Campaign Launch: BETTER for Entrust
Many thanks to everyone who came along to our campaign launch on Saturday (28th September). We really appreciate the support for our 5 candidates standing as More for You, Better for Auckland, the independent team working to return Entrust to community control. The positive launch was an encouraging boost for our community-led campaign that is drawing on a network of support from across Tāmaki Makaurau.
The launch provided an opportunity to share our vision for Entrust, the campaign kaupapa and introduce our candidates.
Jonaan McLeod (Ngapuhi, Te Whakatōhea) opened the launch with karakia and a mihi of welcome to everyone. Her songbirds led us in waiata.
MC Chrystal Thompson (National Council of Woman Auckland president) shared how thrilled she was to take on the role of MC because she cares about energy justice and wants to get behind those who fight for it.
Our first guest speaker Whau ward Councillor Kerrin Leonie (Ngati Paoa), the first wāhine Māori to be elected to the governing body of Auckland Council, spoke about the need for representation that covers all of Tāmaki Makaurau. In 30 years of Entrust elections, 74% of elected Trustees have been Pākehā men and only one non-Pākehā has ever been elected (Pauline Winter in 2000 for just one term). In getting behind the whole team Kerrin is really looking forward to Jonaan McLeod becoming the first Māori elected as a Trustee.
Kerrin spoke about how shocked she was to learn there are no rules preventing C&R, the National Party aligned ticket who have controlled Entrust for 30 year, from promoting themselves as the face of the dividend just before an Entrust election. It is an unfair advantage for incumbents. C&R get away with this as they set the rules including keeping the election as a postal vote for an incredible short 2 week window. It is no wonder turnout in 2021 was at a record low of 9.5%!
Our second speaker Winny Huang wears many hats; a radio host and event MC, a health and nutrition consultant, a work partner of Paul Young and as a mother of two, she said how much she understands the importance of household costs like food and electricity.
“If it weren’t for this diverse group of five Aucklanders running in the Entrust election, many people, including myself, wouldn’t know about it. We often focus on national or local elections, but the Entrust election is directly relevant to our daily lives.
We’ve all seen rising electricity bills, but little progress in infrastructure. Paul Young has pointed out that while we receive yearly dividends, they aren’t a long-term solution. Other countries are moving towards solar power, but New Zealand is lagging behind” Winny spoke about her deep respect for Paul Young’s leadership and integrity. “He consistently prioritizes the public good and advocates for equal treatment in our community. This is the type of leader we need”. she said. Winny finished by encouraging everyone to vote for Pippa, Jonaan, Emma, Patrick & Paul. “ I believe the “More for You, Better for Auckland” team can win all five seats and work for a better future for Auckland” said Winny in her speech”
Paul will be Entrust’s first Asian Trustee, another first the More for You, Better for Auckland team is determined to achieve.
The final speaker Rob Campbell, former chair of Te Whatu Ora, Chancellor of AUT and chair of Ara Ake acknowledged that “Electricity lines businesses are not something that readily stirs the heart to beat faster”.
He suggested two broad reasons to have a much deeper interest beyond the dividend, without discarding the value of that return in any way.
Energy generation and supply is going through a revolution. Just about every part of it is being radically changed by policies in reaction to the climate crises. The business you own through Entrust is at the centre of that, facing huge risks as well as opportunities to participate in and lead change. It makes no sense for the business or its owners to be passive in this situation. No private controlling owner would do so;
Energy hardship is a reality for many in the community. The business that supplies the electricity is in a pivotal position to make a difference to those parts of the community in terms of how and for how much they are supplied. This is by no means incompatible with financial prudence, in fact it may be central to ensuring that.
Rob’s full speech is available here.
Our More for You, Better for Auckland candidates introduced themselves and their motivation for standing. Spokesperson Patrick concluded for the team explaining that when he was approached to consider joining this campaign, he researched everything he could about Entrust, knowing little about it. As Patrick explained “I discovered how it belongs to the community, and how inactive the previous trustees have been on our behalf. I couldn’t help but get a little outraged but also excited about the possibilities of what an active and engaged trust could achieve. There has been so much innovation in the electricity sector, much of it is able to be deployed in Auckland. Also knowing how great the need is for intervention to fix the cost problems, and security of supply in this new era of increasing instability.
It is a very exciting prospect working with the talented people at Vector to help solve these issues and to bring the governance of our community trust into the 21st century” .
We are all excited to be standing together as a team with a shared kaupapa. We’re passionate Aucklanders motivated by the need for fresh, solutions-focused leadership of Entrust.
Chrystal finished up by going through the mechanics of the election that starts on 10 October (how to vote explained here). There is a really short window of 2 weeks to post voting documents in time to arrive by election day on 25 October. There is also the option to use the orange ballot boxes in 10 Woolworths across Auckland.
Our formal proceedings were closed by Antony Phillips, City Centre resident who generously provided the catering for the launch. He spoke for all of us in offering thanks to Terra Firma for use of the space for the launch, to our MC and speakers and to everyone for coming along in support.
The More for You, Better for Auckland campaign is now well on the way to take back control of Entrust in the interests of the community.
