Prime Minister John Key was one of about 80 people at a fundraising event for the new ticket on October 14 at the Geyser Building in Parnell.
Mr Thomas said political groups of different persuasions have existed all around Auckland for generations. Bob Harvey ran his Team West in Waitakere city for many years. Citizens and Ratepayers and City Vision have battled it out in Auckland City since the late 1990's. Labour has been a long-time presence in old Manukau City, he said.
"With voter turnout at only 37% in 2013, positive and useful steps by any group to provide greater clarity for voters should be welcomed," Mr Thomas said.
"Better identification of candidates and what they stand for should be welcome news to the hundreds of thousands of Aucklanders who don't get very excited at each local body election and who don't vote."
Mr Thomas said Aucklanders were telling him they didn't want local body issues politicised in the way central government issues are, but as he travelled around the region many were saying they want a clearer idea of who to vote for and what people stand for.
"Local government activity such as footpaths, parks maintenance and library management are not political, but how much council spends on this type of activity compared to others is."
"Although voters value rubbish collection, water distribution and other core council services these issues don't often compel them to vote. More candidates standing around the region who send a clearer message how they approach council funding and planning issues can only help."
Auckland Future is the latest attempt by the centre¬right to win control of the council after two poor campaigns and the failure of the Communities & Residents ticket, formerly Citizens & Ratepayers (C&R), to gain traction.
Joe Davis, a Browns Bay business consultant and National Party volunteer chairing Auckland Future, said the organisation was incorporated in September.
He said there had been a lot of conversation across the centre-right, including the National Party, about wanting to see Auckland run well, and with a vision.
"There is real widespread dissatisfaction with the current state of Auckland," Mr Davis said.
"The city is too big and too important to have councillors voting in an ad hoc manner on key issues."
Mayor Len Brown has been able to exercise power for six years with strong backing from several centre -right councillors, including the vote to increase household rates by an average of 9.9 per cent this year.
Mr Davis said Auckland Future would field a ticket of councillors with a strong policy platform so voters would know what they were voting for.
He said the ticket did not have any candidates lined up and would embrace a mayoral candidate "if, and when, a winnable candidate emerges".
Media personality Bill Ralston said he planned to stand as an independent in the Waitemata and Gulf ward.
He did not think aligning himself with one group was positive. "I wish them well. There are some really sensible people around that ticket," he said.
Several centre-¬right councillors the Herald spoke to had had little or no contact with the ticket. Franklin's Bill Cashmore, North Shore's George Wood and Manurewa-¬Papakura's Calum Penrose have held informal discussions. Howick's Dick Quax said he had not been approached.
C&R president Karen Sherry, when asked if C&R could merge with Auckland Future, said "that's a discussion that needs to be had" but added "sometimes competition can be healthy".
Ms Kaye, MP for Auckland Central, said she wanted to ensure a strong voice around reducing rates and bureaucracy.
"There has to be change. It [the council] has been pretty fragmented and I'm very interested for a new entity to emerge."
Mr Goldsmith said he was keen to see the centre-right competing effectively in the 2016 local body elections.
"It's important for Auckland. I'm following ongoing discussions on the topic with interest and lending support where I can," he said.
One Auckland politician said the ticket appeared to be based on anger coming out of the community and it remained to be seen what its philosophy and policy platform would be.
