No plans for run at Auckland mayor, says Judith Collins

Judith Collins wrote a column yesterday headed 'Auckland needs a mayor with strength', raising questions about any intentions she might have for the Super City role. Photo / Doug Sherring

National MP Judith Collins says she has no plans to stand for the Auckland mayoralty, saying her focus is getting back into cabinet.

The MP for Papakura wrote a column in yesterday's Sunday Star Times headed 'Auckland needs a mayor with strength', raising questions about any intentions she might have for the Super City role.

Today, Ms Collins told the Herald the column "signalled her disappointment with the current mayor (Len Brown) and the fact as an Aucklander I feel very strongly we do need to have a good mayor to replace him.

"It is not a signal from me. I have always been focused on getting back into cabinet," said Ms Collins, who resigned as a cabinet minister three weeks before the 2014 general elections in the wake of Dirty Politics scandal.

She said one reason for writing the column was to try and encourage a strong centre-right candidate to put their name forward.

In her column Ms Collins credited Orakei Local Board member and centre-right politician Mark Thomas with courage for declaring he was standing for the mayoralty but said he did not have a huge profile - "which really is needed to win".

"Auckland's mayoralty needs guts, determination, intelligence and presence. Who's up for it?" she wrote.

The centre-right has struggled to find a high profile mayoral candidate since John Banks lost to Mr Brown at the first Super City elections in 2010.

At the 2013 elections, the little known businessman John Palino carried the centre-right banner. He polled 108,928 votes to Mr Brown's 164,338.

Stephen Berry, the right-wing candidate who came third in 2013 with 13,650 votes, has announced he is standing again next year.

Labour MP Phil Goff is expected to announce next month that he is standing for the mayoralty.

Mr Brown, whose second term has been marred by an affair with a council adviser, has not said if he will be seeking a third term.

Another confirmed candidate is activist Penny Bright, who is fighting the council over $33,372 in unpaid rates on her Kingsland property.

She has refused to pay rates since 2007 until she knows where her money is going.