Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

At what point do you say this local government election's a failure, a flop, not worth the paper it's written on? I think we're fast approaching that point now.  Even in Auckland - our biggest city. Super-City. With the most responsibility, the biggest burden to shoulder after amalgamation, the turnout with two weeks left to go is 9.2%. Last year it was 35%. That's not a mandate. It's a vote of no confidence in the entire system.  If you think about it, it's not like Kiwis aren't engaged in democracy. We come in national elections at a rate closer to 80%.  So, you ask yourself, what's the problem with local government? Two things.  1. Too many of them. You axe all regional councils, half the number of local ones. And turn the system from Council-Mayor to Mayor-Council. We have 78 local authorities for 5 million people. It's nuts.  Once they get to the council table, the mayor becomes a cuck to whatever looney tune nut-bar has made it on there with a few hundred votes and a dream of ri