Banks says he'd give Fletcher a top job

Christine Fletcher. Photo / Dean Purcell

Auckland City Mayor John Banks says he will give former political foe Christine Fletcher a senior role if he wins the Super City mayoralty and she is elected to the Auckland Council.

The two former National Cabinet ministers have made up after some rough and personal exchanges when Mr Banks beat Mrs Fletcher for the Auckland City mayoralty in 2001.

The bad blood continued until 2004 when she tried to win back the mayoralty with a campaign car with the word Banksruptcy emblazoned on it.

Since then, Mr Banks has softened his style and the two politicians have built a mutual respect for each other.

Last week, when Mrs Fletcher was selected by Citizens & Ratepayers to stand in the Albert-Eden-Roskill ward, she gave a ringing endorsement of the "greatly matured" Mr Banks.

"I hope he is successful as the mayor of the new Auckland ... I'm really looking forward to working with him," she said.

Mr Banks yesterday said he was flattered because he had beaten Mrs Fletcher for the mayoralty: "That speaks volumes about her spirit."

He said he had worked hard on his relationship with Mrs Fletcher, who had a lot of institutional knowledge to bring to the Auckland Council.

Mr Banks said if the pair were elected to the Super City on October 9 he would offer her a senior role. Asked if Mrs Fletcher could become deputy mayor, he said "anything is possible".

In a first for New Zealand, the Super City mayor will get to appoint the deputy mayor and committee chairs.

Meanwhile, journalist Graeme Hunt, who had a "short relationship" with Mrs Fletcher in 2007, has announced he is standing in the Albany ward for the Auckland Council under the North Now ticket.

Mr Hunt, of Greenhithe, said C&R had no standing on the North Shore.

In Auckland City, C&R faced a "squeeze" in the new, single-member Orakei ward where the right-wing ticket holds all five seats in the wards of Hobson and Eastern Bays.

The successful candidate was Eastern Bays councillor Doug Armstrong, who beat Hobson councillors Ken Baguley and Paul Goldsmith.

Mr Baguley is undecided about standing for the Orakei local board but Mr Goldsmith will stand with Mrs Fletcher for the two seats in Albert-Eden-Roskill.

Hobson councillor Aaron Bhatnagar is stepping down to be a part of Mr Banks' mayoral campaign.

C&R Squeeze:

* Doug Armstrong (Eastern Bays) - selected for Orakei ward.

* Toni Millar (Eastern Bays) - did not stand for Orakei, future unclear.

* Aaron Bhatnagar (Hobson) - standing down to work for John Banks' mayoral campaign.

* Ken Baguley (Hobson) - unsuccessfully contested Orakei, may stand for local board.

* Paul Goldsmith (Hobson) - unsuccessfully contested Orakei, selected for Albert-Eden-Roskill.