Auckland will miss Penny Bright, a 'tireless and reliable advocate'

Friday, 5 October 2018

Penny Bright in her Kingsland earlier this year.

OPINION: Auckland will miss activist Penny Bright more than it may realise.

Bright, 64, died on October 4 after a battle with ovarian cancer, bringing her longest political campaign to an end.

The self-styled 'judicially recognised public watchdog' devoted most of the past 20 years to tackling the city's political establishment.

She spoke proudly of being arrested dozens of times, and was famously removed from Auckland City Council meetings by then mayors John Banks and Dick Hubbard.

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Bright's activism began as a student at Wairarapa's Kuranui College where she founded a branch of the anti-Springbok tour group HART (Halt All Racist Tours).

Penny Bright was a familiar face at protests. In 2006, she was pictured speaking at a protest about unfair justice outside the Auckland High Court.

The former welder and polytech teacher, made her mark in Auckland from the late 1990's when she co-founded the Water Pressure Group to challenge the practices of Auckland City's newly-formed water company Metrowater.

Bright and fellow campaigner Jim Gladwin contributed to Metrowater having to reveal 'dividends' it would pay into the council coffers, and to soften plans such as legal action against those who couldn't or didn't pay water bills.

Transparency became Bright's cause, and in 2007 she stopped paying rates, demanding the council publish extensive details of all contracts it let.

Bright and fellow activist Lisa Prager became regulars in the public forum section preceding council meetings, regaling councillors with their - often unpublishable - thoughts on perceived relationships between council staff and business interests.

Ironically it was a response from the chief executive Stephen Town, describing Bright's views as 'wildly inaccurate' that triggered an unsuccessful defamation claim by Bright.

Bright was always a colourful presence at council meetings, with an array of headgear from the classic beret to wide brimmed hats, and often towing the small briefcase on wheels favoured by lawyers.

She was not only the scourge of politicians, but sought to lead them, running repeatedly for the mayoralty.

Her greatest electoral triumph was finishing fourth in 2013, attracting nearly 12,000 votes in an otherwise lacklustre contest.

Bright's blend of vehemence and self-deprecating humour made her a crowd favourite at candidate meetings, including a tilt in 2014 at the Helensville electorate held by then Prime Minister John Key.

She demanded respect, delaying a 2013 mayoral candidate meeting at Auckland University until she was added to the line-up.

Bright never let me forget her omission from a mayoral a candidate debate I organised in 2016.

Her phone calls into Auckland media newsrooms were legendary, updating anyone who would listen on her latest moves.

Bright's longest campaign was ended partly by her cancer diagnosis, as the High Court was about to sell her Kingsland home to recover $89,000 in unpaid rates, penalties and costs, agreeing for the debt to be settled whenever the house was sold.

Whatever Aucklanders thought of Bright's campaigns and colourful battle cries, 'Her Warship' had a loyal following among those disillusioned with the political establishment, and for whom she was seen as a tireless and reliable advocate.

Bright's was always a voice from the heart, and with 12 months until Aucklanders next vote for a mayor and council, she leaves a vacant space in the political landscape that will be hard to fill.

Todd Niall is Stuff's senior Auckland affairs journalist.

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