Auckland mayoral race turns dirty

By BERNARD ORSMAN

The race for the Auckland mayoralty is turning rough and personal.

With just over two polling days left, Mayor Christine Fletcher has dug up racial slurs made by her rival John Banks.

He in turn has called her lazy and arrogant.

With the polls - official and unofficial - giving Mr Banks a strong sniff of victory, Mrs Fletcher yesterday ran an advertisement with a selection of Mr Banks' views on "natives", the Japanese, Italians and homosexuals.

She referred to Mr Banks' radio talkback show two years ago when he described Italy's America's Cup team in derogatory terms.

The Broadcasting Standards Authority upheld a complaint that his comments encouraged racial discrimination.

The advertisement also featured Mr Banks' views on gays ("unnatural sexual behaviour"), natives ("who have nothing better to do than wave spears on television") and Japan (" ... an enemy; we have been soft on them").

Mrs Fletcher said she believed in human rights and there was no place for discrimination in Auckland politics.

She also said Mr Banks' claim on Tuesday that she had abstained from council votes 69 times was blatant dishonesty. The figure had been plucked out of thin air.

A list compiled by council staff showed she had abstained 11 times at ordinary and special council meetings for procedural reasons or where she had a conflict of interest.

Records show Mrs Fletcher abstained three more times on committee votes.

Mr Banks said the advertisement was "desperation stuff" from the incumbent mayor grasping at straws.

"I'm disappointed that candidate feels the need to personally attack me and I'm not going to take the bait."

Mr Banks said the figure of 69 abstentions was not made up, but a "best estimate" from council informants after Mrs Fletcher had failed to give him the true figure.

"She now comes out and says it is 14. My response to that is it is disgraceful. She has now been flushed out on the number of times she has abstained. I don't believe in abstaining at all, ever, from any vote."

Mrs Fletcher has also reacted to claims she has been sitting on the fence over a new motorway through the wealthy eastern suburbs into the city.

"I am quite stubborn and there may be occasions when I don't help my own cause ... but I believe it would have been dishonest to have portrayed any other view [on the motorway]."

Mrs Fletcher, who has held off making a decision on the motorway through the eastern corridor until the effects on local communities and the environment are known, said that no "substantial reports" had been done on those issues.

But the council produced a 50-page report in September 1997 that included an environmental assessment and seven options.

This was followed by public consultation before the 1998 elections. Mrs Fletcher's new council stopped planning for the motorway in 1999.

In April this year, the council commissioned a $200,000 study to look at the options.

Last night, Mrs Fletcher said the 1997 report did not deal in sufficient detail with environmental issues.

Mr Banks has been unequivocal in his support of the motorway, saying the most memorable quote from Mrs Fletcher on the hustings was: "I'm not for and I'm not against the eastern corridor."

"That brings me back to the whole thrust of my campaign: that Auckland desperately needs leadership," said Mr Banks.

Feature: Local body elections 2001

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