Lesbian political activist Lisa Prager is donning her famous cowboy hat again and expects Aucklanders "to rise up and say no" to the supercity scheme which she believes would "sweep away what little democracy we have - in the guise of efficiency." Battling: Lisa Prager "Trust me - the supercity will be a super rip-off for the public majority," Prager tells GayNZ.com this afternoon, following her vocal presence outside yesterday's meeting about the plans. The Government wants many of the twenty supercity councilors to be elected at large, leading to fears that big business interests will hold deciding votes, while smaller groups - like the existing two dozen local community boards - will have less power than ever. "This is daylight robbery, all happening at break-neck speed - and if we let it go, we will never get our city's jewels back," says Prager. She believes Aucklanders should take action now to ensure several "captains of industry" are not given license to run the city like a business, belittling a frustrated public. One-time Mayoral candidate Prager, who's been battling Auckland City Council for several years over issues including Metrowater overcharging residents, realises she says and does "outrageous things" to get attention to the issues. "It's like a theatre with all the actors assembling," she laughs. "It feels like an uphill battle sometimes. But I believe in truth and justice - and not giving away our rights." A hikoi to the Auckland Town Hall in protest against the supercity plan is scheduled to start from Bastion Point on Monday 25 May.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Friday, 17th April 2009 - 4:59pm