National should just admit it wants to turn councils into the Department of Parks and Pipes

Rates caps are the latest in a series of anti-democratic local government policies from a party that once claimed to support localism and devolution, argues Joel MacManus. On Tuesday, the minister for local government Simon Watts confirmed council rate rises would be capped, requiring increases between 2 and 4% per year. The legislation for this change has not yet been written and Watts says it…