Editorial: Spirit of consensus victor in elections

So convincingly did John Banks claim the Auckland City mayoralty that it might almost be thought his victory was part of a far-reaching malaise.

In reality, it was a quirk. None of the Auckland region's six other sitting mayors suffered the indignity heaped upon Christine Fletcher. George Wood even bucked history in North Shore City by becoming a second-term mayor. The return of those sitting mayors speaks volumes for the overall wish of voters in Greater Auckland. They want a continuation of strategies put in place in recent years for regional growth and development.

Much of the credit for the spirit of cooperation that underpinned those strategies must go to Mrs Fletcher, who chaired the mayoral forum. The challenge for Mr Banks is to build on that spirit and sense of consensus. Attempting to deconstruct or drastically reshape those strategies is in no one's interest.

Auckland City's new mayor has made a good start. A refusal, at his time of triumph, to be ruffled by carping comments by Judith Tizard, the Minister for Auckland Issues, was commendable, as was Mr Banks' confidence that he would be able to work constructively with Auckland's other mayors. Here, his wealth of experience in both local and central government should count for much. Indeed, a long-standing mayor such as Sir Barry Curtis of Manukau City dates his contact with Mr Banks back to the days of the Auckland Regional Authority.

Encouragingly, Mr Banks also appears wedded to the idea of Auckland's becoming a super city. So much so that he would like to see it the subject of a binding referendum at the 2004 local body elections. Mr Banks appears to see the overwhelming logic for a super city, especially in terms of services such as roads, water and sewerage. That same logic should foster a continued cooperation at the mayoral forum, the coalition that serves as a halfway house on the road to an officially sanctioned super city.

Inevitably, however, there are doubts about Mr Banks' aggressive style - and whether it will sit comfortably with consensus-style forum politics. Already, Bob Harvey, the Waitakere Mayor, has suggested that Auckland City's new mayor may damage regional unity. The doubts are not without foundation. Mr Banks forged a controversial career in talkback radio as the voice of divisiveness. Mrs Fletcher, in a final, desperate throw of the dice, made much of racist and homophobic comments from that time. Mr Banks must now move on from such calculated and categorical sentiment. It builds only discord.

Again, he has made a good start. Mr Banks now talks of seeking social cohesion and of recognising Auckland as a diverse city of people with different outlooks on life to himself. He also talks of not alienating any section of the community. The job before him is to marry that sentiment with those delivered during his election campaign, such as, for example, his commitment to clean up central Auckland, making it a place where mums and dads can walk in safety on a Saturday night. A pledge of zero tolerance for bad behaviour, including the likes of graffiti vandalism and street racing, clearly struck a chord with many of his supporters, particularly among the elderly. But enforcement of that policy must not be so heavy-handed as to alienate those who are policed more strictly.

Mr Banks has been given a clear mandate for change and leadership. If Mrs Fletcher successfully limited the potential liability for the Britomart transport centre project - the major issue at the 1998 election - she clearly did not do enough in other areas. Mr Banks' majority is almost four times that of her win over Les Mills three years ago. The new mayor has the added ammunition of the nine successful Citizens and Ratepayers Now candidates on the 20-strong council. The rebuff of that right-leaning group at the last election has proved short-lived. In terms of the numbers around the council table, normal service has effectively been resumed.

That service must now, however, embrace a wider scope than was previously required. Growth strategies must be predicated on Auckland as a region. And Auckland must be recognised as a city of increasing diversity. That must be encouraged to flourish, not be frowned upon. John Banks has to be as good as the words he now speaks.

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