Santa works in mysterious ways and his helpers are determined to keep it that way.
The jingle of money, not bells, is behind secret talks at the Auckland City Council today on future funding for the Santa Parade.
City attractions committee chairwoman Victoria Carter yesterday said the Santa item wouldhave been in the open agenda but sponsors did not want the amount of money they contributed to the parade discussed in public.
She said the council was happy to reveal its contribution - $70,000 last year towards the $500,000 event - but then refused to say what she wanted the sum to be cut back to this year.
"Until it gets passed, because it is in the confidential agenda, and it is fed to the Santa Parade people, I can't tell you."
The chairman of the trust responsible for the parade, Michael Barnett, said the council was proposing to cut back its contribution to $50,000.
Farmers managing director Wayne Walden, whose company is the main sponsor of the parade, could not be reached for comment yesterday but another sponsor supported the secrecy.
Tip Top marketing manager Chris Taylor said even though it was the Santa Parade, there was still a commercial element that the company wanted to keep between them and the council.
Wilson & Horton, which has supported the parade through the Herald, had not been approached by the council about its sponsorship details being made public, corporate affairs manager Fran O'Sullivan said.
Nor did the company know what the council report into the matter covered.
"In general terms, we are quite open about who we sponsor but all the finer details are not made public."
Victoria Carter said the council did not want to pull away from the Santa Parade because it was an icon event for Auckland.
But she said it was being funded generously compared with other events.
Auckland's other big parade, Hero, got only $15,000 and Christmas in the Park $50,000, she said.
Mr Barnett said continued reductions from the council would see the quality and standard of the parade drop to the degree that would make it difficult to attract quality sponsorship.
"Here we are being hit with a 28 per cent reduction, yet this is something that is good for Auckland and the children and families of Auckland."
