Mayor of Auckland
March 28th, 2009 at 11:36 am by David FarrarThe Herald rates the chances of potential contenders for the Mayoralty of Auckland (assuming the Government adopts the key recommendations):
They are:
- John Banks – the front runner
- Len Brown – good to very good
- Mike Lee – good
- Bob Harvey – average to good
- Paul Holmes – average
- Peter Leitch – poor to average
- Andrew Williams – poor
- Judith Tizard – poor
- Blair Strang – dead on arrival
I have not read the full report yet. It will be interesting if the vote for the Mayor is FPP or STV.
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March 28th, 2009 at 11:40 am
Stuff had a poll (obviously online and obviously informal and “unscientific”), which threw Marc Ellis and Lucy Lawless in there, as well as Holmes. Based on that, Holmes ranked poorly and lagged well behind. In the end, it came down to a close race between Banksy and Xena!
Vote:I know who I would vote for if I lived in Auckland!
March 28th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Interesting that out of all the names mentioned, Banks is the only centre-right candidate.
Len brown is Labour, Mike Lee is ex Alliance, Bob Harvey is labour, Paul Holmes is popuist (but possibly centre-right), Leitch is Labour, Williams is god knows what), Tizard is Labour and Strang is also god knows what.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 11:50 am
They left out Winston Peters and John Tamihere.
Both would be strong contenders.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Len Brown?
If he was the best left wing candidate we could then campaign the same way the Democrats did in the US.
Vote Len Brown and get ????? remember the deputy Mayor (who you will not get to elect) is only one heartbeat away from assuming power.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
PAUL HOLMES…???
What the fuck????
Gawd that Herald is a pack of fucken dipshits.
Paul Holmes couldn’t run a piss up in a brewery.
Snivelling little socialist lap dog.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Stuff included both Winston (I have trouble typing that without an epithet in front) and Tamihere – neither scored particularly well, and Winston got even fewer “votes” than Holmes. It was Banks and the celebs who placed well in the Stuff poll. But that was yesterday. Haven’t looked at it today.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Here are the results as quoted by the Stuff site. Does my heart good to see both Winston and Paul well down the list.
“The poll drew more than 10,000 votes.
Ms Lawless gained 1924 votes or 18.2% of the populist poll.
Mr Banks was just 43 votes behind, on 17.8%
The poll may show the mood of Auckland ready for someone a little less conventional.
Coming in third was Marc Ellis on a close 17.1 percent.
Other results were:
Stephen Tindall 13.3%
Judy Bailey 11%
Winston Peters 9.4%
Michael Jones 4.6%
John Tamihere 4.5%
Paul Holmes 3.9%”
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
“The poll may show the mood of Auckland ready for someone a little less conventional.”
Really??
I think it shows that a large number of the people who read the Herald and vote in its polls are either stupidly enamored of Hollywood airheads, or jokers.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
“I think it shows that a large number of the people who read the Herald and vote in its polls are either stupidly enamored of Hollywood airheads, or jokers.”
That is unfair to Lucy, putting her in the same category as John Banks when she’s a very sensible woman!
Actually I suspect it shows that internet-literate Aucklanders are very cynical about government – local or otherwise.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
It’s first past the post.
[DPF: That is a pity. I do not like STV for multi member wards, but do think it works well for single vacancy elections. Of course then it is really more just an instant run off election”
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Can’t really have STV for a single position as STV is designed to produce proportionality within a multi member constituency.
The better descriptor is preferential vote (or alternative voting). This is the system provides that the winner is either 50% + 1 of the first preference or subsequent second preference votes cast by redistributing the second preferences of the lowest polling candidates.
This is the system used to elect the Lord Mayor of Brisbane for example.
STV could be used for the proposed 10 at-large members.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
What about Phil Goff? He will need a new challenge next year after the knives go in.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I’m very cynical about Paul Holmes. He has no qualifications or endearing qualities at all. I don’t understand why he would even consider standing.
Despite voting for Andrew Williams to be mayor of North Shore City, I find he is petty and ineffectual.
If we can’t have Boris Johnson, then I’d say John Banks is head, shoulders and torso ahead of the rest of the field.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Don’t underestimate Peters’ ability on a campaign trail. He is formidable. I don’t think a poll now is worth anything in terms of predicting results.
Tamihere as I said yesterday would make an interesting National candidate for Mt Albert, but if he chose to run for Auckland, I suspect he’d lose. Peters would also probably lose against Banks but not by much. Harvey would run a distant third.
To those two who gave me negative karma for suggesting those two as candidates, try to distinguish between what I said vs. a value judgement as to whether either would be the best proposition.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
If you look to history, John Banks has cause to worry unless he can make allies outside of Auckland City fast. The assumption that the biggest central authority will win can be turned on its head if all the surrounding districts resent a takeover and make common cause against him.
That happened last time on North Shore where the Takapuna incumbent Mayor, Wynn Hoadley, thought she was on a winner post-amalgamation but got rolled when all the other districts backed her opponent.
I guess Len Brown could play a similar strategy. I don’t see Harvey or Williams being up to it.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Presuming that the proposal for Lord Mayor is enacted I predict that the race will be between Banks and Len Brown.
Brown will be the bolter and will win, mainly through formidable support that he will gain from Manukau and also from Waitakere after Bob Harvey endorses him. Bob will not run. Holmes will run because of his ego but all he will do is split the centre right vote.
Mike Lee will satisfy himself with a constituency seat on the new AC.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Tony Veitch for Lord Mayor!
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Lucy Lawless’ father is Frank Ryan, who was a mayor of Mount Albert-turned-Chairman of Finance for Auckland City. I find that interesting!
I for one, love the poll results
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
The Herald and Aucklanders need to lift their sights considerably. Wrong playing field. With these suggestions more of the same old, same old, bullshit.
With a city to run, more than twice the size of Fonterra, what’s required is an outstanding world class business leader.
Both face the same issues whether a city or a business – hr, staff, contracts, services, customer service, efficiency, effectiveness, value, PR, costings & what to charge customers, depreciation, capital expenditure, profit margins, eventing, marketing, promotion etc. Companies or cities what’s the difference? One is public, one private. Ratepayers are shareholders.
Shouldn’t we be talking about someone in the realms of a Chris Liddell. Someone who has actually been successful running a business? Not some bloody Aucklawood D grade celebrity or windbag with no business nous with an operation of this size.
Some more lateral and global thinking required surely.
Vote:March 28th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Who is Blair Strang?
On a positive note, I suspect the mayor of Auckland will be an ex-parliamentary politician. Someone who feels there is little left to achieve in central government and wants the challenge of a so called “super city”. I hope Pam Corckery, effectively a Judith Tizard clone does not campaign.
Vote:March 29th, 2009 at 7:11 am
John Banks would be the best man for the job.
Vote:March 29th, 2009 at 7:34 am
For the sake of Auckland I hope Banks wins and doesn’t allow the handwringing lefties screw the new body.
Should be a shoe in as NZ really does hate the socialists these days.
Vote:March 29th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Blair Strang???? For the love of god… and why is that political undead Tizard registering higer than the the Strang non-entitiy as well?
No offence Blair but you’re an actor. You don’t pay a plumber to fix your wiring just because he feels like giving it a crack.
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