The Auckland Times | Issue 185| October 15, 2019
Local News
Phil Goff starts 'cabinet' talks at start of new mayoral term
P
hil Goff's office was
empty except for
his Civil Defence
satellite phone
when he turned up for the
start of his second term
as Auckland's mayor on
Monday.
A cardboard carton of
files arrived soon after, as
Goff said what would follow
his resounding defeat of
05
challenger John Tamihere in
Saturday's election.
Individual discussions with
the 20 councillors would
start on Monday, as Goff
settled on who his deputy
would be, and who would
chair the major committees.
"I'd like to talk to as many
councillors as possible,
especially the (four) new
ones coming in says Goff.
The future governance
of council agency Auckland
Transport was an early
priority, with appointments
waiting to be confirmed for
a new chair, and several
directors needed to fill
vacancies.
Goff was not keen on
reviving the councillor-
director position, after
removing the previous pair,
Christine Fletcher and Mike
Lee, in 2016.
"The auditor-general
advised strongly against the
appointment of councillors
as voting or paid members
of boards," said Goff.
"A councillor is paid
to be a councillor, not to
pick up major directorships,
but I am inclined to have
councillors sit on boards
with speaking rights but not
voting rights'" he said.
Senior councillor Chris
Darby has already signalled
an interesting in sitting on
the AT board, returning to
a practice Goff scrapped on
taking office in 2016.
Darby said there needed
to be a conduit between the
council and the board, and it
should be as a full director.
"If you were just an
observer, your fellow
directors are not going to
treat you as an equal,says
Dardy who will discuss the
idea of a councillor having
an interim role on the board
when he sits down with the
mayor.
Goff doubted decisions
on governance would be
made ahead of a full review
of the Auckland Transport
structure, which could start
soon but possibly take years
if it involved law changes
Even as Goff starts
his second term, political
observers are pondering
whether this will be the
final stint as mayor for the
66-year old, with 36 years
in politics already under his
belt.
"I'm not ready to say that
at all, at the present time I'm
fit and healthy, and I have
the enthusiasm and energy to
do the job," said Goff.
"I wouldn't have run but
for that, and gone through a
gruelling campaign of more
than 40 debates and over
100 meetings - I'm anxious
to contribute to the city."