Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has urged his councillors and local board members to unify their messaging after the deadly floods impacting the city, but one councillor says he cannot “suffer in silence”.
In a leaked email to the Herald, which Brown sent to 170 of his colleagues, the mayor said he and deputy mayor Desley Simpson would do the talking for regional Auckland matters.
“I will take care of the big picture,” Brown said in the email dated today at 2.12pm.
“To ensure that all communications remain clear and consistent, we need to speak with one voice.
“For that reason, I ask that it be left to myself and the deputy mayor to lead public communications on regional matters.”
Brown said his team and he had been “working hard to strengthen communications and get clear, timely messages out to Aucklanders”.
However, Brown said it was important local political leaders were speaking to their communities and communicating how they were being impacted.
“That said, I strongly encourage you all to continue talking publicly about what’s happening in your local communities – indeed, it’s essential that you continue to do this.”
In a reply-all email, Councillor Chris Darby said: “Kia ora mayor. Your request for councillors and local board members to button it on regional matters is somewhat ludicrous”.
Darby said a lot of council members “stepped up” on day one and two when they observed “an information void and lack of political lead”.
“From my observation they responded to media approaches and acquitted themselves well, and without the benefit of comms expertise,” Darby wrote.
“That should continue with councillors with regional responsibilities and local board members with local responsibilities conveying messages and telling regional and local stories.”
Darby continued: “I’m not one who has been talking to media to any great extent but I am super impressed by many of my political colleagues who have fetched media enquiry.”
He said councillors Josephine Bartley and Richard Hills “come to mind”.
“There are others. If there are particular members who you think have not appropriately represented the official view, it’s best to communicate that directly.
“The tone and content of your email, considering failings, is inappropriate. I would have stopped after the first line where you expressed a sliver of generosity. I cannot read your email and suffer in silence. You have my view.”
The email comes after Brown has been heavily criticised by the public, community leaders, fellow councillors, ministers and other parliamentarians about his communication and leadership during the weather crisis.
It also follows an explosive 30-minute phone call with the Herald where Brown warned the paper not to “f**k me over”.
Brown rang the Herald on Monday night after a request for comment about his message to his tennis group that he couldn’t play on Sunday because he had “to deal with media drongos over the flooding tomorrow”.
“I am the mayor for three years. You can’t do anything about that,” he said.
Community advocate Dave Letele has called for Brown to resign after describing the council’s response to the city’s weather emergency as a “disgrace”.
“The response has been slow and really ineffective, but I think the time for complaining about that is over and we’ve just got to move forward to get things done,” Letele said.
Yesterday, Brown defended himself against criticism over the lack of communication and the time taken to declare a state of emergency on Friday for the city, which witnessed record rainfall in the flooding that claimed three lives.
“The level of communications will be something of course which is subject to review later on, but I am absolutely sure they are improved from what they were last Friday.
“We have learned lessons. And we are listening,” Brown said.
Good afternoon Elected members,
Thank you again for the tireless work you’re doing to support our communities as we deal with this unprecedented event.
My team and I have been working hard to strengthen communications and get clear, timely messages out to Aucklanders.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson has been doing a great job assisting me with this, alongside her work in the Orakei Ward, for which I’m grateful.
To ensure that all communications remain clear and consistent, we need to speak with one voice. For that reason, I ask that it be left to myself and the Deputy Mayor to lead public communications on regional matters.
That said, I strongly encourage you all to continue talking publicly about what’s happening in your local communities – indeed, it’s essential that you continue to do this.
I will take care of the big picture.
And I would ask that you all take care of the local picture.
Kind regards
Wayne