PM rebukes Tizard over remarks

By BERNARD ORSMAN, AUDREY YOUNG and SIMON COLLINS

The Prime Minister yesterday reprimanded Auckland Issues Minister Judith Tizard for her attitude to new mayor John Banks.

But Helen Clark dismissed a suggestion by the defeated Alliance candidate, Matt McCarten, that Ms Tizard ought to be sacked for "stupidity".

Ms Tizard not only endorsed Christine Fletcher's bid to keep the mayoralty but said after Mr Banks' victory that the jury was out on whether he was "mad".

Helen Clark said yesterday that she had spoken to her minister about her behaviour.

"Her response was to agree with me that more in that vein would not be useful," Helen Clark said.

"I never take sides in local elections myself. We must stand above local politics.

"We must work, and we will work, with whoever is elected."

Helen Clark said she intended to work closely with Mr Banks, a former National MP with whom she entered Parliament 20 years ago.

"Odd as it may seem, I have always liked him. We've got on well at a personal level, and I intend that we will work well together."

That went for Ms Tizard as well.

"Knowing both of them as I do, both are inclined to shoot from the lip on occasion, and move on quickly."



Mr McCarten, who is considering taking on Ms Tizard in Auckland Central, said she should not have taken sides.

She had compounded her "stupidity" and had acted "with no class" in making comments after Mr Banks was elected.

The Prime Minister also had some praise for the outgoing mayor, telling bFM radio station that Mrs Fletcher had been a good "consensual mayor".

"She stopped the madness of the previous Britomart scheme. We should always be grateful for that."

Mr Banks is planning to set up a law and order committee to spearhead his promise to clean up the city. After campaigning to slash the number of council committees from 48 - including subcommittees and working parties - to less than 10, the new mayor said yesterday that there would be one new committee, devoted to law and order.

Mr Banks said he wanted to see a substantial increase in the numbers of policemen and women in the CBD as well as undercover officers to deal with some of the problem people.

It is this "action man" image, more than his policies, to which Mr Banks seems to owe his election.

"No particular rational reason," said solicitor Emma Lawford, 25, when asked yesterday why she voted for Mr Banks. "But John Banks is supporting the traffic problem - I guess he has got a bit more push."



Mr Banks won the Auckland mayoralty with the votes of just 18.7 per cent of registered electors: 43.8 per cent of the votes in a turnout of 42.8 per cent.

Clearly, many traditional Labour supporters did not vote, perhaps because there was no Labour mayoral candidate.

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