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Team JJ
It’s interesting to see Jonathan Larsen and Craig Jepson (Team JJ) acknowledge that the current mayor’s reign has been sufficiently divisive and unpleasant to make his re-election uncertain. So, with a quick change of captain and deputy hats, Team JJ hope to trick Kaipara district into believing that the mayor’s enabler will be a better option.
Jonathan has always been the brains behind Team JJ, but while he was happy for Mayor “Trump of the North” Jepson to take all the flak for their combined programme of the last three years, let’s not forget that Jonathan has encouraged and backed the mayor on every controversial decision and action. They have appeared together in every photo opportunity available and formed a strong bond and shared philosophy that will presumably continue if they are both voted back into council in October.
Your new mayoral candidate, Jonathan Larsen, backed Mr Jepson in his persistent erosion of the relationship with Kaipara Māori, who make up over a quarter of the district’s population, including banning the karakia from council meetings, unilaterally cancelling the Memorandum of Understanding with Te Uri O Hau, and the petulant rush to get rid of the Māori ward seat.
Team JJ also led the unmandated bid to fast-track a waste-to-energy plant in Kaipara, then voted against the promised report into what they had actually been doing and saying to other interested parties.
Mr Jepson certainly hasn’t given up on a waste-to-energy plant for Kaipara so I’m guessing his partner in Team JJ is also still infatuated with the idea. This will be important to clarify in candidate meetings before the election, as neither candidate campaigned on the topic before the 2022 election. I feel we deserve a better future for Kaipara than being the waste disposal capital of Auckland and Northland.
Team JJ is also strongly in favour of development, particularly in and around Mangawhai. A hint of this could be seen in the stubborn inclusion by the consultation committee, which included Team JJ, of the option for a commercial building in the Mangawhai Heads recreation area despite almost universal public opposition to the idea.
It’s this sort of abuse of privilege that has led to other overstepping, such as voting the mayor’s vanity video project about mangroves onto all council media channels, giving this opinion piece an appearance of official council approval. The mayor also liked to use his designated space in local newspapers to promote his fringe ideas about the health system, vaccination and climate change, about which Team JJ remain sceptics.
Team JJ are hoping their little reshuffle will disguise their failings of the last three years and trick voters into another term of division, discontent, and the sort of development that invites environmental degradation and traffic mayhem. It’s important we choose new candidates who have a strong vision for Kaipara, one that is inclusive, positive, and environmentally and socially responsible – the sort of vision that makes all of Kaipara a great place to live.
Luke Williamson, Kaiwaka
