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Home / New Zealand

Auckland's new mayor: The life of Phil Goff in photos

NZ Herald
9 Oct, 2016 04:25 AM2 mins to read

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Phil Goff speaks with the Herald's Bernard Orsman about his successful mayoral bid, his plans for Auckland, heritage sites, the City Rail Link and more.

Labour MP Phil Goff was elected the new Mayor of Auckland yesterday.

Goff won the Auckland mayoralty with 186,445 votes, 47.6 per cent of votes counted to date. His nearest rival Vic Crone received 110,926 votes.

Here's a look at the Super City's newest mayor, who is due to be sworn in on November 1:

Phil Goff the family man

Auckland's new mayor Phil Goff with his wife Mary at the Sweat Shop Brew Bar. Photo / Getty Images
Auckland's new mayor Phil Goff with his wife Mary at the Sweat Shop Brew Bar. Photo / Getty Images
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Goff met his wife Mary in 1971 when she was a 15-year-old school leaver and he an 18-year-old long-haired leftie university student. They married in 1979 and have three grown-up children - Kristopher, an electrician, Kieran, who is in refrigeration, and Sara, who works for an industry training organisation. Goff is due to become a grandparent for the first time next month. The family shun the media spotlight, although Mary told the Herald on Saturday the mayoralty will be good for her husband, saying "he is easier to live with when he has got a challenge". The family have a bach at Orere Point, near Kawakawa Bay.

Phil Goff the farmer

Phil Goff has a closer look to one of his newly born lambs. Photo / Natalie Slade
Phil Goff has a closer look to one of his newly born lambs. Photo / Natalie Slade

Phil and Mary Goff live on an 8ha farmlet in Clevedon. When he can, he swaps a suit for gumboots and jeans. With all the spring rain, he has been throwing bundles of hay to steers and checking on newborn lambs. His current farm dog is a huntaway-beardie cross called Belle.

Phil Goff the bikie

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Phil Goff relaxing at home with his bike. Photo / Richard Robinson
Phil Goff relaxing at home with his bike. Photo / Richard Robinson

Goff inherited a love of motorbikes from his father Bruce, a 95-year-old war veteran. These days he rides a 2015 Triumph 850 motorcycle. In 2009, he led a group of bikers at the national ride-in day organised by Ulysses Motorcycle Club to protest at government plans to increase ACC levies for bikes. He sometimes rides with the Ulysses club and the Bro-CAAB children's charity bike ride.

Phil Goff the politician

Phil Goff as leader of the opposition in 2010. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Phil Goff as leader of the opposition in 2010. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Goff grew up in a Labour family. His grandmother would ring up the National Party to take her to the polls and then vote Labour. University politics, flatting with future Prime Minister Mike Moore and working to get Roger Douglas elected in 1969 in Manukau was followed by 32 years as a Labour MP, holding senior cabinet roles and becoming Leader of the Opposition. He will deliver a valedictory speech in Parliament Tuesday before dashing back to Auckland to run the Super City. Goff's work ethic is legendary.

Discover more

New Zealand

Phil Goff's options for a deputy mayor

09 Oct 04:00 PM
New Zealand|politics

Goff: No more 'most liveable city'

09 Oct 04:00 PM
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