Viv Beck has pulled the plug on her Auckland mayoral campaign.
Viv Beck has pulled the plug on her Auckland mayoral campaign.
Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck has pulled out of the race today, abruptly abandoning a bid that has been dogged by questions over campaign finances.
Her late withdrawal means her name will remain on voting papers, with postal voting beginning today.
In a statement, Beck said: "My decision comes with a heavy heart but given the strength of concern about issues that need addressing across our region, it is important to avoid splitting the centre-right vote.
"I would like to acknowledge the hard work and unwavering support from my team, in particular the quality work on policies to address Aucklander's concerns.
"I have also been heartened by the support I have received from people keen to see a different style of leadership governing our region and to those people, including C&R, I say a sincere thank you."
"I am concerned about gross inaccuracies that have been said about me and my campaign and will be reflecting on the impact this type of behaviour has on democracy.
"Overall, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with so many people over the last few months and to hear their views on what needs to be done if we are to realise our region's full potential.
"I'd like to see our region thrive, with a shared vision for a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable future and I look forward to playing my part in making this a reality."
Rival mayoral candidate Wayne Brown acknowledged Beck's withdrawal and said it left the way open for a "clear" choice for voters.
"There are now two clear paths.
"Current councillor Efeso Collins will carry on business as usual but with new promises of half a billion dollars a year of ratepayers' money to pay for fare-free public transport.
"As mayor, I will take a tough line on costs and I will fix the big infrastructure projects that are over time and over budget to ensure value for money for ratepayers.
"There is no money lying around waiting to be spent on 'nice to have' pet projects."
Fellow candidate Efeso Collins also thanked Beck but now called on Aucklanders to back him "as the only candidate with a positive vision for this city".
He said he'd listen to Beck supporters to find constructive solutions to their concerns and took aim at Brown for not attending tonight's NZ Herald mayoral candidates debate.
Brown's no-show deprived Aucklanders of the chance to hear candidates questioned on their electoral promises.
"Wayne needs to front up about his erroneous claims that Auckland's CCOs can be self-funded, he needs to front up about his wacky numbers on the Ports of Auckland and he needs to front up what he's selling or who he's going to fire to pay for the cuts that he's promising," Collins said.
"Not only does Auckland have over 30,000 ghost houses, we now have ghost mayoral candidates. But it's not good enough and Aucklanders deserve better - which is a contest of ideas."
Kit Parkinson, president of the Communities and Residents ticket that endorsed Beck for the mayoralty, said this would have been a difficult decision for Viv but agreed it was the right decision to make at the right time as voting begins.
He said Beck's decision had been taken by her campaign team, not C&R, the de facto local government arm of the National Party in Auckland.
"We thank Viv for her dedication and service, and the contribution she has made as the best right-leaning candidate, in particular, her credible and compelling plan for Auckland.
"Now more than ever it is crucial that Aucklanders elect a centre-right council to hold either Efeso Collins or Wayne Brown accountable. C&R will not be endorsing another mayoral candidate," Parkinson said.
Her poll ratings have fallen from 21 per cent June to 13 per cent last month, placing her in fourth position behind Labour-endorsed Efeso Collins, businessman and former Far North District mayor Wayne Brown and Molloy.
When the latest poll showed Molloy had dropped from second to third, the self-described "hospo legend" said he could not win and removed his name from the ballot to help a "change" candidate beat Collins.
Beck's decision to pull out on the day postal voting begins could see the change vote can coalesce around Brown, whose self-funded $500,000 campaign has been building momentum over the past month.
Beck stood on a pro-business, centre-right platform with policies of getting tough on crime and dumping the Government's $14.6 billion light rail project for rapid buses alongside the Northwestern Motorway and from Botany to the airport.
To date, Collins has led the polls, but with support in the mid 20s, he is a long way off the 50 per cent of the vote secured by Brown and Goff at each of their two election victories.
