By BERNARD ORSMAN
Sparks flew in front of the media yesterday when Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher and her deputy, Bruce Hucker, scrapped over the city council's messy handling of a payout to Vector power customers.
Just as Dr Hucker and his political ally on the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust, Pauline Winter, were to unveil their solution to the $151 million Vector payout wrangle, Mrs Fletcher stormed into their press conference and accused her deputy of political cronyism.
She was furious when she received a media pack outlining the solution only one minute before the press conference and rushed downstairs to gatecrash the event.
There she accused Dr Hucker, who heads the left-leaning City Vision ticket, of trying to dress up the solution as council policy and using council resources to promote his policy.
Mrs Fletcher left in a huff after repeating her claims of cronyism.
Dr Hucker hit back with claims that Mrs Fletcher did not want the full council to be involved in decisions relating to the council's court appeal over the Vector payout.
He said he was entitled to hold a press conference as deputy mayor to present an "alternative approach" for the council to withdraw its legal action against Vector when it meets tonight.
His "solution" will clear the way for a payment of about $570 by the end of next month for Auckland homes connected to the Vector power lines network.
Dr Hucker said he would recommend the council withdraw the appeal in return for the trust's considering a set of principles protecting public ownership of Vector, preserving its capital assets, ensuring security of the region's power supply and resuming the undergrounding of power lines.
Pauline Winter said she had no trust authority to negotiate but she would present Dr Hucker's principles to the other trustees.
The Auckland Energy Consumer Trust is due to decide tomorrow to pay the $151 million dividend evenly to 262,000 households and businesses across Auckland and Manukau Cities and most of Papakura District.
The sum represents dividends from 1998, 1999 and 2000 frozen by legal action from the Auckland, Manukau and Papakura councils. Last November, Justice Barry Paterson, QC, cleared the payout.
The council's investments committee voted 4-3 last month to appeal against $31 million identified by Justice Paterson as capital. Mrs Fletcher opposed even considering an appeal.
Dr Hucker and lieutenant Kay McKelvie said the council had to fight for the principle of keeping the company's capital and cited two legal opinions that Justice Paterson's judgment was seriously flawed.
Dr Hucker yesterday said the solution was not a backdown and he had the numbers to continue the fight. That was disputed by a member of Dr Hucker's team on the council who said later that he did not have the numbers and that yesterday's press conference was an election-year face-saving exercise.
Fletcher and Hucker: blow for blow
What was said at yesterday's stormy press conference between Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher and her deputy, Bruce Hucker
Christine Fletcher: What is the status of this briefing? Is it a council policy position?
Bruce Hucker: This briefing today is a press conference that has been called by me as deputy mayor, and a press conference can be called by a deputy mayor, by any chairs in a council, and I have simply done that.
Fletcher: I would expect you to make it very clear that this is a policy position by City Vision and is not an announcement by council. This is a matter to be determined by council tomorrow evening and it is there that we will be putting this matter. There are suggestions that this is cronyism at its worst and I'm not wanting to suggest to many of the media who are here today that this is an announcement of council policy.
Council will determine the matter on the open agenda tomorrow evening. We can't have a situation where announcements are made prior to all councillors having the opportunity to state their views on the matter.
Hucker: This particular press conference resulted from the recommendations from the investments committee. The announcement has the function of indicating that as deputy mayor and person who moved the original motion at the investments committee, that talks have proceeded that have allowed me as deputy mayor to make a recommendation to the council and we are talking with other colleagues in the council on this matter and hope there will be majority support for the position. That will become apparent on Thursday night and will then allow the trust to make its decision on Friday.
Fletcher: Councillor Hucker, I want you to advise this briefing if you briefed the CEO prior to this meeting here today, because as I understand, the background has been prepared by council officers but no input from council officers.
Hucker: There has been discussion with council officers during this whole process and that has assisted in the formulation of the position that will be recommended to council. This is not a City Vision briefing as the mayor has suggested - this is a briefing by me.
Fletcher: Institutional responsibilities would suggest to me that you come and brief the mayor and to me it is cronyism (the mayor storms out of the conference).
Hucker carries on: As deputy mayor I am entitled to call a press conference any time, which I have done. These issues are being worked through in the council with councillors. Christine in this situation took a policy position that the full council should not be involved in making a decision over the lodging of the Vector appeal. She simply did not want to proceed with that. We have allowed all councillors to participate in that matter.
Fletcher lets fly at 'cronyism'
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