Auckland mayor Len Brown won’t stand in next year's election

UPDATED 12PM: Len Brown will not seek another term as Auckland mayor.

He made the announcement in a statement and on TVNZ’s Q +A this morning. (See transcript here)

"It has been my absolute honour to be given the privilege to be able to serve our people as the first mayor of a united Auckland," he said.

He said that after discussions with his family, he decided nine years as mayor – first Manukau and later the super city – are enough.

Mr Brown was a popular mayor for Manukau City and, during his first term at Auckland, known for his good cheer such as joining in singing waiata at formal events.

His second three years were marred by revelations that he had had an ex-marital fling.

As widely speculated, Roskill MP and former Labour leader Phil Goff is to announce he is standing for the mayoralty on November 22. David Lewis, a former chief press secretary to Prime Minister Helen Clark and adviser to Mr Brown at the last two elections, will be Mr Goff's campaign manager. Other Brown organisers are expected to join.

Mr Goff has hinted his campaign platform could be based on improving transport and housing and minimising wasteful spending.

"Aucklanders want to see real progress made toward the goals of the Super City, which was the elimination of waste and duplication. That has got to happen."

Mr Goff will face the independent campaign of Mark Thomas, twice National parliamentary  candidate and currently a member of the Orakei Local Board.

Earlier this year he told NBR ONLINE his tilt at the mayoralty came after he went to a council budget meeting where transport spending was slashed by 30%. “I knew the city needed fresh leadership.”

Mr Thomas says although he is closely aligned with National and does not have a “big profile,” being a successful candidate is not about name recognition but rather about credible ideas and using the mayor’s executive powers effectively.

More candidates are expected.

Should Mr Goff win the mayoralty he is expected to resign from Parliament and Labour Party official and Puketapapa Local Board member Michael Wood, is expected to stand for Labour. However, Roskill, at one time a safe Labour  seat under earlier MP Arthur Faulkner has changed both geographically and ethnically, with a large Indian population today. That gives popular local doctor Parmjeet Parma, a rising list MP for National a good chance against Mr Wood.

After talking it through with Shan and my family, we have decided 9 years is enough

— Len Brown (@mayorlenbrown) November 7, 2015

RAW DATA: Q+A transcript: Interview with Auckland Mayor Len Brown

Watch the interview here

GREG I’m joined by Auckland mayor Len Brown, and I understand you’ve made a decision about your future. What is it?

LEN Happy to confirm that I will not be seeking nomination for the Auckland mayoralty in next year’s election.

GREG Why?

LEN I think, firstly, Shan and I and the family have determined that what I decided originally, which was three terms, in the event that I became the mayor of Manukau, that is enough for us. It has obviously been a extraordinary challenge, but also a brilliant challenge. I’ve been very humbled to be the mayor of the first united Auckland, but after two terms of tremendous challenge, great opportunity and what I believe has been an excellent transition for the supercity, I’ve decided that that is enough.

GREG After your admission of your affair, that must have been a factor in this. That must have been one of the roughest times in your life.

LEN Yeah, absolutely. And yes, that’s a factor, and there are a number of other factors. But clearly, the decision is made in my family and out of respect to Shan and our kids and the need for us to get on with our lives, you know, that decision has been made. Now, having said that, it is my absolute intention to continue to ensure that creating the world’s most liveable city is very much top of my agenda for the next year, and I will be working with the level of commitment that I started with and I will finish with. There is so much yet to do over the next year, but it is critical at this time. There has been a lot of chat, a lot of speculation, and I wanted to put an end to that and make it very clear what my intentions were.

GREG How much of a factor – he hasn’t confirmed definitely but all but confirmed – that Phil Goff is going to stand for mayor? How much of a factor does that play in your decision?

LEN Look, there will be 30 or 40 people who will want to run for the mayoralty of Auckland. It’s always a very heavily contested slate, and particularly with the amalgamation. And to Phil and anyone else who wants to run, I offer them nothing but the very best of luck. It is a job with extraordinary opportunity, but major challenges. And quite frankly, there is no training that could prepare you for doing this job.

GREG You were on the show just last week talking about some of the big challenges. In your view, with the finish line, I guess, in sight now, what are the big challenges in the job?

LEN Look, I think the one that we talked about most was the issue of really sorting out Auckland’s transport. You know, delivering that sense of a fully integrated transport system. And we’re well on the way to that, you know. It’s great for us to start the City Rail Link next month. And see a government commitment to a transport accord, which I think will be brilliant. That we will discuss light rail early next year and give some reasonable indications of what we’ll do with that. That we’re now totally focused on delivering cycleways. So there is an excellent base upon which to really build for the next mayor of Auckland and the next council of Auckland. So the challenges are quantum, but the opportunities are great. And to see our economy move with such pace and to see us move strongly and consistently in a common direction with a single vision and a single plan as a united city, it’s just been wonderful to see the city pull together behind that.

GREG So you’re not standing again. Are you disappointed at that? You mentioned before three terms, including your stint with Manukau. Are you disappointed?

LEN Nine years! By the end of it, nine years in this job, and I mean, it’s been a unique job. No one will ever have this opportunity again and I believe that the council in the first two terms has made every opportunity, by and large, a winning opportunity. I think we can be justifiably proud of the work thus far and towards the end of this term. So, you know, I’ve had nine years. And we’ve talked about this when I first went into this job and felt that three terms would be enough. In democracy, you’ve got to keep leadership fresh. And so, you know, I think that the judgement call around the time, the energy I’ve had to put into it, unrelenting. And no one, whatever their view of me, could ever question my commitment to the job. I love this city. I love doing this job. But nine years is enough.

GREG Just finally, what next? What does the former mayor of Manukau and Auckland Supercity do after that?

LEN I have no idea. The focus on this job has been so unrelenting, I’ve had no chances – and won’t have, really, until the end of the term – to really think about what I would like to do. Probably a little bit of a rest, but, look, something will pop up. When one door closes, another opens.

GREG All right. For the time being, Auckland Supercity Mayor Len Brown, thank you.

LEN Thanks, Greg.