Saturday, July 21, 2007

Take a spoonful of sleaze & call the doctor in the morning

Shocking as they are, the revelations reported in the Chron(ic) and DomPost about the sordid goings-on and contempt for employment law shown by CEO Dr David Warburton following the firing last year of Wanganui District Council’s community development manager, it will have come as no surprise to Watchers who remember LawsWatch’s revelations about the then newly-appointed CEO. (NB:For the benefit of those who foolishly rely on the Chron(ic) for their information, we hear that after pouring good ratepayers’ money after bad at the Wellington lawyers running the case, the good doctor made an acceptable offer at the end of a torrid two-day hearing to settle the case.)

On Friday, September 9, 2005, this blog reported that the good doctor’s Kaitaia timber company Tanner Group had recently lost an Employment Relations Act case in which it was alleged to have "threaten[ed the] applicant with disciplinary action over [a] term of employment that had not been directly and expressly negotiated and [the] contents of which remained uncertain between parties".

“Hopefully”, we told Watchers with amazing percipacity at the time, “Council staff have dotted the i's and crossed the t's in their employment contracts”.

We also noted that Dr Warburton’s list of achievements included the fact he was also a director of Fibrecraft Industries, placed in liquidation in Wanganui High Court on 2 June 2004 on petition of Nuplex Industries. Interestingly, Warburton’s fellow director in the failed fibreglass venture, Bruce Nicholson, was installed as a director of Wanganui Inc, about the same time as Mayor Michael Laws, deputy Dot McKinnon and the rest of the capitalist raiders were finding their new CEO (and we all know what happened with WINC, don’t we).

Meanwhile, back in Kaitaia in 2005, according to MP Sue Bradford, “in (Warburton’s timber company) TGL ... we have a company that has obviously kept its workers in the dark for some time and has then attempted to make itself look good by offering a fig leaf of consultation."

Welcome to the world of Dr David Warburton, whose contempt for employment law obviously was not left at the door to 101 Guyton St. As for his pretence of recognising the fundamental provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 -- “I will need to learn to work within the constraints of the Local Government Act,” he said at the time of his appointment – the DomPost coverage of last week's Employment Relations Authority hearing revealed he may have missed the bit about the CEO – not the mayor – being responsible for hiring and firing staff.

As commenters have pointed out, Sally Patrick hasn’t exactly covered herself in glory since taking her seat at the right-hand of Warburton and Laws, and it was no surprise to experienced Watchers to see her name on the roll of shame of the “anonymous” Greek chorus of letter writers eventually outed by Warburton and listed on the Chron(ic)'s front page. There she is, with the Spin Fairy's former squeeze Julian Rewiti, the impeccably pedigreed Stephanie Rose and non-entity Jill Jones.

Another area of CEO responsibility for political neutrality that seems to have escaped Dr Warburton’s notice has become glaringly apparent in the first week of what the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) calls “the pre-election period”, ie the three months leading up to the October 13th election. According to the LawsWatch calendar, that started July 13th -- but you wouldn’t know it from the likes of Philippa Baker-Hogan who commandeered the ratepayer-funded Councillor Comment advert in the July 18th MidWeek, and on the WDC website, for a fevered bout of electioneering.

Like many “watchdog” provisions, the OAG’s Communications Guidelines are the sort of toothless tigers that Mayor Mickey, his Visionaries and their pet CEO routinely treat with utter contempt. But it’s safe to assume the OAG is keen to hear about blatant flouting like we’re already seeing, and no doubt will be seeing much more of ,in the next 12 weeks. You can read the full Guidelines here

You can find contact details for the OAG here if, like us, you find it hard to see why Warburton thinks he can continue to turn a blind eye to Vision’s contempt for clauses like these in the OAG’s guidelines:

Principle 12: Communication of a Member’s personal views or opinions using Council resources is unacceptable during a pre-election period.

Principle 13: A Council’s policy should also recognise the risk that communications by or about Members, whether in their capacities as spokespersons for Council or otherwise, during a pre-election period could result in the Member achieving electoral advantage at ratepayers’ expense. The Chief Executive Officer (or his delegate) should actively manage the risk in accordance with the relevant electoral law.

Principle 14: The use of Council resources (including stationery and internet, e-mail and telephone Communication facilities) for re-election purposes is unacceptable.

76 comments:

Anonymous said...

So was a carrot or a stick (or the threat of one) that made the Gang of Four do the dishonourable thing?

Anonymous said...

$500,000 a year savings on middle managers versus a lawyer's bills for a PG.

I'd say Warburton did a great job!

Anonymous said...

I thought this blog was attacking the mayor! So how come a whole series of personal and defamatory attacks on council employees is now allowed??

Anonymous said...

It's very disappointing that saving $69K in the Council's entire budget for Animal Control, CCTV, and a toilet, was more important that retaining Rosie's 21 years of skills and experience.

Is this really what the Councillors wanted when they told Dr Warburton to cut costs? It reflects very poorly on the Councillors if it is. I'd like to hear their side of the story.

Anonymous said...

Stories are beginning to emerge about the IT crisis at Council. As noted in one comment on the last post, all is not well. My informant tells me of huge amounts of downloaded porn, sackings, and the cost of the (unfinished?) inquiry thus far? A cool $95,000.

Who's implicated? Several including IT staff and by some accounts, Julian and Sally, those bastions of good behaviour.

More of Mickeys hand-picked lackeys crash and burn. It's so hard getting good help when you're an abusive loony.

Anonymous said...

anonymickey said:
$500,000 a year savings on middle managers versus a lawyer's bills for a PG. I'd say Warburton did a great job!
9:17 AM, July 22, 2007
****

It's a pity you're so OLD and so STUPID Mickey. As revealed in your morning crap in the Sunday paper your university economics, for what it's worth, is abysmal and predates the more recent recognition of SOCIAL CAPITAL as a valid, indeed indispensable, facet of economic and other policy.

This is especially so through the LGA which, as this post points out, you and your ventriloquist's dummy CEO regard with contempt.

Between you, you must have burned through that so-called $500K saving by now on your campaign to destroy social captial both within the council (ie staff, elected members) and in the wider Wanganui community.

ergo: you're OLD and STUPID and Wanganui deserves better!

Anonymous said...

Stories are beginning to emerge about the IT crisis at Council. As noted in one comment on the last post, all is not well. My informant tells me of huge amounts of downloaded porn, sackings, and the cost of the (unfinished?) inquiry thus far? A cool $95,000.

Who's implicated? Several including IT staff and by some accounts, Julian and Sally, those bastions of good behaviour.

More of Mickeys hand-picked lackeys crash and burn. It's so hard getting good help when you're an abusive loony.

11:00 AM, July 22, 2007

***********************************

where do you get this crap?
One IT employee got frogmarched ouut of the building 2 weeks and has never been heard of again. Exactly the same happened at the Chronicle a couple of years back. Is there something about IT people????

Anonymous said...

There's a general election next year so Mickey, with his profound knowledge of economics and fiscal policy, not to mention unmatched consensus-building skills, no doubt will march triumphant to Wellington and get New Zealand back on the road to prosperity and happiness. Go Mickey!

NOT

Anonymous said...

where do you get this crap?
One IT employee got frogmarched ___________________________________

Can you be more specific? You say my informant is talking "crap", but then apparently confirm part of his story.

"Frogmarched"? Sounds pretty dramatic what brought that on?

Anonymous said...

I'd say Warburton did a great job!

Of course you would, Mickey, Warburton did what he was told to do.

Anonymous said...

personal and defamatory attacks on council employees
__________________________________

Such as? If you're referring to the remarks directed at the librarian etc, you should remember that truth is an absolute defence against a defamation charge. Perhaps Sally and the others thought that they would never be revealed as the authors of their poison pen letters, and that shows they're stupid as well as thoroughly unpleasant.

Don't like being called names? Well I don't like scabs.

Anonymous said...

Isn't time "Mr Mum" came clean about just how much child care he is actually providing these days. After all the BS in Woman's Day perhaps they'd like to do a sequel where Mickey (or better still Mrs Mum of Wellington or the in-laws of Wanganui) tell all about just what is going on on the domestic front.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Isn't time "Mr Mum" came clean about just how much child care he is actually providing these days. After all the BS in Woman's Day perhaps they'd like to do a sequel where Mickey (or better still Mrs Mum of Wellington or the in-laws of Wanganui) tell all about just what is going on on the domestic front.

8:22 PM, July 22, 2007

************************
Who cares how ML manages his domestic life. It's nobody's business. We should only care about his performance as Mayor.

Anonymous said...

What an arse ML is in this morning's Chron, saying “the matter was resolved before the council could properly present their refutation etc” … when it was only “resolved” because they chose to resolve it.

When he can’t say what he’d really like to say, innuendo, half truths and downright bullshit are the only weapons he has .. ie, business as usual.

No prizes for guessing which bit of the story Mas contributed!

Anonymous said...

Who cares how ML manages his domestic life. It's nobody's business. We should only care about his performance as Mayor.

7:23 AM, July 23, 2007
********

Hey you imbecile ... why didn't you whisper in Mickey's ear when he was busy splashing his "family" all over the women's mags, council website, his barmy talk show, the chronic and just about every issue of his pathetic column in the Sunday paper!

He's made it everybody's business in the interests of furthering his own political and media career. Like wannabe celebs all over the world who do this low-life stuff to their kids, he can now expect to live with the consequences when it all turns to crap.

Anonymous said...

Who cares how ML manages his domestic life. It's nobody's business.
__________________________________

What, not even Women's Daze?

A man who sets himself up as the champion of Wanganui families sets himself up to have his own domestic arrangements under scrutiny.

Anonymous said...

Witchhunts and threatened recriminations over IT leaks at WDC only emphasise the awful employment conditions there. In New Zealand we have a little thing called freedom of association, and another little thing called freedom of speech. My advice to anyone feeling threatened at work is to get it in writing, or failing that a voice recording of managerial abuse would suffice. Then insist that the offender be disciplined.

Anonymous said...

Just a thought but in view of the fact that Warburton supposedly was reporting on things like the employment case to council every month in the confidential section, then either he lied to the councillors about what was going on or they're implicated in the whole sorry mess ... or were the poor mice feeling so bullied by Mickey that they didn't even feel able to let out a squeak?

Anonymous said...

Memo: To IT staff at Wanganui District Council.
Re: The "Lawswatch" website.

The website Lawswatch is a forbidden website. You should not read this website, at home or at work, nor should you express yourself in any manner thereon. Lawswatch is a decadent and reactionary website, the people who run it and comment on it are revanchist running dogs of the old boys network.

This Un-Vision activity must cease.

Ubersheissescraper Warburton.

Anonymous said...

Micky you really are a thicky. Your comment at 9.17am July 22 refers to 'middle managers'. Same as your pathetic rant in this morning's paper. Everyone knows they were senior managers. You're just being a prick, and now we can see exactly what posts are yours. What a joke!

Anonymous said...

Hello, my name (real name is David - not not THAT David)

I made the comment about middle managers, anon @ 10.58pm.

If the mayor copies my wisdom, is that a crime??

Was she a senior manager?? No.

Anonymous said...

5.15PM no really Mickey, we really CAN now see which posts are yours. You loser.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
5.15PM no really Mickey, we really CAN now see which posts are yours. You loser.

5:45 PM, July 24, 2007



I am VERY flattered that you label me the mayor. Given my new status in this blog do I get a salary or at least a recognition as His Holinessor similar??

Anonymous said...

He's not the mayor, I'm the mayor.
Well I will be after the election.
Randhir

Anonymous said...

Election nominations begin in a few days. Can we expect to see any of you ball lacking scruffs putting your names forward or will you continue to moan under anonimity to an audience of 12?

Anonymous said...

Of course there's been no political interference in employment issues at Wanganui District Council. Nothing to see here, move along.

Dr. Warburton, if you're reading this, would you say the above reference qualifies as "a members personal views or opinions"? Therefore being a breach of NZ electoral law?

I'm sure no-one thinks of you as corrupt, Dr. Warburton. Manipulated, ignorant, set up to be run rings around perhaps, but not actually an accomplice.

Anonymous said...

Anon at

11:54 PM, July 24, 2007

abused people and implied that the only valid way to participate in a debate is to seek election.

What a load of bollocks, frankly. It's precisely this intimidatory approach to debate that has seen Laws have to resign in disgrace from everything including the NZ debating society.

Take the logic and turn it around: anyone who supports Vision in the letters to the Chron. should be discounted unless they're also a candidate. It's the raving of a sad loony who then goes on to attack people for commenting here, apparently oblivious to the irony of doing it himself(?) at 5 to midnight on a Tuesday.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Michael Laws today said that he publicly supports the council’s chief executive Dr David Warburton ... blah blah blah

Mr Laws said that he had seen a copy of the agreement signed by Rosemary Hovey and Dr David Warburton. “That agreement makes it clear that confidentiality is required, and I would be delighted were it not.

*******

So which is it, Mickey? Are you really publicly supporting the oaf who signed an agreement with a confidentiality requirement - or are you jumping up and down and spraying the CEO with your bile because you are in fact anything but delighted?

Oh to be a fly on the wall.

Anonymous said...

Can I put up a reasoned argument in this blog without all the abuse and paranoic behaviour that seems to pass for debate? I can? Thank you.

The local body election nominations open at the end of this month. There has been 3 years worth of criticism of Michael Laws as mayor and of his Vision Wanganui party. This blog is dedicated to ending (eradicating?) his mayoralty.

John Martin, Randhir Dahya and Ray Stevens have demonstrated their unhappiness too by deciding to stand against him, if he stands. I am not convinced he will because he still could have as much influence as a councillor if the Vision Wanganui team were the same bloc around the council table.

It was a fair challenge (if poorly expressed) by anon @11.54pm.

Why don't the critics stand? If Michael Laws is as unpopular as everyone says, and has upset Wanganui people so much, then he should be easy to replace shouldn't he? Instead, the challenge is met by an insult that standing somehow plays into the current mayor's hands? You will have to explain the logic of that one to me.

Does not every council critic who does not stand, or support alternative candidates, guilty of moral cowardice?

Anonymous said...

anony said:
...are you jumping up and down and spraying the CEO with your bile because you are in fact anything but delighted?

Well if Warbum's copping it from the Mad Mayor, imagine what the Council's high-priced Wgtn lawyers who ran the case are getting? And they've probably got the clock ticking and will be charging the ratepayers for every second of abuse and crap that comes down the line from Wangas. It will be interesting down at the Wellesley Club on Friday!

Anonymous said...

Does not every council critic who does not stand, or support alternative candidates, guilty of moral cowardice?

-------------------------------------------

Not everyone wants, or has time to be a good councillor, but it would be a sad world if their views could not be expressed.

Anonymous said...

Mad Mayor guilty of Moral Cowardice

By John Maslin

Wanganui's Mad Mayor today called for the resignation of the Government and Reserve Bank over the currency issue.

"I say anyone who criticises any elected person but does not stand for office is guilty of moral cowardice," he said yesterday.

Anonymous said...

2:43pm says “Why don’t the critics stand?”

Because:
1. They don’t want to be either Mayor or a Councillor
2. Their personal lives are too full to take on either job
3. They don’t think they would do a good job in either role
4. No one wants to be a vote-splitter for Mickey except Randhir and Ray, who are either too egotistical or too stupid (or both) to let this worry them.

None of these reasons makes the critics moral cowards. Criticism of government is allowed in a democracy.

Anonymous said...

Can we talk about Randhir's bargain yet?

Anonymous said...

If Hovey is hard done by then why did she request confidentiality in the detail? Could it be that she didn't have a case? Surely if she thought she had enough to make a case (and if a WDC payout can be considered even a small admission of guilt) why the need for secrecy?
Restructuring is a fact of life and others went the same way.

If the Mayor were to embark on a similar fruitless, perhaps, legal battle and then try to claim legal fees from the ratepayers would we not be calling for his head?

I am no supporter of the Mayor but this seems a little one eyed. Surely the same rules apply to all when dealing with ratepayer funds?

Now to the other side of the fence... If the object of the exercise was to save $, how was this achieved by paying out redundancy packages? Some of those staff would have been there a long time. That must have cost.

Anonymous said...

why the need for secrecy?
_________________________________

I don't know. According to an anon who sounds about as convincing as you, WDC's lawyers were champing at the bit only to be stymied by the offer of a settlement from their own side. After all, it's always the person in the strongest position who surrenders, isn't it?

Here's a question for you, "anon". How do you know who demanded confidentiality? Rosemary's offer to waive the clause hardly suggests it was added at her insistence, does it?

I think your comment sounds so full of conjecture and what ifs, it seems almost calculated to mislead. Are you a grotesque liar, just like the Mayor?

Anonymous said...

Let's face it - the only reason Mickey is being such an arse is (apart from the fact he's mad as a rat, of course) to provide a lesson to anyone other staff member past or present who may feel an obligation to expose the rotten core of his reign.

After three years of corruption, mistreatment and abuse he knows he's sitting on a powder keg. The present show of "force" is simply "pour discourages les outres".

He's a straw man and he's busy setting fires all around him - oblivious apparently to the certainty that he's about to go up in smoke and take Warburton, the gang of four, the visionaires and the likes of Dahya et al, and the other collaborationist traitors with him.

Anonymous said...

Council should be transparent. It's our money. Can someone please tell us what the redundancy packages were - all of them. And the outcome of the Hovey case. It is our money after all. Confidential to the parties. I would say each and every ratepayer is "party" and I want to know.

Anonymous said...

The lesson is the exact opposite anon @ 7.36pm.

It is that if you make a fuss you never work in this town again. Dave Foster doesn't and neither does Rosy Hovey.

Which is the more sinister lesson do you think??

Anonymous said...

The point that everyone seems to have missed is that all the council signed up for Dr D's plans and that includes all the non-vision reps - Crs Bullock, Westwood, Dahya, McGregor, Stevens and Wills.
Rosie used to count a couple of those councillors as her friend but there was no warning of what was coming and they must have known Dr D was going to chop her.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 4.31pm, perhaps I can offer some clarification. The law specifically dictates that settlements are confidential. The Mayor is playing a stupid game. The Council realised their case was weak, so they went for confidential settlement. Now they're trying to say that it was Rosie who demanded confidentiality. The Mayor can't have it both ways, and now he just looks stupid.

But you're right, we should have the Mayor's head for the way he handled the whole thing.

You're also right to ask how much did the redundancies really save/cost?

Anonymous said...

The Hovey Case: Mayor Laws says complainant "Trying to stop me dragging her down to my level" - 24/07/07
Mayor Michael Laws today said that he publicly supports the council’s chief executive Dr David Warburton and the council’s HR team in dealing with the illegal dismissal of former community manager Rosemary Hovey.

“I have made some ludicrous and false claims in recent days – she seems determined to expose my rotten character.
“That said, I am delighted that she has offered to waive the confidentiality clause in the settlement reached between the council and herself last week. That would allow the whole truth to be told,” said Mayor Laws.

Mayor Laws said that, legally, Mrs Hovey must waive “and not offer to waive” and then the council could reciprocate.

Mrs Hovey claimed the following remedies in her attempt to sue the council chief executive Dr David Warburton for unjustified dismissal. Along with six other middle management positions, Mrs Hovey’s role was disestablished as part of a slash and burn excersize in 2006.

The remedies sought by Rosemary Hovey were;

reinstatement to an appropriate position at the council;
lost wages of $99,796.66 less earnings of $34,600 = $ 65,191.66;
lost opportunity of salary = $31,800.00;
compensation for hurt, humiliation, feelings = $20,000.00;
all legal expenses (est. $15-$20,000)
Total Claim: Reinstatement + legal fees + $116,991.66

Mr Laws said that he had written the agreement signed by Rosemary Hovey and Dr David Warburton.
“That agreement makes it clear that confidentiality is required, and that enables me to lie about its contents. Remember the Antoinette Beck affair? Not even the sure knowledge of being found out stopped me lying then, and it won't stop me now either. I'm Napoleon. Wheeee!"

Anonymous said...

Laws Slams Chron.

Mayor Laws today slammed the Wanganui Chronicle for not immediately printing his lies about WDC's failure to follow basic employment law. "I put a lot of time into these lies," Mayor Laws screeched "my Council has been making policy based upon lies I tell every day for the last three or so years. For the Chronicle to simply ignore them as they have done on this occasion is unacceptable. They are setting themselves up as better than elected Councillors, and they have insulted Wanganui.

"Furthermore, they are in clear breach of the agreement I have made with John Maslin."

Vision Chair Bob Walker Esquire agreed. "Michael's ability to lie convincingly is of no use to Vision Wanganui if the Chronicle doesn't play ball. I may have to send them a nasty letter or two."

Anonymous said...

Since Mickey is so keen to get the whole story of the case in a Mas story, would he please start by telling everyone exactly how much the Council has spent so far on legal bills and staff time on the case, and how much it expects to spend now the case is over pandering to his madness!

C'mon Mickey, don't be shy!

Anonymous said...

he's mad as a rat,
__________________________________

unfair to rats

Anonymous said...

I think your comment sounds so full of conjecture and what ifs, it seems almost calculated to mislead. Are you a grotesque liar, just like the Mayor?
------------
It's full of what ifs because they were questions I had and thought someone may know.
I think your post sounds so full of hate I can only be thankful I am not you.

I will take my questions away from this web site and leave you to your bitterness.

Anonymous said...

I will take my questions away from this web site and leave you to your bitterness.
_________________________________

But previously had asserted:

If Hovey is hard done by then why did she request confidentiality in the detail? Could it be that she didn't have a case?

___________________________________

Poor shrinking violet anon. Won't say how he or she knows that it was Rosy who sought confidentiality, but quite happy to make the assertion. Then to use that assertion to imply that "she didn't have a case." Which would be why Council's lawyers gave up, I guess.

Now twisting the facts to try and make my response seem unprovoked.

Run away little anon. I think I'll add lowlife to liar.

Anonymous said...

I work at council.
I should not be typing this - but here goes.
At our morning tea, the 'confidential settlement' was discussed and there are 5 points and we knew each one. We were told John Unsworth personally wrote the settlement and that all it agreed was that WDC pay his fees and nothing else applied.
Rosie: why did you even take the action if that was the outcome?

Anonymous said...

"Now twisting the facts to try and make my response seem unprovoked.

Run away little anon. I think I'll add lowlife to liar."

As another poster with similar assumptions and questions, I too will be taking my questions elsewhere. I am done with this blog. What ever happened to debate?

People like you do not realise the irony in your comments. Somebody asks a (innocent) question and you abuse them and drive them away.
Sound like anybody you know?

Anonymous said...

From Mickey's pathetic attempt to cover his ass on the community horse rort:
"Mayor Laws said he had called the meeting after reading today's 'Chronicle' report but that he had only received one letter from an organisation concerned over proposed rent raises ..."

Errr excuse me but does Loopy Laws really think any community organisation in its right mind would write to him and invite the usual abuse, points scoring and nastiness?

Anonymous said...

That's good ... the rat control programme is working. Mickey 1 and Mickey 2 have gone. Let's see if the rat breeding programme can keep up the list of anonymickey comments.

Anonymous said...

From Mickey's pathetic attempt to cover his ass on the community horse rort:
"Mayor Laws said he had called the meeting after reading today's 'Chronicle' report but that he had only received one letter from an organisation concerned over proposed rent raises ..."

Errr excuse me but does Loopy Laws really think any community organisation in its right mind would write to him and invite the usual abuse, points scoring and nastiness?

8:30 PM, July 27, 2007

------------------------------

You really have a problem, doncha LW. Whatever ML is, he is NOT a liar. Ok, go on, call me ML. I'm not. But call me that anyway. He is not a liar. That has been proven again and again. I haven't seen any actual PROOF that he is a liar. Have you?

Anonymous said...

Anon at 4.40pm - sorry, Mickey at 4.40pm, you are, as usual, full of shit. Oh, and by the way, you're also a liar. Either that, or completely ignorant of employment law. Your claims about the settlement are so far fetched and ridiculous I'm still chuckling. Do you really think anyone believes anything you say?? It's a pathetic attempt to cover up the fact that you lost, and you had to pay Rosie a large sum of money! Ha ha! She deserves every penny!

Anonymous said...

Funny how what Mickey dishes out comes back from the most unlikely quarters. After his crappy nappy crap rap in the Sundry Paper a couple of weeks ago there was a crop of letter writers suggesting imaginative ways to shut him up including wrapping him in shitty naps so he'll decompose quicker and stamping their carbon footprint on the mouth of the jerk from the "patch" called Wanganui.

Yesterday's NZ Herald business has one of those cringe-making Mad Mickey photos and the story of Nandor Tanzcos suggesting people send the silly shit some used disposable nappies. Wonder how many will have Wangas postmarks? Though once again he's managed to offend and piss off people the length and breadth of NZ. Good one, Mickey.

Anonymous said...

Well I hope the shrinking violets don't go and vote Vision. You could hardly complain about harsh language then give Mickey your vote. Unless you were a rank hypocrite, that is.

They make me laugh. Consider this. The confidentiality agreement between Dr. Warburton & Rosemary Hovey has already been breached by Warburton allowing Mickey, who is supposed to have nothing to do with employing staff, to read it. The fact that he has been allowed to proves the political interference which was the basis of the complaint.

Still, not even the Chron. would touch his tissue of lies on the matter.

Anonymous said...

You really have a problem, doncha LW. Whatever ML is, he is NOT a liar. Ok, go on, call me ML. I'm not. But call me that anyway. He is not a liar. That has been proven again and again. I haven't seen any actual PROOF that he is a liar. Have you?

-------

Um, OK, well, even if we ignore ML's history of rejection (for lying) by every organisation that he's ever been involved with, let's think of his very recent history.

He went on TV earlier in the year saying that there were 300 gang incidents in the Wanganui CBD in the last two years, it turned out to be more like 5. A mistake or a lie?

He promised a referendum on the Heart of Wanganui in October this year. It will never happen. Is it a broken promise or a lie?

The city's debt is skyrocketing yet he is trying to peg back rates while claiming to open the books and be financially responsible. Is he lying or completely mad?

He claimed that David Warburton handled the restructuring 'professionally and fairly', yet as we saw last week, he was either wrong or lying.

So here's your choice Anon at 9:02pm. ML is either a liar or completely incompetent. Which is it? I think it's a mixture of both...he lies to cover up his incompetence.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 9:02. ("PROOF")

What???

the comment you quote makes no reference to Mickey's universally acknowledged propensity to deceive. Go on, go back and read it again - we'll wait.
So why did you bring it up? You sound a little paranoid.

Anonymous said...

For the list of lies ...

From Wimin's Daze:
I'm Mr Mum and I'm staying home and looking after the kids so won't be messing with the mayoralty.

From letter to Chron shooting down Bob Walker's attempt to muddle in domestic policy:
My de facto commutes daily to Wgtn (implication being she leaves me with the kids)

AND THE BIGGEST ONGOING LIE OF THE LOT:

Everyone's jealous cos Mickey has such a blissfully happy family life

Anonymous said...

Yesterday's NZ Herald business has one of those cringe-making Mad Mickey photos and the story of Nandor Tanzcos suggesting people send the silly shit some used disposable nappies. Wonder how many will have Wangas postmarks? Though once again he's managed to offend and piss off people the length and breadth of NZ. Good one, Mickey.

9:35 AM, July 28, 2007
___________________________

Who bloody cares what Nancy Nandor says or wants or suggests. If you're offended, Anon, tough. The length and breadth of NZ. Hardly.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 4.40pm - sorry, Mickey at 4.40pm, you are, as usual, full of shit. Oh, and by the way, you're also a liar. Either that, or completely ignorant of employment law. Your claims about the settlement are so far fetched and ridiculous I'm still chuckling. Do you really think anyone believes anything you say?? It's a pathetic attempt to cover up the fact that you lost, and you had to pay Rosie a large sum of money! Ha ha! She deserves every penny!

11:11 PM, July 27, 2007




I'm not ML but I am a ratepayer. Whatever was spent on Rosie was partly mine. WDC will have to record it in their books, won't they? Aren't the books open? Anon 11.11pm, we will see who is the liar, won't we.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely couple Ray Stevens and Mickey make, with their flood appeal publicity stunt. But Randhir must be feeling left out as Mickey tries to spread his vote-splitting machinations across any idiot stupid enough to play his game. When will Richard Moore come out of the woodwork?

Anonymous said...

What a lovely couple Ray Stevens and Mickey make, with their flood appeal publicity stunt.
-------
I saw it as a decent gesture from Ray Stevens.Obviously Laws did too. I imagine that's why he hijacked the proect and made it his own.

Anonymous said...

Good illustration of Laws at his most divisive this week from his abuse of the nation pulpit last Sunday.

Last year when the legislation to close a loophole and thereby enhance the likelihood of punishment for parents who assault their children was working its way through Parliament our mouthy mayor squealed hysterically against it. He hurled abuse and offered himself as a rallying point for all those who feel they can’t properly raise their children without thumping them.

Last Sunday when yet another battered toddler made the front page of the paper he leapt in and hurled abuse at the perpetrators. How profound. In a column that used the words Maori or Maoridom eighteen times, sixteen of the references were extremely negative. He excused himself of racism on the grounds that he was throwing off the bonds of political correctness. This will give racists a righteous rallying point.

I wonder if the grand plan is for the child beaters to go to war with the racists, or if there is no grand plan and he just can’t pass up a chance to set one part of society against another.

Anonymous said...

How about that man’s footwork on the issue of the Community House organizations’ rent increase. This morning’s Chron page 3 article allows Laws to present himself as the saviour of the groups his council has been threatening with huge rent rises since last July.

Some of the groups involved have also had the pittance they needed from Council to survive withdrawn in the last Community Contracts round. That would be because much of the Community Contracts budget was allocated to WINC, who, as we all know, spent it so wisely.

Anonymous said...

Yet another couple of Council jobs being advertised. Just how many staff do they need? Or is the staff turnover rate skyrocketing like everything else at Guyton Street? Has anyone any idea of staff numbers at WDC before Warburton took the reins? Why are there now desperate attempts to find more office space? Could it be the staff numbers (& payroll costs) have increased?

Anonymous said...

I know they have lost over 40 staff in the last two and a half years.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

I know they have lost over 40 staff in the last two and a half years.
_________

That's not churn - that's BURN! Who remembers the likes of James Low who came to Wanganui with his family because he felt strongly that he could do good for the place. Where is he now? How long did he put up with the daily vileness and incompetence?

How is Wanganui regarded out there in the competitive market for talent and passion?

Don't answer that, Mickey!

Anonymous said...

From a mailbox near you:

Council report
Keeping council lying to the community
Biggest lie spun for third year in a row!
For the third year in a row, Wangnui's mayor is leading the country in lying about rates increases.

Mayor Michael Laws said that this year's annual plan process was "a balancing act between rates lies and intimidating council staff. The end result is brilliant! I have lied my arse off and gotten away with it thanks to the yellow bellied staff and councillors, especially the so-called 'independents'."

"That is exceptional lying!" Mayor Laws said.

Anonymous said...

That's not churn - that's BURN! Who remembers the likes of James Low who came to Wanganui with his family because he felt strongly that he could do good for the place. Where is he now? How long did he put up with the daily vileness and incompetence?
-----------
James Low - Tauranga
Dave Foster - Manakau Council
Richard Munneke - Horizons

In answer to your question and on all three accounts, not long. Who could blame them. It's hard to remain passionate when you are being pubically slated to serve a political purpose. Slatings based on lies.

Anonymous said...

My Council report also says:

"There was also a strong message from the 'independent' Community Views Survey that it's possible to find a tame survey company, plagiarise an established survey and get the results to tell me what I want to spin to the gullible fools out there," said Mayor Laws.

"Me old mate Barking Bob Buchanan thinks he's onto me, but he reckons I can't fool all of the people all of the time. Well I sure had him falling for my bullshit not so long ago so he's not all that smart.

"Wanganui people are liking the mix of lies and spin but higher rates and debt. This next 12 months will be no different," said Mayor Laws.

Anonymous said...

Only 5 Vision electoral candidates with Mayoral and Horizons candidates yet to be announced.

It's so hard getting good lackeys when you're abusive and divisive.
No-one respond to the ads? Or were all the respondents mad or too dumb?

Anonymous said...

Don't you mean not dumb enough? That's the only qualification of the five who have stuck around in Mickey's kingdom and the only reason - apart of course that it's the easiest money they're ever going to get their hands on -- that they're lining up at the trough for more.

Anonymous said...

Matt Edmonds one of the new guys...

Anonymous said...

Only 5 Vision electoral candidates
Anon 2.16pm



Watch this space

Anonymous said...

Matt Edmonds one of the new guys...

3:56 PM, August 02, 2007

Sure he is.
The Edmonds are a Wanganui family who would no more truck with Laws than be seen slumming it at the TAB. They remain one of the principled families who put this city first and not some NZ First reject.

Anonymous said...

Vision only have 5 candidates and that is why they named them now. No-one will stand for them and lose their business or their reputation.