Brian Rudman: Brown revolution signals rise of hidden Aucklanders

Len Brown. Photo / Jason Dorday

The browning of Auckland is finally under way. Auckland's recent migrant population have elected themselves a mayor.

He might be brown by name only, but voting details reveal that Manukau City Mayor Len Brown swept into office as the first Auckland Super Mayor on a tide of support from Pasifika, Maori and other non-Pakeha voters, from both his South Auckland stronghold and out west as well.

True, he polled well everywhere, except in the conservative old Auckland heartland of Orakei-Remuera, but it was his eight-to-one support in the Manukau and Manurewa wards that sealed his huge mandate.

It's a debt, or a mantle, that will define Mr Brown's mayoralty as he strives to bring Auckland's political landscape into synch with the social realities of the region.

Finally slogans like "First City of the Pacific" will become more than feel-good mantras.

A first sign of things to come popped up in a press release yesterday announcing the inaugural meetings of the 21 new local boards, all to be commenced with "a mihi whakatau (speech of welcome) and karakia (prayer) by mana whenua". Of which, more later.

The breakdown of Mr Brown's support arrived as I was replying to a friend's note about the Paul Henry saga.

Recalling his 20 "wonderful" years teaching in low-decile South Auckland secondary schools, he noted, "One thing that did sadden me was the fact that some of my best non-European senior, level-headed students just assumed that 'white palagi' discrimination was a fact of life that they had to deal with."

In reply, I suggested that in the new Brown Auckland, the casual racism that tripped off the tongue of shock jocks like Paul Henry and Michael Laws will no longer be acceptable. Can you imagine for one moment Mayor Brown trying to joke away, as Prime Minister John Key did, Henry's racist mocking of Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand. More to the point perhaps, can you imagine the host even trying it on with Mr Brown.

After his victory, Mr Brown told the Manukau Courier his first task would be to unite the 200 villages of Auckland. He added that the late voting surge in Manukau wasn't a vote "for the Super City" but rather "a vote to own the Super City". Two telling points.

The ethnic mix of his support base is certainly very different from the ye olde Auckland powerbase of the Orakei ward.

In the Manukau ward, including Mangere, Otahuhu, Otara and Papatoetoe, only 22.4 per cent on the electoral roll are European, compared with 51.8 per cent of Pacific descent. Asians are next on 18.4 per cent, then Maori on 17.6 per cent. Just over 57 per cent are New Zealand born.

In Manurewa-Papatoetoe ward, Europeans make up 46.7 per cent, Maori 27.8 per cent, Pacific peoples 22.3 per cent and Asian 12.5 per cent. Nearly 73 per cent are New Zealand born.

Across town in the plush northern slopes of Orakei, 71.5 per cent are European, 4.6 per cent Maori, 2.9 per cent Pacific and 15.3 per cent Asian. Sixty-seven per cent are New Zealand born.

The 2006 Census recorded Europeans making up 56.4 per cent of Auckland's population, Maori 11 per cent, Pacific peoples 14.4 per cent, Asians 18.9 per cent and New Zealanders 8 per cent. This is 21st-century Auckland.

Mr Brown has three years to convince his supporters he is delivering them the stake in the Super City he promised them. That he means to achieve this without the help of ethnic-based seats is encouraging.

I've always considered separate Maori or Pacific seats a complication too many in the already confused world of local government.

Creating a more truly First City of the Pacific will not only provide a unique place in the world for Auckland internationally, it will also help those level-headed students feel more at home in their own town.

But I do draw the line at prayers at the city council. Being inclusive shouldn't include forcing one's beliefs on others. Mr Brown's new city of 200 villages includes a Babel's Tower full of beliefs - and non-beliefs.

In my Waitemata and Gulf Islands ward, for example, 46.2 per cent of us declared "no religion" at the 2006 Census. Together, Ratana and Ringatu scored 0.6 per cent, other Maori religions zero. Why then a karakia? Or more to the point, any prayer at all?