Action Hobson
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Action Hobson are a centre-left/centrist council ticket in the conservative Hobson Ward of Auckland City, New Zealand.
They were formed to combat the proposed Eastern Transport Corridor by then Mayor of Auckland City, John Banks (New Zealand), and his supporting Citizens and Ratepayers Now (Centre-right) bloc.
In the October 2004 election, Action Hobson were successful in electing two anti-motorway Councillors and a majority on the local Hobson Community Board. They then joined the left wing led "consultative group" of new Mayor Dick Hubbard, and the larger left wing City Vision and Labour tickets, giving the numbers to kill the proposed expressway across Hobson Bay.
Since the 2004 election, Action Hobson's two councillors Christine Caughey and Richard Simpson have come under significant criticism for breaking their promises on rates to the voters in Hobson. In the 2004 election, they promised to be conservative and cap rates to inflation. However, the Action Hobson support for City Vision has seen rates increases of 9.7% in 2005 and a rates increase of 13.2% in 2006, causing a backlash with voters and some significant media coverage of this broken promise.
In 2006, Action Hobson's councillors tried to also remove the designation for the Eastern Corridor, that would have made it almost impossible to construct any kind of improvement, whether roading or public transport improvements, through the corridor. This was defeated at council level, and this initiative by Action Hobson was roundly condemned by the media, including the NZ Herald editors and local newspapers. However, the roading issue that is a part of the Eastern Corridor is now no longer proposed by any politician at Auckland City, including former political advocates of the Eastern Corridor proposal prior to the 2004 elections.
Action Hobson, in addition to opposing some of the elements of the Eastern Transport Corridor, have placed an emphasis on heritage policy as a part of their broad direction. However, the new heritage policies have also angered some as a breach of private property rights. Both Action Hobson councillors serve as chairpersons of significant committees. The three local community board members for Action Hobson are David Simpson, Paul Ockelford and Kathryn Carter.
The most prominent person in Action Hobson is Cr Christine Caughey, who has also served as an elected trustee for a local school board, and unsuccessfully stood on the City Vision ticket as a candidate in the 2003 community board by-election. Caughey was often seen as the public face of the campaign to stop the proposed road across Hobson Bay.
