Brown eyes Seymour as distraction from Super City record high rates hike proposal

Wayne Brown is looking more and more like a Temu Donald Trump as he picks a fight with David Seymour in a vain attempt to distract Aucklanders from the Mayor's total failure to keep rates under control and effectively govern.

"Wayne Brown promised to stop the bloat, cut the consultants, and keep rates under control," says Jordan Williams, a Ratepayers' Alliance spokesman.

"Instead, Wayne Brown is attempting to pass the highest ever rates hike in the Super City's history."

Sixty-three percent of the submissions received during the council's consultation for Wayne Brown's draft budget rejected the Mayor's super rates hike proposal.

"Even Len Brown and Phil Goff did better. Wayne Brown's proposed 8 to 10 percent rates hike would cement him as the most fiscally irresponsible Mayor to date."

"It's not even clear if the Mayor is still in charge. Despite complaining about the Council's inflated consultant spending, under Brown the Council's consultant spending has ballooned, according to the recently released Ratepayers' Report league tables."

"Unable to defend his financial mismanagement, or get away with his attempts to blame the CRL for his rates blow-out, Wayne Brown is resorting to a 'grumpy old man' Donald Trump-caricature in an attempt to distract the media from his own failings."