As D-Day approaches deciding who will be Auckland’s first super city mayor, SPASIFIK publisher INNES LOGAN reflects on seeing the two leading candidates at the recent Young Pacific Leadership Network Evening in Three Kings, Central Auckland.
For once, when Len Brown hit the stage to speak to a collective mass of Auckland Pasifika leaders and professionals as part of his push for the Auckland Super City, he didn’t shout out ‘My name is Len Brown and you’re in my town!’
Because he wasn’t … not yet anyway.
The Manukau City mayor was at a tavern in Central Auckland, namely the Thirsty Whale. The Auckland Central mayoralty is presided over by John Banks. So it’s Central versus the Southside, Old Auckland v New.
The fact that both mayors and their respective entourages felt they needed to be there shows the increasing influence of the Pacific population. The Labour Party, and the left in general, can no longer take their vote for granted.
Watching Brown that day had me wondering if he had taken this Young Pacific Leadership audience for granted. He’s known as the rapping mayor and is hugely popular among Pacific voters in Manukau City, yet on this day seemed relatively subdued. Maybe the relentless campaigning was taking its toll. I like the guy, but when asked for the pathway for the young and growing Pacific population, felt let down when he talked about our talents in sport, music and the arts.
That may be for an elite few, but it’s no pathway to a thriving economy for the vast majority. When businesses are looking overseas for skilled and semi-skilled workers while huge numbers of Pacific and Maori youngsters are languishing either on the dole or from one training course to another, there’s something wrong.
Banks followed and, seeing all these brown faces in a working class tavern, spoke as if he had nothing to lose. He had the audacity to talk about the amount of debt New Zealand is in, enough debt to be paying close to $300 million a week in interest payments alone. And he had the audacity (or is it courage?) to suggest that it’s up to those of us in the room and all Pacific people, to do their part in making a positive contribution to the economy rather than demand. It was JFK “ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” all over again.
His emotion-filled speech concerning his own troubled upbringing may have been heard before, but it still struck a chord with those who have succeeded despite, and not because, of their parents, and that it doesn’t have to condemn you for life.
Bizarrely, weeks later he’s blaming south Auckland for the rest of the city’s crime problems on television. Good way to unite a city, John. Paul Henry would have been proud.
A couple of days out from the voting deadline indications show numbers are up compared to the previous local body elections three years ago, and this includes the Southside, which Brown needs.
What does Auckland need? What it doesn’t need are the tired old clichés like “unity” and “leadership”. It needs robust debate over meaningful issues that affect our lives such as public transport, roading, parks, libraries, community centres, sewerage and water to ensure well-thought out and planned decisions are made.
And while leadership is important, the bureaucrats and the elected councillors will ensure which ever mayor is chosen will not necessarily have super powers over their super city.
Who will win the Auckland Super City mayoralty and why? Is a Super City good for Auckland, the world’s largest Polynesian city? Give us your views.