Phil Goff seeks second term as Auckland mayor

Saturday, 2 March 2019

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff will seek re-election in October, chasing a second term.

The former Labour MP and one-time party leader said he wanted to continue work to make Auckland a 'world-class city.'

Goff would formally declare his bid on Sunday afternoon and was keeping campaign slogans and policies under wraps until later this year.

'I'll stand on my values, my integrity, my track record, skills and experience, and my commitment to deliver for this city,' Goff told Stuff in a pre-announcement interview.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has confirmed he will seek a second term in October.

* Auckland Mayor Phil Goff reveals wins, regrets for 2018 as he weighs up political future

* Is Phil Goff losing control of his council?

* Auckland Mayor Phil Goff needs to get off the stadium fence**

He listed Auckland's well-known issues – environmental improvement, traffic congestion, and housing supply and affordability – as key areas to tackle.

'We've got some big challenges out there but for every challenge, every problem, we've got a solution,' he said.

John Tamihere has confirmed an Auckland mayoralty run with Christine Fletcher as deputy.

'It's working with the private sector [and] working with central government to find those solutions that can make this city absolutely world-class and a great place to live.'

Goff was light on detail this early in the campaign, but emphasised the need to continue progress and underlined his work over the past three years.

'I can look back with pride on what we've achieved, the progress we've made, but of course you can't do everything overnight and there's frustration, which I share, that some of these processes we need to get to work faster,' he said.

Goff said it could be August before his billboards went up.

He had 'a bit of a war chest from last time, so I start with a bit of an advantage', he said, referring to $200,000 unspent from the 2016 campaign.

Goff's confirmation makes five declared contenders for the mayoralty.

His former Labour colleague John Tamihere, two-time contender John Palino, 28-year-old cafe owner Joshua Love, and media 'operator' Craig Lord have already announced their candidacies.

Three years ago 19 candidates sought the mayoralty.