Rodney Hide has put enormous energy into implementing Labour's plan to centralise government of Auckland.

Will he feel it was worth it if the result of all that effort and political capital expended could be the imposition on the whole region of the 'precautionary principle' kind of rule exhibited in the ARC's bob-each-way decision to preserve an ugly old shed on their waterfront. 

Once it was decided to proceed with the left's cunning plan, National did very well to label Rodney with the responsibility.  If the demographics mean the structure is persistently dominated by the left's non-acheiver people and culture, making it monolithic leaves no localities free of their rule. They'll have the "rich prick" areas to tax to pay for their re-election bribes to the gullible voters who'll keep them in power.

One of my reasons for being glad that Kerry Prendergast is standing again in Wellington, is her conversion from enthusiasm for a monolithic Wellington region local government, back to sticking with the devil we know. At least some areas can be comparatively well governed while others suffer. And the comparisons can be instructive.

Auckland will soon lose that prospect of comparison.