Hubbard criticises $85,000 global trip

Dick Hubbard

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard has criticised councillors Vern Walsh and Penny Sefuiva for their part in an $85,000 global jaunt at ratepayers' expense and called for an overhaul of the council's growing spending on overseas trips.

Mr Hubbard said he had not been consulted on the month-long study tour by the councillors and two officers. If he had been, he said, he would have suggested a "much tighter" tour of 10 days to two weeks.

The mayor was also unhappy that his deputy, Dr Bruce Hucker, had not informed him that two members of his City Vision team were taking off round the world for 27 days.

"I am disturbed and unhappy about the current situation and believe we need stricter overall conditions on overseas travel," he said.

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The $85,000 trip comes at a sensitive time for Mr Hubbard, who is fielding criticism for three years of big household rate rises. Household rates have risen 9.7 per cent and 13.4 per cent in his first two years and are earmarked to rise 10 per cent next year.

He was also concerned his council had spent more on overseas travel than previous councils.

Two terms ago, councillors spent $58,176 on overseas trips in the first two-and-a-bit years under Mayor Christine Fletcher.

Under John Banks, Mr Hubbard's immediate predecessor, councillors ran up $92,293 of overseas travel over the same period.

In less than two years, Mr Hubbard and councillors have taken 22 trips at a cost of more than $105,000.

"We have to be aware that if there are significant rate increases then it is contingent on us to give the impression we are being as careful as we possibly can in this area by showing appropriate degrees of restraint," Mr Hubbard said.

"It's a small area of expenditure ... but it's a profile matter and we have to understand and respect that."

Last night, Mr Walsh hit back at Mr Hubbard, saying the trip was discussed widely inside the council beforehand and approved via the normal democratic process at a public committee meeting where the mayor had the agenda.

"It was unlikely the mayor was unaware of plans for senior councillors and two senior officers to embark on what was a significant study tour."

He did not agree with Mr Hubbard's view that the trip could be squeezed into 10 days to two weeks, saying it was certainly no holiday but an exhausting programme with just two days off.

Dr Hucker said he did not raise the matter with Mr Hubbard, but said the mayor had the agenda and staff to keep him informed of what was coming up.

Dr Hucker strongly defended the trip, saying "we are living in a global city" and that meant councillors and officers needed to see things on the ground and get contacts as the city embarked on major projects like the waterfront development and redevelopment of Eden Park.

Mr Hubbard, Mr Walsh and Penny Sefuiva all played a part in approving the trip. Mr Hubbard's role was to sign a change in councillors' travel policy last December to allow committees to approve overseas travel. Before December, Mr Hubbard, Dr Hucker and chief executive David Rankin had to approve business-class travel.

The change in policy allowed the arts, culture and recreation committee, of which Penny Sefuiva is chairwoman and Mr Walsh is deputy chairman, to approve the study tour in February.