Brown v Hide - who's the winner? | Auckland News | Local News in Auckland

Mayor Len Brown gains a pass mark from key observers and comentators after his first 12 months in office, while there is a more mixed reaction to whether outgoing Local Government Minister Rodney Hide's promises for the council are being met.

PETER SALMON, Chair of the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance

Len Brown has displayed real vision, which is what the Royal Commission hoped the mayor would do.

He has included councillors across the political spectrum in important roles, and by and large the council is working as a team.

He may have over-reached a bit with some of his rail promises but my personal view is his proposals for rail make perfect sense in the long run, though it might be a longer run than he'd hoped.

His promise to make Auckland the most liveable city is an aspirational promise which will succeed or not depending on how well proposals in the spatial plan succeed.

Rodney Hide and the Government implemented through legislation a large part of what the commission recommended. I have some reservations around areas which weren't forwarded into legislation, but it's the Government's privilege to select or not select parts of the Royal Commission report which it finds appropriate.

ANDY ASQUITH, local government expert, Massey University

Len Brown's score card is looking fairly good. A lot of scare-mongers thought he would always be the mayor of Manukau. On the Shore especially there was a lot of pessimism about what he'd bring but he's demonstrated he can reach out and act as mayor for the whole of Auckland.

Appointing Penny Webster as the chair of the strategy and finance committee was shrewd.

Appointing someone who was outspoken in terms of public expenditure increases means if there's any increase she has to defend that.

The only time the Council and Len Brown made a major faux pas was with the Maori board issue. It was handled badly but as soon as they realised how it'd be seen, it was corrected very quickly.

One thing that slightly concerned me was the talk about privatisation of council assets to fund infrastructure projects. It'd be a retrograde step. At the moment he has no mandate for doing that.

I don't think the governing structure that Rodney Hide imposed upon Auckland was the best one. It could've been braver and more radical. He should have had an elected mayor with executive powers like the mayor of London but the Royal Commission said that's not the NZ way of doing things.

His political history is anti government and anti state. There's a school of thought that says Auckland Council was created by Rodney to fail. He put in place a structure in the hope it'd fail so he could turn around and say it had failed and his core beliefs had been proved right.

DAVE WILSON, AUT Institute of Public Policy director

Len Brown has been put in a very difficult position, I feel a little sorry for him. He's been unable to make decisions at a regional level. People were expecting more of an executive mayor who'd get a move on and get things done.

What he has got is political voice. He gets a big tick for representing Auckland and standing up strongly to local government, but at the core the basic functions have not changed. They've just been added together. If Len Brown wanted to implement the rail loop, he can't. He needs central government to sign it off - it's a fundamental flaw.

Rodney Hide has achieved what he set out to do: cut public sector jobs and streamline local government. He's centralised power more through the amalgamation of councils but the council has no extra mandate no extra function and no extra resources.

He's fundamentally misunderstood the potential of local government to address complex economic and social issues in the city.

ROD ORAM, Business and economic commentator

Len Brown has delivered. During the campaign he progressed from the mayor of Manukau to a more encompassing view of the whole of Auckland. He's tackling complex interlocking issues and expressing them in an accessible way. When you talk to him about specific issues he's knowledagble and thoughtful - he's clearly learning as he goes on.

At the end of the third year it'll be possible to make judgements about his first term and whether he deserves a second term, but we can make judgements all along and the judgement so far is good.

The first year is about trying to establish the new organisation and its culture and establishing a new a new way of doing politics in council and trying to keep ideology out of it. He's appointed some people to play to their strengths.

Rodney Hide's job was to put the legislation in place and not interfere afterwards. It seems he's keeping the appropriate distance but that could be because he's a spent political force and the game's over for him. The Government chose to implement only some parts if the Royal Commission recommendations but people pushed back and Rodney Hide was forced to change position on some things.

Len Brown's promises:

1. Support local identity

2. Fix Auckland's transport

3. Economic development and fair rates

4. No privatisation of public assets

5. Strong inclusive leadership