RATINGS GUIDE:
Due to the unique situation in these Trust elections, my recommendations are based on whether a candidate is competent, double or triple dipping, and their views on a referendum on the Trust’s monopoly.
In West Auckland, alcohol sales are permitted but the Waitakere and Portage Licensing Trusts have a coercive monopoly on administering them. Very few supermarkets sell alcohol (Pak n Save Mt. Albert has a separate Portage Trust checkout within the store. Countdown Lynnmall has a separate wine-only shop opposite the supermarket). Liquorland is a store brand known across New Zealand, however, the stores within the Licensing Trusts area are Trust-owned.
The last opportunity West Aucklanders had to vote on ending the monopoly was in 2003, in a postal referendum which enjoyed a higher turnout than most local body elections. The attempt to end the monopoly was defeated 58.5% to 41.5%. I volunteered by handing out material outside supermarkets and the defeat was disappointing.
There has not been a referendum since, though the West Auckland Licensing Trust Action Group attempted to trigger one by collecting petition signatures until late 2021. Unfortunately, the scrutineer found that they were 934 short of the 16,910 required due to duplicates, signatures from people living outside the trust boundaries and those who either weren’t enrolled or their details were incorrect.
Another way to abolish the Licensing Trust monopoly is for the Trust itself to vote to permit a referendum.
PORTAGE LICENSING TRUST
WARD 1 – AUCKLAND CITY (3 SEATS)
Amosa is head of the Avondale Business Association, owns the Cain Tattoo Studio and manages a Samoan childcare centre. He also wants to see the Trusts deliver better venues and more funds into the community which sounds very different to what Mark Beavis would like to achieve. Probably a whole lot of empty words and warm fuzzies. Could be worse.
Self-employed in the IT sector for 15 years, he would like to see the Trusts continue to sell alcohol responsibly and “future-proof” themselves to ensure sustainable returns to local organisations. The Trusts’ average annual profit over the last ten years is $6 million. They have contributed an average of $1.3 million to community groups and sponsorships. The Trusts have $130 million worth of assets. Is Beavis ignorant of their financial situation or does his background in IT tell him that the Trusts need to plunge even more revenue into assets and less into community support?
2019 Community First PLT candidate 4/73,631 votes (13.71%)
Kathryn Davie was sacked by two Auckland Real Estate companies over posts on Facebook that endorsed comments by former Australian Senator Fraser calling for an immediate ban on Muslim immigration following the 2019 Christchurch Mosque attacks.
2019 Community First PLT candidate 5/7 3,366 votes (12.71%)
Paul Davie is a controversial figure in local politics, as husband of Kathryn Davie, he also was sacked from the same Auckland real estate companies over his social media content. A petition was launched on change.org demanding he step down from the Licensing Trust in 2019, however, Davie served his full term before losing his seat at the 2019 election. Davie was a New Conservative candidate in the 2017 election but split from the party for being too moderate. He was a founding member of One New Zealand, which split into two One New Zealand parties and eventually stood as a candidate in New Lynn for the unregistered party Voice of The People in the 2020 election. He finished 11th out of 11 candidates with 87 votes. Putting both him and his wife onto the licensing Board could be an effective method of destabilising its governance.
A Chartered Accountant with experience working in large not-for-profit organisations and charities is a reasonably strong background for someone seeking to be elected to the Trust for the first time. He has not taken a position on abolishing the Trust’s monopoly.
Trusts Action Group is the organisation that tried and almost succeeded in forcing a referendum on ending the Trust’s monopoly on alcohol sales. Their strategy now is to ensure a majority of votes on the licensing Trust in favour of conducting a referendum on the future of the licensing Trusts monopoly. Every Trusts Action Group candidate deserves your vote.
He strongly feels that the current Trust monopoly model does West Auckland a disservice and welcomes the opportunity to hold the Trust to account. As part of TAG, he is advocating for change, fairer prices, more choice, more transparency into where their profits go (all good things) and fewer pokies (loses a mark for that comment).
Incumbent. 2/7 in 2019. 4,734 votes (17.88%)
Margi Watson is a double-dipper who is also the former Chair of the Albert-Eden Local Board. In addition, she is also on the Board of Avondale Intermediate, Chair of the Waterview Primary Board, Trustee of the Kerr Taylor Foundation Trust, Trustee of the Mt Albert Grammar Community Pool and Deputy Chairperson of Northern Health School. Margi ditched nursing to sit on as many boards as possible and I question her ability to provide Portage licensing Trust with the attention voters would expect. Considering she has been on the Licensing Trust since 2017, she is part of the problem.
I don’t like the way she has used her candidate statement in the Licensing Trust to mention that on the Albert-Eden Local Board she worked on behalf of those residents to secure $62 million in benefits from the Waterview Tunnel Project. Bit sneaky.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 3 votes.
I was kidding about supporting the Davie Community Independent ticket.
- Barry Hutchinson – Trusts Action Group
- Peter Hine – Independent
- Marcus Amosa – City Vision
WARD 2 – NEW LYNN (2 SEATS)
The son of Penny Hulse, so probably brings a lifetime of socialist indoctrination to the role. He wrote his Masters’s thesis on ethical decision-making.
After 18 years working with the retail and hospitality sectors, he believes he understands how the Trusts work and how to add value. His three goals for the Trusts are to provide great hospitality venues, safe stores and community engagement. Hopefully not the sort of engagement in which a West Liquor store offered a $200 Prezzy card asking people to recall their “craziest memory” with a certain type of alcohol. More than 130 people commented on the post recalling nights of drinking until they lost consciousness, vomiting, injuring themselves and being arrested.
This is Gayleen’s first attempt at being elected to public office. She firmly holds the view that the Trusts enable communities to thrive. Is that by providing poor bars and restaurants, overpriced alcohol or pokie machines that received $112 million in turnover in the 2018/19 financial year?
She believes “great things grow from surplus profits” which leads me to believe she is a socialist ideologue. She wants to ensure Trust employees continue to be paid the Living Wage and pledges to make transparent, wise and equitable decisions. There is nothing wise about equity.
Incumbent. 1/3 in 2019. 2,027 votes (36.69%)
Taylor has six years of experience on Portage Trust and says if she is re-elected she will work to further improve the Trust’s current retail and hospitality offer and increase the amount of money the Trusts donate to the community. She also has over 30 years of experience in organisational and people management roles with the Red Cross, Oxfam, Emerge Aotearoa and Odyssey. Personally, I wouldn’t put Oxfam on my CV.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 2 votes.
Not exactly spoiled for choice.
- Rob Hulse – Independent
- Leanne Taylor – Labour
WARD 3 – GLEN EDEN (2 SEATS)
Bergin’s background is as a solicitor specialising in local government law as well as being an experienced board member in the youth and mental health sector, Bergin has governance experience and local body knowledge that can definitely be applied to serving on the Licensing Trust. A vote for Trusts Action Group is a vote for more local options in drinking, dining, and entertainment. Fairer prices. More funding for the community, fewer pokies, no more asset hoarding and land banking. I’m with him on everything except the anti-pokie stance.
Recommended in 2019 Guide. Elected 2/3 1,601 votes (32.68%)
A founding trustee of the Licensing Trust in 1972, Clews says she would only support a referendum on ending the Trusts monopoly if a petition calling for a referendum attracted the signatures of 15% of voters. That’s precisely what it takes to trigger a referendum. I don’t think I’d call her an advocate of competition, however.
Clews says prudent governance of the Trusts has made more than $2 million available for the community in the past year, while Margi Watson puts that figure at $1.5 million
On her website, Harema lists 3 priorities for the Henderson-Massey Local Board that have nothing to do with the Local Board and mentions no plans for Portage Licensing Trust at all. Ironically, she could do more to address homelessness, begging and her desire to organise an education strategy for West Auckland youth with Portage Trust donations than she could on the Henderson-Massey Local Board.
Maybe I’m a bit mean but I expect people to have a basic understanding of the role they are standing for when asking for people’s votes.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 2 votes.
- Joe Bergin – Trusts Action Group
- Janet Clews – Independent
WARD 4 – TITIRANGI/GREEN BAY (2 SEATS)
Labour candidate in 2019. 3/4 3,344 votes (27.43%)
Removed from Council and the Licensing Trust in 2019. Now he has lost his Labour endorsement too. Don’t let him sneak back in.
Incumbent. 2/4 in 2019 3,427 votes (28.11%)
Having parents in the “licensed trade” Goodale says there are positive community aspects of a thriving local nightlife with more options for dining, drinking and entertainment. During his term on the Portage Licensing Trust, Goodale cites a new CEO, refreshed management board, the introduction of the Liquorland franchise, a Living Wage for Portage Trust staff and greater transparency as improvements he has been involved in.
With a surname like that, he was born for this.
Having held multiple roles on the boards of charitable organisations, Partridge has experience in both applying for and determining grants. He says the Licensing Trusts are in an incredibly privileged monopolistic position and have a great responsibility to the community. He will advocate for social responsibility, investment and transparency if elected.
Incumbent. Elected 1/4 4,264 votes (34.98%)
A current Trustee of the Portage Licensing Trust AND Director of West Auckland Trust Service Ltd. That looks like too great a conflict of interest to me. The latter role is mentioned on the Future West website but not on Roberts’ candidate statement.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 2 votes.
- Ben Goodale – Trusts Action Group
- Barrie-John Partridge – Future West
WARD 5 – KELSTON WEST (1 SEAT)
Elected unopposed in 2019.
He has been on the Licensing Trust for many years (self-described long-serving member) and a Trustee of the Kelston Community Trust. He also mentions other charities that have received grants from the Trust: “Associated, Waitakere Hindi School and most Hindi religious organization in West Auckland (sic). Chair Community Organisation Grants Services.
Chand has a voter base and isn’t ashamed to bribe it further. Despite being an unaffiliated candidate he encourages people to vote for the Labour team.
Holds a Bachelor in Commerce and owns an automotive parts business in Henderson. He wants to work closely with hospitality entrepreneurs to improve the experience for those attending venues out West.
He thinks it is important to promote in a positive way how The Trusts benefit the local community and says it is important that a greater presence is established on social media and advertising platforms to promote this.
The Licensing Trusts have previously faced criticism over their advertising around election time and the establishment of a fighting fund to counter the efforts of the West Auckland Licensing Trusts Action Group in securing enough signatures on a petition to force a referendum on ending the Trust’s monopoly. I find Lecky’s desire to spend money that could be granted to community groups on self-promotion for the Licensing Trusts quite obscene.
This candidate’s statement is somewhat anticlimactic. The 31-year-old wants “to help in anyway(sic) I can, so here I am hoping to hear how we all feel and to help make the west of Auckland what it needs to be.”
Referring to West Auckland as “the west of Auckland.” isn’t going to help him.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 1 vote.
- Jordan Tarplett-Lee – Trusts Action Group
WAITAKERE LICENSING TRUST
WARD 1 – TE ATATU (2 SEATS)
He has governance, leadership/management experience and financial acumen. He is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. He claims he is bringing a new energetic view to the Trust. He should probably tell us what that is.
Peter considers the Trust to be an asset and enterprise owned by the people. He’s wrong. It is owned by the Trust. Some of the profits are donated to local organisations and charities but it isn’t owned by ‘the people.’
He says the Trust needs to improve its local facilities. What incredible insight.
Elected in 2019 2/4 3,392 votes (24.88%)
A double-dipper who is also on the Henderson-Massey Local Board. Don’t make it easy for her to live off. Brooke is dedicated to building thriving town centres and neighbourhoods and ensuring that the Waitakere Licensing Trust is run responsibly with the community at the heart of everything that they do.
She says she “has a strong record of resisting the huge bottle shop proliferation that we see outside of the West.” That’s extremely easy when you’re on the Board of an organisation that maintains a monopoly in West Auckland. Extra X for the ridiculous claim.
2019 Trusts Action Group candidate 3/4 2,956 votes (21.68%)
Roberts wishes to continue the positive changes that have been made with two Trusts Action Group members elected in the previous term, particularly around greater transparency, communication and increased levels of local funding.
2019 Trusts Action Group candidate 4/4 2,835 votes (20.80%)
A firm believer in competition to drive better outcomes for West Aucklanders and improve the commercial competitiveness of the Licensing Trusts. He says the Trusts Action Group still has plenty more work to do such as more options for dining, drinking and entertainment, fairer prices, more community funding, fewer pokies, increased transparency and the end of land banking.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 2 votes.
- Amanda Roberts – Trusts Action Group
- Nick Smale – Trusts Action Group.
WARD 2 – LINCOLN (3 SEATS)
Incumbent. 1/8 in 2019. 6,831 votes (21.94%)
Cooper has been double-dipping as a Councillor earning $120,000 a year as well as chairing the Waitakere Licence Trust. Since entering Council as an apparent centre-right candidate in 2013, she proved to be a socialist in a suit and best buddies with far-left former Waitakere Councillor Penny Hulse. Cooper’s political career should have expired six years ago.
Incumbent. 2/8 in 2019 4,627 votes (14.86%)
Flaunty has been on the board for 36 years! Everything that is morally wrong and financially dodgy about the licensing Trusts has occurred under Flaunty’s purview. Bye bye!
Despite the Trusts donating an average of $1 million a year over the previous six years, Flaunty believes that can be lifted to $50 million over the next ten years and cites the Trusts stadium as an example of this. Is he dishonest or just senile? The Waitakere and Portage Trusts combined donated $5 million to the stadium’s construction in 2004 but paid just $55,000 for the naming rights in 2020/21.
2019 Independent candidate. 4/8 3,848 votes (12.36%)
Has previously expressed support for a referendum on removing the licensing Trust Authority and while he missed out on election in 2019, he was appointed to the Licensing Trust following the resignation of Andrew Flanagan. Born in Samoa, Luau grew up in Auckland and East Los Angeles and is fluent in Spanish though says his Samoan is pretty weak.
Every Trusts Action Group candidate supports holding a referendum on ending the monopoly of the Waitakere Licensing Trust. Easy decision.
2019 Independent candidate. 6/8 3,528 votes (11.33%)
His listed affiliation suggests that Riddell is well aware of the lack of financial transparency on the licensing Trusts. Given his previous associations with the Act Party, he would be a big improvement on the two incumbents.
Supports keeping bottle shops away from places of worship. Why should that be allowed? Alcohol is used in Christian churches as a form of worship. He also believes the Trusts are a safeguard against worker exploitation, though until recently they earned less than the Living Wage that Talwar probably loves so much.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 3 votes.
- Jared Patterson – Trusts Action Group
- John Loau – Independent
- John Riddell – Transparency
WARD 3 – WAITAKERE (1 SEAT)
Mark Allen – Future West
Incumbent. 1/2 in 2019. 3,485 votes (64.12%)
Elected unopposed.
WARD 4 – HENDERSON (1 SEAT)
He is politically to the right of the other candidate for this position, or at the very least, less left-wing. Previous experience holding managerial positions for ANZ and BNZ, while now working as a mortgage broker and financial advisor gives me more confidence in his abilities than the other choice in the race.
A member of the Waitakere Ethnic Board and a member of the Te Atatu Labour Electorate Committee. He has qualifications in Public and Social Policy and has previously held roles in the Ministry of Justice and Corrections. Now retired, he is a lifelong bureaucrat who works for the Labour Party and plays identity politics.
MY RECOMMENDATION: You have 1 vote.
- Sunil Kaushal – Independent