by asking Councillor Shane Henderson about the state of Auckland's Local Democracy.