A new ticket for Auckland?

Newsroom reports:

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has expanded his Fix Auckland campaign from one candidate to two with the addition of deputy Desley Simpson, now he is recruiting a team to gain influence on the council.

The treaty that Brown reached with Simpson, seeing her decide against challenging the mayor at October’s election, is intended to be a forerunner to the Fix Auckland slate for council seats.

Brown says he alone was Fix Auckland in 2022 but now wants a team. “She will be standing for Fix Auckland and we look forward to others joining us.”

This is a very significant move, as it means Desley will be dropping the C&R ticket which she has been elected on previously. Will Fix Auckland stand against C&R or co-operate with them?

A right-leaning councillor, Sharon Stewart, is retiring from the Howick ward and that seat alongside fellow ward councillor Maurice Williamson, could be a possible joint Fix Auckland ticket.

The Whau ward councillor, Kerrin Leoni, is contesting Brown’s mayoralty so her ward seat could yet be another Fix Auckland target, having swung between C&R and Labour candidacies in past elections.

Manurewa-Papakura ward councillor Angela Dalton, who had a strong personal following as a former local board chair, is also retiring, leaving an opening that could fit Brown’s intentions. Dalton’s Papakura colleague, Daniel Newman, has supported Brown’s major initiatives.

A ticket which reduces the number of high spending Councillors would be a good thing. But if Fix Auckland and C&R end up splitting the vote, then it may backfire. Ideally all the non-left tickets should co-operate rather than compete.