Veteran politician Mike Lee might challenge Phil Goff for Auckland mayoralty
Wednesday, 8 May 2019
Left-wing politician Mike Lee is considering challenging Phil Goff for the role of Auckland mayor in October.
Lee said he had been approached for several months about a tilt at the position and needed to decide soon if a credible campaign was to be launched.
'Phil Goff is the worst mayor I've had to deal with,' the 27-year veteran of Auckland local body politics said.
If Lee joined the race, he would be the third left-leaning candidate alongside Goff and one-time Labour cabinet minister John Tamihere.
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Lee's mayoral pondering has come as he faces the possible end of his three terms as the Waitematā and Gulf ward councillor.
He had previously been supported – in 2016 informally – by the left-leaning City Vision ticket, but the Labour-Green grouping has chosen local board chairwoman Pippa Coom to stand for the council seat.
Lee said he did not think Goff, a former Labour MP, understood local government.
'[He] is not exercising the type of leadership needed,' he said.
'Council-controlled organisations are out of control, and are encouraged to be.'
Lee said he was monitoring social media feedback to the idea of a mayoral bid.
Lee entered local body politics in 1992 when he was elected to the Auckland Regional Council.
He has been a vocal advocate of public ownership of the council-owned Ports of Auckland and of the expansion of the region's commuter rail network.
If Lee does run, he will become the seventh declared contender for Auckland's mayoralty in the October election.
Other known candidates in addition to Goff, Tamihere and Lee are two-time challenger John Palino, Craig Lord, Joshua Love and John Lehmann.