Goff rallies left-wing against National 'pawns'

ARC chairman Mike Lee (L) is backing Len Brown for Super City Mayor. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Labour leader Phil Goff has given the left a rark-up to prevent the Auckland Super City falling into the hands of National Party "pawns" - John Banks and Citizens & Ratepayers.

The left-wing City Vision ticket launched its campaign yesterday, buoyed by strong unity and signs of trouble within C&R's ranks.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive and National Party member Cameron Brewer is taking on C&R's Doug Armstrong in the blue ribbon ward of Orakei, Children's Commissioner Christine Rankin has ditched C&R to stand as an independent councillor and politicians across the region are distancing themselves from the "Auckland-centric" ticket.

Despite better omens for 2010 - the left was torn part by internal feuding in 2007 - Mr Goff told the City Vision faithful it was vital to lift the voter turnout from 40 per cent in 2007 to 50 per cent or 60 per cent.

"If there is a low turnout, traditionally the turnout will come from the most affluent and conservative sections of the community," he said.

The message was echoed by Super City mayoral contender Len Brown, who called for a 60 per cent to 70 per cent voter turnout to build a strong, committed and united council.

In the presence of several Labour MPs and two Green MPs, Mr Goff said Labour supported City Vision and Len Brown for the Super City mayoralty.

Mr Brown also received strong backing from Mike Lee, the Auckland Regional Council chairman, who considered standing for the Super City mayoralty before the Manukau mayor put up his hand 11 months ago.

Mr Lee, who is standing for the Waitemata and Gulf ward on the Auckland Council with the backing of City Vision, said the centre-left was going into battle shoulder-to-shoulder with Mr Brown for the most important election in Auckland's history.

"The Super City could be a top-down bureaucratic monolithic monster run by monolithic Citizens & Ratepayers in the image and likeness of John Banks and Auckland City Council C&R. That is what we are fighting against," Mr Lee said.

Mr Brown got a taste of what to expect from Mr Banks earlier in the day in the first televised Super City mayoral debate on Television NZ's Q&A programme.

Referring to Mr Brown's personal spending on his mayoral credit card, Mr Banks said there were no groceries, no pork, no flash meals and no liquid lunches on his Auckland City mayoral credit card. The debate failed to draw out any major new policy from the two heavyweight mayoral contenders.