Political sniping has resumed on the Auckland Energy Consumer Trust with the dumping of former chairwoman Karen Sherry in favour of former National MP Warren Kyd.
Ms Sherry yesterday called Mr Kyd an opportunist and pointed the finger at another trustee, former National Party chairman John Collinge,for her downfall.
Ms Sherry, Mr Kyd, Mr Collinge and Michael Buczkowski won four of the five seats on the trust six weeks ago under the centre-right Citizens & Ratepayers Now ticket.
The dumping of Ms Sherry follows a rocky history of political infighting on the trust, which owns Vector, Auckland's $3.1 billion power lines company. Ms Sherry said she was extremely disappointed at being dumped, saying "Mr Collinge is playing to an agenda as usual".
Shale Chambers, the only member of the centre-left Powerlynk ticket on the trust, said that in his view Mr Collinge was in control of the trust and time would tell if Mr Kyd was his own man.
Mr Collinge, who is on the Vector board as deputy chairman, said it was normal at the start of a new term to elect a chairman and he had backed Mr Kyd.
"As a former MP he is the best person to work with Government in the new price-controlled environment. He has very good knowledge of the industry and an equitable personality that will make the trust much more pleasant and effective."
Mr Kyd, who chaired the select committee for Max Bradford's electricity reforms and the Government's 1991 electricity pricing inquiry, said it was never his intention to stand for chairman.
There were three candidates for chairman - Mr Kyd, Ms Sherry and Mr Chambers.
Mr Kyd won with the votes of Mr Collinge, Mr Buczkowski and his own.
Ms Sherry voted against him and Mr Chambers abstained.
The trust
* The largest publicly owned community trust in New Zealand.
* Made up of five trustees elected every three years.
* Owns all the shares in the power lines company Vector.
* The trust receives an annual dividend which it gives to 285,000 consumers in Auckland City, Manukau and part of Papakura, through a credit on power bills. This year's credit was $155.
