Familiar faces could soon be silenced at Auckland Council meetings at the whim of Mayor Len Brown.
Councillors will vote today on new standing orders for the council's governing body.
The proposed rules would be easier to understand, and would prevent councillors from going on tangents or introducing non-urgent topics.
They'd also make it easier for the Mayor to decline applications from members of the public wishing to speak.
The Mayor would be able to reject requests from people who regularly speak, like anti-rates activist Penny Bright.
Councillors could also soon be attending council meetings from overseas hotel rooms or their living room couch.
The new rule book would make it legal for members to attend meetings by audio or audiovisual means, once the council has the technology available.
However, the council isn't budgeting any money for the equipment.
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