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A NAME YOU CAN TRUST! Thursday, November 19, 2015
Vol 44, No 55
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“Time to move on” By MARIANNE KELLY
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H
aving announced that he is bowing out of the Auckland mayoralty at the end of the current term, Len Brown could justifiably say that he will be glad to get complaining ratepayers off his back. “Hell no,” he says. “It is tempting never to want to give up. “But I live in a democracy and every year must seek peoples’ confidence. “But Shan [his wife] and I were clear when I became Mayor of Manukau that three terms would be it. When I became the mayor of Auckland, it was up for further discussion. “I felt I did well in the first term and said we’ll see how it goes until the end of the second term.
“If I go for a third Some people, he says, term we said it would may have liked another have to be for a really mayor with a different good reason,” he says. philosophy. “After the term at “But I’ve loved doing MCC (Manukau City this job, knowing that Council) and two on this every day I can effect council, and because of some change in the city. the intense nature of It gets me out of bed the job and challenges every day. we have had through it, MAYOR LEN BROWN “People under-estiwe felt we should stick mated what could or to the original plan. could not be achieved and now “Sir Barry (Curtis, former it’s important to get on with the mayor of MCC) after 24 years said job and keep the vision very clear. there were jobs he still wanted to I will maintain that until the day I do. I didn’t want to go down the walk out.” longevity track. In this role it’s The toughest challenge, he says, important to allow a refreshing to has been to put the amalgamation happen.” structure in place and explain He brushes aside downtown how that was affecting the rating media remarks that he was writ- structure. ten off from day one. “In hindsight, I realise it was
about messaging. I regret how I tried to explain in detail the equality of the rating changes and that we were not increasing revenue. I blame myself that I did not explain in a more succinct way.” He won’t be drawn on whether he will throw his support behind his deputy, Penny Hulse, should she decide to run the mayoralty race. “There is a lot of chat and speculation,” he says. “But she is an outstanding deputy, a strong and formidable leader in her own right. I have a huge amount of respect for her. “This job is unique and requires a lot of sacrifice,” he says. “Contenders must think deeply about their decision to run because they might just become the mayor and get what they are looking for.” Opening Hours:
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