Auckland Mayor Phil Goff risks job half-done if he decides against re-election bid

Friday, 3 August 2018

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff in his Albert St office. Will the incumbent be there beyond 2019?

OPINION: Auckland Mayor Phil Goff would be bonkers not to seek re-election next year.

Joe public will likely see the incumbent as a flash in the pan who feuded with councillors and brought in new accommodation and fuel levies if he quits after one term.

Goff would call those views unfair – he would probably say his stewardship has set Auckland on a path to success.

He would point to a 10-year budget, which passed with almost universal backing from councillors.

* Mayor Phil Goff cashed up and considering re-election as National Party vote looms

* Resolution to Auckland Council rift if Goff 'more inclusive', councillor says**

Maybe he is right, but as a two-term mayor Goff could claim real, tangible progress come 2022.

Investment totalling $268 million is planned for downtown Auckland ahead of the 2021 Americas Cup.

And Goff speaks like a man who wants to be boss when the racing starts.

'We're' doing this and 'we're' doing that, he says, reeling off a programme of new public spaces, traffic changes and yacht bases.

But Goff will not oversee any of his grand plans if he does not stand in 2019.

The former Labour leader also has unfinished business when it comes to solving Auckland's transport conundrum.

His regional fuel tax, which is funding the city's $28 billion, 10 year transport spend, gets the ball rolling.

It is a start, but by 2022 Goff would be able to tell ratepayers what he has built with their cash.

Auckland also hosts APEC in the next election cycle – a chance for whoever's wearing the mayoral chains to pose for pictures and rub shoulders with Asia-Pacific's power players.

Chances are Goff will start as the hot favourite if he runs next year.

The Nats cannot decide whether to mount a challenge and National-aligned council candidates struggled at the last election.

Plus, Helen Clark, touted by some on the right, probably in a bid to start a few ructions on the left, is said to be disinterested.

Importantly, Goff has declared himself healthy following his heart attack earlier in the year.

'I did my stress test on the treadmill at Middlemore Hospital … and did 11 minutes running on the treadmill and they were happy with the result,' he told Stuff recently.

'I'm feeling good – actually I should be feeling better, I've got 40 per cent more blood flow through one of my major arteries.

'I'm not in the least bit worried about my health.'