Wayne Brown, Kerrin Leoni fight it out for multicultural Auckland
Sunday, 11 May 2025
Jonathan Killick is a senior reporter based in Auckland, investigating local politics and community issues.
At a campaign launch this month, attendees were told it’s going to be an uphill battle for a wahine Māori to win Auckland’s mayoralty. Luckily, the city has a 78-year-old Pākehā male champion of diversity to fall back on. Jonathan Killick reports.
In a packed-out Jubilee Hall, Kerrin Leoni told supporters she had initially felt it would be “crazy” to take a tilt at the city’s chains.
“But, I spoke to a number of people and [realised] someone had to put their hand up,” she said, speaking at her campaign launch on Friday, May 2.
Labour list MP Willie Jackson, who backs Leoni, told the crowd the same thing he had told Efeso Collins: “I wouldn’t do it … Too tough, too rough, too much racism.”
“The one person I told to stand was John Tamihere … we all know what happened to his campaign,” said Jackson.
It’s been three years since the Sunday Star-Times asked whether it was time that the South Pacific’s largest Pasifika city, where Pacific Islanders make up 16.6% of the population, was ready for a Polynesian mayor in Collins.
This time around, Kerrin Leoni is positioning herself as a “fresh” voice for Tāmaki Makaurau, talking up her mixed Italian, Irish, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāitakoto, and Ngāti Kuri roots.
Says Leoni: “[The city] needs a new generation of leadership that really reflects our diversity.”
But she’s not the only one touting that message, with a battle emerging for the narrative over who will champion a multicultural metropolis.
“Talofa lahi, talofa lava, namaste, nihau - I'm covering off all the groups that are here,” said Wayne Brown at his own launch in February.
“Remember that Auckland's not just the eastern suburbs,” he added, taking a dig at current deputy and potential rival Desley Simpson.
“Take a look around here today. The business and property sectors are here, our sports groups and our big ethnic communities of Chinese, Indian, Pacific and Māori.”
After the media scrum, Brown gave an exclusive statement to the Mandarin-language TV broadcaster, Channel 33 New Zealand.
“Xin Nian Kuai Le! [Happy New Year!] I make an effort to speak the language so I’m sure your community will like me … [and] you work hard and we love having you.”
Leoni, meanwhile, not to be outdone, had Chinese dancers performing at her event in front of campaign posters.
Youths from Tamaki College also took the stage to give a speech about their aspirations for council supporting teaching of te reo and after-school activities. Their list of priorities made no mention of rates bills or potholes.
Brown’s event was held at the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron where he was introduced by top-tier real estate mogul Graham Wall, who described him as the “un-politician”.
“He's a single-minded engineer with just the right amount of Asperger's to stay focused and fix our city,” said Wall.
Notable attendees at the event included Simon Bridges, Matthew Hooton, Richard Kumar, Andrew Ritchie and Gael Baldock.
Said Wall: “[Brown] couldn't give a damn if you're from the far left or the far right, or from anywhere in between.”
Leoni’s event, meanwhile, had a ‘grassroots’ feel, held in a community hall with kids running around and a crowd of 150.
Figures from the Labour Party were out in force including stalwart Judith Tizard, Jackson, Shirin Brown and Vanushi Walters.
In a speech, Tizard suggested that Leoni would focus on “making a difference” as opposed to Brown.
“She won’t be fussing around about road cones. They are not the problem. Road cones are there to keep the public and workers safe as we build the future we need!”
Leoni also got a knowing laugh out of the crowd when she said “as mayor I'll listen, I'll actually cooperate with the central government”.
That was a talking point for Brown too, who described his “unique friendly style”.
“It’s my well-known, kind, gentle negotiating that’s helped in the battle with governments of both major parties to get Auckland treated with respect … Wellington needs constant reminding in that interminably polite way.”
Brown was asked by reporters what he thought about Leoni saying that Auckland needed a “more positive” leader.
He responded: “I think that we'll find out who they think is more positive later in the year.”
Despite the red tinge to Leoni’s launch, and her past work for Labour, the party is yet to actually endorse her despite having had months to do so.
That’s in contrast with Andrew Little in Wellington, who only announced his mayoral ambitions weeks ago and has already received the party’s backing.
Campaigns are expensive, and this election may be unusual in that neither candidate is aligned with a partisan funder.
As Wall put it, “being a selfless servant to the public is an expensive business”.
“[It] cost Wayne probably half a million of his own money last time round. It'd be nice if we could find a way to do that without that kind of help.”
Jackson also addressed the topic.
“I read [Leoni] was unaligned … in terms of endorsements, we'll be chasing that over the next couple of months [but] she certainly has the total support of many Māori within Labour.”
And not just Labour - Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Tarsh Kemp might have been seen as an odd choice for guest speaker given recent whistleblower allegations at Manurewa Marae - where Kemp was CEO during the 2023 election campaign - that census data collected there was used to target voters.
“Haters gonna hate and you just gotta keep going,” Kemp told attendees at Leoni’s launch.
“Every day you've got to get up and when you walk outside your door, you've got to put a brave smile on your face. Even when you're not feeling it,” said Kemp.
“Our people are looking to you … [they] would love to see a Māori mayor.”
Political commentator and pollster David Farrar said as a challenger, Leoni had the bigger task ahead.
“The real job that each candidate needs to do is have a clear brand. Brown is the grumpy old guy who gets things done and will put the boot into his own council when he thinks it needs it. People like this - they don’t want someone who defends their own organisation regardless of the facts.
“Leoni’s brand is less clear, except as a contrast to Brown. She is younger, more energetic and more left-leaning. Her big challenge is to develop and cement a brand in the next four months.”
Dr Julienne Molineaux, senior lecturer at AUT’s School of Social Sciences and Humanities, says the challenge for a councillor like Leoni running for mayor is getting name recognition outside of their home ward.
Leoni is not running for her Whau council seat this election, going all-in on the mayoralty.
“There may be a strategic advantage in launching a campaign early,” says Molineaux. “It enables the candidate to claim a space on the political spectrum, dissuading others with similar electoral appeal from standing.”
“For those with a low profile, getting taken seriously … making it onto the short-list of deemed [main contenders] is hard.”
Leoni has come out of the gate with a novel policy, promising to review council contracts, particularly with Ventia.
“[Their contract] is worth more than $154 million over two years, and let's be honest their job is to shareholders, many of them Australian. We want to bring those jobs back here to New Zealand.”
Brown continues to push his bed-night levy, which he says will be crucial for funding attempts to court Sail GP, America’s Cup and NRL State of Origin.
“They won't happen without it. And as mayor, I won't be raiding struggling families just to improve the turnovers of hotels.”
Farrar said that Curia’s monthly polling for the Taxpayers’ Union showed Brown in good stead.
He has gone from a low point of -33% approval following the handling of the Auckland Anniversary Weekend 2023 floods to +22% at the end of last year, and +14% in the most recent poll - “pretty good to head into an election with”.
Curia hasn’t been tracking Leoni to date.
There certainly was a sense of optimism from Brown at his launch. He was happy to answer any questions from media as long as they weren’t to do with his relationship with Deputy Mayor Simpson.
“I’m not even going to talk about that, it’s not an issue … This about my success, OK?”
Reporters asked if there was anyone Brown considered a true rival, someone that would worry him. Leoni, apparently, didn’t come to mind.
“Um, I hadn't even thought about it… Elon Musk!”
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