Race for the Mayoralty – Auckland Super City – Len Brown

In 1991 I ran, with my wife, a small food business in Otara, that notorious Manukau suburb. It was an interesting experience. The degree of poverty in the township, almost certainly accounted for the place's epidemic of petty crime. Leaseholders were desperate to find solutions to the problem of uncontrolled youth, and the volume of tagging in the town centre.

Local politics became dominant in the discussions between traders and customers, and in seeking candidates for the following year’s elections, one name dominated. Len Brown was the man, I heard. He sounded like a man widely liked and trusted, a fellow interested in ordinary people and their problems, a man who just might solve the problems of a place like Otara.

I have never met Len Brown, but the fact that he appealed to a wide cross section of people I talked to at that time, impressed me. I learned that he was lawyer partner in the Auckland practice of Wynyard Wood, and was a co-founder of the Howick Free Legal Service. I liked that: a man with a social conscience, one for the little people. With the popular support I recognised in Otara, I was not surprised when he won a seat on the Manukau City Council in 1992.

After serving on the Council until 2004 when he decided to not run, he returned to law, although remaining as chairperson of the Counties Manukau Health Council.

After failing to unseat the incumbent Sir Barry Curtis, by a mere 600 votes in 2004, he stood again in 2007 to defeat his opponent, Dick Quax by 14,000 votes He has been a popular mayor, popular beyond his local boundaries.

Following the announcement of the establishment of the amalgamation of Auckland’s local satellites into the one Super City, and the invitation went out for candidates for the Super Mayoralty, Len Brown threw his hat into the ring., Recognition of his popularity and achievements immediately was recognised when he shot out to be a front runner, by a wide margin, over Auckland city’s mayor, John Banks, in the early polls.

For Auckland’s Citizens and Ratepayers Association, this was alarming. That the second-most powerful politician in the country could be held by a left leaning mayor was just too much. Why else would Dick Quax and his cohorts start looking under carpets for evidence of Len Brown’s rorting of the system? They uncovered some peanuts for which Brown had already made reimbursement. But they were not interested in investigating other candidates. John Banks was later identified as misapplying similar council rules, and by a larger amount, but right wing investigators failed to notice that, would not even have looked.

The reaction of the Right point to Len brown’s strong candidacy, and he has the credential to make a bold run. His health is back to normal after a heart attack in 2008, followed by by-pass surgery, and two-month convalescence. His policies have a broad appeal on public transport, retaining the region’s public assets, economic and social development, and protection of the environment. It will be a strong platform, and should allow him to be the first Mayor of Auckland; “Super City”.