Auckland’s central suburbs, city centre and Gulf Islands deserve and need an elected representative who really understands how Tāmaki Makarau functions, has 21st solutions to offer to the challenging issues facing Auckland Council and the wider region and who really loves the city. We have this in Patrick Reynolds, candidate for Waitematā and Gulf ward who is standing with City Vision. Patrick is upfront, smart, collaborative and a critical thinker. He is well prepared and ready to serve on council.
Mike Lee staged a comeback last election after an unexpected defeat in 2019 but it is now time for Patrick’s positive progressive leadership. Why is Mike no longer up to the job? The answer lies in Mike’s motivations for seeking a comeback and those who backed him, the failures that have characterised his time on council this triennium, and the misinformation he continues to peddle to justify his re-election. It’s beyond time Mike stepped aside.
The comeback
In 2022 Mike announced that he was coming out of retirement to re-stand for Auckland Council following persistent lobbying from “so many people”. He went on to win Waitematā and Gulf ward election* thanks to a strong turnout on Waiheke (egged on by a misinformation campaign over co-governance) and with the backing of the same people behind the vile Treaty Principles Bill. Individuals aligned to groups like Hobson Pledge, Democracy Now, Gulf Users Group, and The Taxpayers Union. Mike Was also supported by National party- aligned C&R who didn’t stand a candidate.
Mike promised to “turn things around so that the Auckland Council starts to function as an organisation that serves the public – not the other way round”. However, Mike’s track record this term shows he is only interested in stopping progress regardless of the public interest.
Opposition to publicly supported projects
Almost immediately he took aim at publicly supported projects; attempting to stop the strongly supported Inner West improvement projects going ahead (taking the side of his small group of “saboteur” supporters) and stop the sale of the Downtown carpark for the Pūmanawa Downtown West redevelopment by Precinct properties.
He has lashed out against the publicly consulted on City Centre Master Plan that in addition to strong community support has the backing of the City Centre Advisory Panel and City Centre Residents Group . He voted against Te Hā Noa the upgrade of Victoria St and against extra funding for the City Rail Link which would have resulted in an unfinished hole in the ground.
A world-class city centre or more cars, noise and pollution?
Mike opposes making Queen St more people friendly with space for walking and cycling (he did after all once say he loves the smell of diesel as he walks down Queen St! ). One of the reasons he is standing again is to “lift the destructive blockade of Queen Street and restore free access to Queen street” (from Mike’s website). He wants to welcome more cars, fumes and noise into the heart of Auckland against the wishes of the residents who live there. This will undermine public transport and is contrary to everything that makes a world class city centre.
He opposed the designs for Project K giving AT the excuse to water down the consulted on and publicly supported improvements around the new Karangahape CRL station (thankfully restored after a tenacious community campaign).
Mike’s priorities, in particular his preference for cars over people, negatively impacts the very quality of life he said was under threat in 2022. Mike opposes any progress that makes the city more liveable, accessible, and inclusive.
Failure to collaborate and build consensus
He has made a great failure of his “hope to work with the new Mayor and fellow-minded Councillors”. He quickly fell out with Wayne Brown and within 7 months had been dumped off the Auckland Transport Board.
Around the table he shows no capacity for listening to the views of others, collaboration or consensus building. Where once he was able to win support for major investment like the electrification of rail (a legacy of which he can be very proud) now when he speaks the majority of his colleagues switch off. Where Mike could have “fought for democracy” and used his power, such as stopping Auckland Transport making streets more dangerous against the wishes of the communities, he has been completely ineffective and very often absent.
He has taken an anti-housing position in railing against the replacement Plan Change 78 and misrepresented the options imposed on Council by the government. Some of the solutions Mike offers to address housing affordability make sense but rather than building consensus to make a difference he accuses City Vision of being the “Woke Left”. What does it say about his position on zoning that some of his biggest supporters are neo-liberals like David Seymour and National aligned Christine Fletcher? (who are both incorrectly claiming that council can ignore the governments directive to stick with Plan Change 78 or agree a replacement by 10 October)
Politics over solutions
Granted Mike took a “progressive” position in his opposition to the sale of airport shares but lacked the ability to lead a majority of councillors to take a stand against the Mayor’s asset sell-off. The progressive councillors who voted for the sale did so pragmatically and in the best interests of Aucklanders as it avoided service cuts to things like climate, environment, local boards, regional grants and public transport. They knew the votes were there for big cuts so made the tough decision to sell to protect council budgets and increase revenue.
Mike campaigns on lower rates but has never explained how this would be achieved without significant cuts, increased debt and/or the sale of assets. Even with this year’s Annual Budget he joined two other councillors to vote for the budget but against the rates rise- which would have led to a $170m hole in the budget if the majority voted that way. Like his allies on council – John Watson, Wayne Walker, Christine Fletcher, Ken Turner – he is often against something for political reasons but does not show the leadership to make a hard decision or put forward alternative solutions.
Mike still has a gift for the theatre of politics. This was on show in the recent debate about helicopters. The headlines give the impression he was “ambushed” in his attempts to side with the community that quite rightly wants to ban helicopters in residential areas. But dig into why his colleagues voted against him, 15:7, as Simon Wilson has done, and it becomes clear that “Councillors voted for the option they thought had the best chance of succeeding, and against the option they thought was, in effect, full of sound and fury, but signified nothing”. (From the Quiet Sky Waitemata facebook page). Even the cheers from Waiheke for his “success” there may be short-lived as the plan change he has kicked off gave “false hope” and risked wasting millions of dollars on a rule central government is unlikely to approve.
Conservationism that undermines Te Tiriti commitments
There is no doubt Mike is a “passionate Hauraki Gulf conservationist” but his efforts to establish a marine reserve off Waiheke “which attracted 93% support of public submissions” ignores the fact it is opposed by tangata whenua who, alongside the Hauraki Gulf Forum, want marine protection that doesn’t extinguish indigenous rights. Mike’s paternalistic conservationism perhaps explains his unwillingness to take a stand for Te Tiriti and why he continues to draw support from Hobson Pledge aligned people.
He joined a group of reactionary and conservative councillors in opposing Auckland Council’s submission against the Treaty Principles Bill. Just last month Mike voted against establishing the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area Forum with tangata whenua representation, a key part of the long fought for Deed of Acknowledgement for the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Area to be entered into with Te Kawerau ā Maki and the Crown.
The worst attendance of any Councillor and questionable behaviour
Over a long career he has a reputation as a bully and shouter at both colleagues and staff. He recently brushed off raising his voice as “normal” in a political setting. Behaviour that has no place on Council even under a Mayor of his own generation. No one can take away his achievements from earlier this century but he appears to have fallen out of love with the city and the diversity of its residents. He is mainly absent from civic life, cultural occasions and the many events that take place in his ward. He has the worst attendance record this term of any Councillor.
You can tell a lot about a candidate by looking at who supports them
This election Mike is standing as “Auckland Independents” with endorsements from a motley crew of National Party aligned C&R, Rock the Vote NZ conspiracy theorists and local cycleway saboteurs. He is no longer the progressive leader.
Patrick is standing with City Vision, the progressive coalition of Labour, Green and community independents. As Patrick says ” to achieve positive things in public office, it’s all about building constructive relationships”. Patrick has a proud record of working with a wide range of Auckland’s key decision-makers to create a more prosperous, liveable, and inclusive city for the 21st century. He is the future for Waitematā and Gulf ward.
* I campaigned for Mike over three elections when he was endorsed by City Vision until 2016. I lost to Mike in 2022 after one term as a Councillor and three terms on the Waitematā Local Board
Make your own assessment: Candidate surveys are a good way of comparing policies and positions
