Phil Goff for Super City Mayor

Written By: - Date published: 8:31 am, November 23rd, 2015 - 42 comments
Categories: auckland supercity, local government, phil goff, Politics - Tags:

Phil Goff

The worst kept secret in New Zealand politics has now been confirmed, Phil Goff is running for Auckland Super City Mayor.

The formal announcement was made yesterday.  He is clearly well prepared and rightfully has front runner status at this stage.

His speech was carefully crafted and obviously designed to reach across party lines.  He ruled out asset sales and talked about the importance of the environment.  He also pledged to be fiscally prudent.  This latter statement is one the left has let the right monopolise for too long.

The right is exercising its attack lines.  Claims that he is double dipping have been made on social media.  Of course he is only receiving his MP’s salary at this stage so the claims are rather bizarre.

Leading contender on the right, Mark Thomas has joined in the claims that Goff will be double dipping.  Thomas somehow believes that it is appropriate for him to receive a Local Board salary and income from his consultancy and campaign for the Mayoral office but not for Goff.

If Thomas needs to understand what double dipping then National Cabinet Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga provides a perfect example.  He was elected to Parliament in 2008 while also being on the Auckland City Council.  Rather than resign his seat he stayed on as a City Councillor.  He waited until October 2009 before resigning and the significance of this is that the Council were then able to vote not to have a by election.  This option was not available to the Council if he had resigned more than a year before the next election.

Knowing Phil Goff and his capacity for work I am sure that he can manage to perform his role effectively and campaign in his spare time.

For further information on his campaign and if you want to assist his campaign website is here.

42 comments on “Phil Goff for Super City Mayor ”

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  1. Skinny 1
    23 November 2015 at 9:32 am

    I have no doubts Phil Goff will do an extremely good job as Mayor. Unlike right-wing contenders he has the major disadvantage of fund raising the estimated 500k needed in a modern day election campaign. Just like with Labour in the Central Political world who struggle with funding compared to the Tories.

    If successful, Auckland rate payers can expect Goff to free up valuable waterside land, both with the imported cars being parked at the port, and perhaps ditching the Naval base sending them North to Whangarei. Lastly he will crack the whip on the much needed rail link and get things humming. Good luck Phil we will chip in some much needed bucks for your campaign.

    • Sacha 1.1
      23 November 2015 at 10:31 am

      “Unlike right-wing contenders”

      Isn’t Goff from Labour’s right-wing? Why else do you reckon Nats are so keen on him.

      • Anne 1.1.1
        23 November 2015 at 10:41 am

        Hey Sacha, just because a person may be on the right-wing end of the Labour caucus doesn’t mean he hasn’t’ something worthy to offer Auckland. Please be sure that the right-wingers in Labour would be regarded as left-wingers by the bulk of the National caucus so his credentials in that regard stack up very well and are likely to be acceptable to most Aucklanders.

        • tinfoilhat 1.1.1.1
          23 November 2015 at 10:45 am

          Similar noises were made about Len Brown’s credentials.

          • Sacha 1.1.1.1.1
            23 November 2015 at 11:16 am

            And a supercity mayor needs to be able to straddle the political spectrum like Brown has. Goff may be good at that too, but not because either of them are ‘left-wing’ candidates.

            • tinfoilhat 1.1.1.1.1.1
              23 November 2015 at 11:54 am

              “..a supercity mayor needs to be able to straddle the political spectrum like Brown has.”

              LOL the mind boggles !

          • Anne 1.1.1.1.2
            23 November 2015 at 11:39 am

            Len Brown didn’t have the long list of successful high level credentials that Phil Goff has. Personality-wise as well as knowledge and experiences, it’s like comparing chalk with cheese.

            • Chooky 1.1.1.1.2.1
              23 November 2015 at 10:59 pm

              +100 Anne…He has to be better than the unprofessional ‘straddler in the saddler’ Len Brown….

      • Skinny 1.1.2
        23 November 2015 at 11:09 am

        The Tories are not keen on him, they just know they don’t currently have a decent contender to front up against him. It must hurt when the only known rightwingers coming forward are Barnett Bill Ralston. Even resident clown Hooton stands a better chance than them. Speaking of which about to hear Hooton’s diatribe on Nine till Noon rubishing Goff.

        • Skinny 1.1.2.1
          23 November 2015 at 11:59 am

          Quite complementary of Goff was Hooton on RNZ. I guess one doesn’t bite the hand who may feed you. Plenty of good dining on a supercity ticket to consultants that don’t rock the boat.

          • Matthew Hooton 1.1.2.1.1
            24 November 2015 at 7:25 am

            I always support the most right wing candidate.

            • Ad 1.1.2.1.1.1
              24 November 2015 at 8:39 am

              Actually, from your attacks on Key this year, you support the most competent candidate who actually looks like they want the job.

              Otherwise I presume you’ll be coming out for Mark Thomas, who is just to the right of the Vicky Ave bakery.

            • Skinny 1.1.2.1.1.2
              24 November 2015 at 12:28 pm

              Lol 🙂

    • crashcart 1.2
      24 November 2015 at 10:05 am

      Not sure how you think he can ditch the Naval Base being that it is a central government controlled peice of land. I don’t believe it was part of the settlement recently. If he wanted to do that he would need to stay in Labour and get elected to government.

  2. Tracey 2
    23 November 2015 at 9:36 am

    Sure but he could have avoided the obvious accusations of double dipping by resigning. He can afford to be without salary for a year surely? He could consult to supplement his imminent poverty? But out of parliament he has less leverage to stay in the public eye.

    • Skinny 2.1
      23 November 2015 at 9:44 am

      You answered your own question there Tracey. Why should he resign before the official campaign period? Yes and expect him to go hard in Parliament before he goes, be good for Labour aside from his mayoralty campaign.

  3. Northsider 3
    23 November 2015 at 9:57 am

    I think Phil will be a good Mayor of Auckland.

    I do not like his running as an “Independent”. He is a former Labour Party Leader. He is known because of his part in Labour.

  4. Sanctuary 4
    23 November 2015 at 10:04 am

    Aucklanders want better public transport, cheaper housing and no asset sales – they are the mum and apple pie stuff. Unfortunately, they also want no rate rises, NIMBYism, NOTEs (Not over their either) and BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) apparently have the direct dial of the Herald’s editors and they love John Key, whose government is owned by the anti-PT lobby and is determined to squash any sort of independent Auckland fund raising initiative.

  5. Puckish Rogue 5
    23 November 2015 at 10:07 am

    The independant candidate Phil Goff 🙂

  6. One Two 6
    23 November 2015 at 10:12 am

    Phil ‘Rogernomics’ Goff

  7. adam 7
    23 November 2015 at 11:04 am

    I’d prefer to see someone run who will dissolve this mess called the super city.

    Labour start this mess by there reform of local government. Then the Tories come along, and made it worse.

    The borough system was more effective.

    And it was more democratic,

    But hey, why bother with effectiveness and democracy when you can have Phil Goff.

    (do I need to say the last line was loaded with sarcasm?)

  8. savenz 8
    23 November 2015 at 12:12 pm

    Ah oH, just looked at his speech and website! Bit short on policy there Phil, (like Labour) a lot of fuzzy words, (by the way the speech is out of sync in the video not a good look!) and little detail of policy in the speech, a donate button and contact button (with your details being asked NOT giving Phils contact details??). Not a very personal feel there!

    As I DO NOT want an even worse right winger in, than PhIl here is my advice:

    Do NOT employ buddies and anyone involved in Labour party campaign to ‘help’ you in your campaign – your website is already looking bad, see the above points.

    1) Correct website.
    2) Create real policy, i.e. go further than ‘not expand the wharf’ to open up the harbour and get Ports of Auckland who are a disgusting employer and horrible brand out of there as soon as possible.
    3) Create REAL public transport in the city and have a time frame for it.
    4) Campaign to stop the disgusting IT disaster mess at Auckland council that is taking up millions of rate payers dollars (and is going to fail).
    5) Campaign to clean up the legal department and gouging of legal fees from legal consultants that Auckland council is spending such as ports of Auckland environment court case.
    6) Campaign to clean up the resource consents department at Auckland council which approved the 500 year old Kauri tree felling and ports of Auckland expansion.
    7) Stop council speculating on development like Westfield
    8) Start doing proper urban planning and give incentives for affordable (and stylish) housing like eco housing and support the tiny house movement make sure that any new motorways and housing developments have got public transport plans.
    9) Remove the excess development costs for building and connecting to infrastructure like waste water, water and so forth.
    10) Increase tourism in Auckland
    11) Avoid supporting Sky City and corporate welfare who will want to lure you with free rooms AKA Len Brown style and constant events there.
    12) Do something real to support the environment – like a REAL goal to clean up all the beaches, rivers and lakes in Auckland.
    13) Avoid motorbike shots, as looks try hard. Stop going on about the freezing works the ‘working class’ metaphor does not work in Auckland – it is Urban and full of townies who love animals and trees.
    14) Pitch Auckland as being a new silicon valley with real broadband speeds and a telephone connection that can actually work!
    15) ZERO assets sales.
    16) More democracy in the Super City!

    If you are feeling really brave, denounce TPP to show the lefties who voted Len in, that you are a changed man from the 1980’s so they vote for you instead.

    In addition avoid any spin, spin doctors and constant asking for donations for the campaign!

    Be authentic and fudging policy is NOT authentic.

    Len won because he had a real policy which was improve transport, sadly he only concentrated on this and wrecked the city by allowing the council to make pathetic decisions on resource consents, ports of Auckland, IT and so forth which has led to gross wastes of ratepayers money and did not get enough transport through while putting up horrible developments which NOT affordable.

    The supercity is a failure and left and right hate it. We get less democracy for money money and Auckland is now run by corrupt incompetent council workers who are making poor decisions and policy and creating fiefdoms in the council.

    • Sacha 8.1
      23 November 2015 at 12:30 pm

      “make sure that any new motorways”

      Government agencies control motorways, not local councils.

      “wrecked the city by allowing the council to make pathetic decisions”

      The Mayor does not have power to “allow” anything. Councillors vote on decisions. Encourage and elect good people in that role.

      • savenz 8.1.1
        23 November 2015 at 1:01 pm

        Auckland council can influence government policy and public opinion. It is pathetic (for example) that the Northwestern has no public transport when the government and Auckland council went and have set up a lot of housing developments around there. Not only is there years of congestion to build the motorway for existing commuters but by the time they build it, without public transport clearly it will be just as congested. They should be using RAIL, instead they closed the rail links down in some areas.

        The Mayor consistently had the final vote that ALLOWED pathetic decisions – his view as that ‘the councillors should listen to the councils advice’.

        Clearly the environment court disagrees, likewise the public on a number of issues that the council lost on, both in court and within public opinion. Therefore if the Mayor had cast his vote in the opposite direction then policy and direction could have been different.

        The council and councillors are out of step with public opinion on many issues.

        For example recently Auckland Councillors have voted to approve a submission for oil exploration off the city’s west coast.

        The council had been under pressure from environmental activists to reject the plan to allow exploration permits.

        • Sacha 8.1.1.1
          24 November 2015 at 9:55 am

          The Minister of Transport directed govt agencies not to progress a busway along the Northwestern motorway. How you believe Auckland’s Mayor had any power to prevent that I do not know. Sure he can lobby, which is exactly what Brown, Hulse and others have been doing, and what the previous Councils did.

          Similarly, any independently-elected Mayor is constantly working to bridge internal factions and keep various councillors onside, and to please stakeholder groups including business, government and community activists. It is way more about compromise than decisiveness. Sadly some see that as weakness rather than strength, but it is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the role has been set up by those who designed the system – not anybody on council.

  10. Penny Bright 10
    23 November 2015 at 11:11 pm

    Where does Phil Goff stand, and what is his PROVEN track record on the, in my view, mechanism for the forced corporate takeover of the Auckland region – Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs)?

    Where does Phil Goff stand, and what is Phil Goff’s PROVEN track record on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)?

    Does Phil Goff support the PPP model for Watercare?

    (Beware the ‘weasel words’ of being opposed to the SALE of public assets, but not their long term lease via PPPs?)

    Under this Auckland ‘Supercity’ (for the 1%), first regional CCOs (to get the ‘economies of scale’ – then PPPs?

    Where does Phil Goff stand, and what is his PROVEN track record in trying to ensure Auckland Council is held accountable to the ‘Rule of Law’ – regarding citizens and ratepayers’ LAWFUL rights to ‘open, transparent and democratically accountable’ local government?

    I look forward to the upcoming 2016 Auckland Mayoral debates ….

    Penny Bright

    Proven ‘anti-corruption’ and ‘anti-privatisation Public Watchdog’.

    Genuinely and fiercely Independent 2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

    • Mike the Savage One 10.1
      24 November 2015 at 12:44 am

      See my comment below, Penny.

    • savenz 10.2
      24 November 2015 at 9:07 am

      @Penny Good points about weasel words PPP vs Asset Sales. One to look out for as under PPP the council also loses control and revenue of ratepayer owned assets which is pretty much the same as asset sales. Do we want Serco style arrangements for the council? Nope!!

  11. Mike the Savage One 11
    24 November 2015 at 12:42 am

    I suppose another “revolution” from the top, is it?

    Revolution by the Committee for Auckland and “progressive” business interests, all keen on doubling the population of Auckland to create a greater “market” for more stuff to sell, more rates to be gathered, and more servants to get to work in low paid jobs, while investors and property owners will get windfalls no matter what. That is more or less what Len’s Auckland Plan, the presently discussed Unitary Plan and the general direction of Council stand for.

    Phil will be well connected, I presume, and he loves rubbing palms with all sorts. He praised the private investment in the Ranfurly Veteran’s home, which was admittedly run down years ago, but is now owned by
    http://www.retirementassets.co.nz/

    Promoted by:

    Their owners:
    https://opencorporates.com/companies/nz/631614

    The once Ranfurly Veteran’s Home, now Ranfurly Village:
    http://www.ranfurlyvillage.co.nz/

    Phil was as local MP all for it, to have new investors join in to build new complexes, in which units are now sold as lifestyle units to those who can afford it:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/central-leader/6580614/Big-plans-for-vets-home

    ” Plans include seven retirement apartment blocks up to four storeys high, an aged care facility and the renovation of Ranfurly House as a community centre.

    A new bowling green and indoor swimming pool will also be installed as part of the redevelopment, which will be called Ranfurly Village.

    Mt Roskill MP Phil Goff was among guests at the project launch where he manned the digger to turn the first sod.

    “This is a great thing for Mt Roskill – a win-win situation,” he says. “It’s going to be great for the vets and great for the community.”

    This is a partnership between a Trust and a private business. Phil is a fan of such arrangements, same as of PPPs (public private partnerships), and prepare for more of that for the whole of Auckland, should he become the Mayor!

    The future is in safe hand, for those who have managed to save for a nest egg, forget the rest:
    https://www.eldernet.co.nz/Facilities/Retirement_Villages__Purchase/Ranfurly_Village/Service/DisplayService/FaStID/13478

    • Mike the Savage One 11.1
      24 November 2015 at 1:24 pm

      Where was the sod-turner (see stuff report), when the media started raising these and some other issues about the new “investor” into the Ranfurly Retirement Village?
      ‘Cutbacks after veterans’ home sold spark inquiry’, NZ Herald, 18 Oct. 2013:
      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11141854

      John Campbell and team also reported on this:
      http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/more-ranfurly-rest-home-families-come-forward-2013101619#axzz3sMcPgJiE

      Anyway, that is the kind of projects dear Phil did in the past celebrate as a “Win win” situation. I honestly hope we will not get such developments in Auckland, well, to be honest, we already have much of this kind of stuff going on, do we not?

    • millsy 11.2
      24 November 2015 at 10:44 pm

      Who owned the Ranfurly vet’s home before this flash Harry bought it up?

      The contrasts in attitudes are glaring here. If Cameron/Osborne sold off the the Greenwich veteran hospital, the one that is about 200-300 years old, they would be strung up in the Tower of London.

      • Mike the Savage One 11.2.1
        24 November 2015 at 10:54 pm

        It was owned and managed by a trust, but they appear to have seen their financial limitations to keep it running, and decided to do this deal with the commercially focused business based in Christchurch.

        But Ranfurly has definitely a historic meaning and value to veterans and many Aucklanders on a whole. What is being created is concrete and glass apartment boxes, surrounding a small remnant of the old, historic main building, that is hard to see from the street now.

        That though is nothing new in Auckland, I have seen so many historic buildings demolished or changed beyond recognition, hence we now have the high rise, leaky building apartment disaster in many parts of the Auckland CBD, slowly spreading further out.

  12. millsy 12
    24 November 2015 at 10:54 pm

    I have one outside the square for Goff.

    A council owned Auckland KiwiSaver provider that uses funds to invest in Auckland’s infrastructure. Allow mum and dad to put their retirement savings in the building of Auckland. A PPP system with NZ characteristics.

    Use that as a model for the rest of the country.

    If the Kim Campbell’s of this world start jumping up and down, you point to that hard left Marxist Osborne in the UK, who is rolling out a plan to use council pension funds to fund infrastructure.

    That said, it is important that Goff gets a decent set of allies on the AC.