Banks says it with $11,500 of flowers

Auckland City Mayor John Banks spent $4500 on floral arrangements for his Town Hall office. File photo / Brett Phibbs

John Banks has racked up an $11,523 bill for flowers in his current term - including a $60 bunch to the Auckland City Mayor from office staff when he was ill.

In the 12 months to this June, Mr Banks spent $4500 on floral arrangements for his Town Hall office. Some months he spent $500.

He also frequently sends flowers to people to say thank you, congratulations or pass on best wishes or condolences.

Among those to benefit from Mr Banks' generosity are Len Brown, the mayor of Manukau, who received a $72 bunch in July 2008 following a heart attack - well before he became Mr Banks' main contender for the Super City mayoralty.

Others to receive ratepayer-funded bouquets are Dame Thea Muldoon for illness, former deputy Prime Minister Sir Don McKinnon and athlete Sir John Walker for their honours and the Rev Ross Bay on becoming Bishop of Auckland.

Mr Banks - who has made a virtue of being frugal with ratepayers' money - yesterday refused to comment, but a spokesman said flowers were provided each week for the office's reception.

It was appropriate given the range of people visiting, including world leaders, the spokesman said.

The spending on flowers is included on the credit card expenses for Mr Banks' personal assistant, Julie Hartley-Janssen, and obtained by the Herald under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

Flowers account for most of the items on Ms Hartley-Janssen's card. Other items include $162.50 on towels for the mayoral office bathroom and $191.80 to fit a hands-free mobile phone kit to Mr Banks' mayoral car.

In May 2008, when Mr Banks was recovering from illness, Ms Hartley-Janssen ordered a $60 bunch of flowers for the mayor.

Last month, Mr Banks admitted claiming $438.80 in entertainment costs after issuing a Super City mayoral campaign bulletin saying he had "never charged a sandwich, lunch or coffee to the ratepayers of Auckland".

In late 2009, Finance Minister Bill English was in the spotlight for spending $4051 on flowers from January to November 2009.

He was surprised to discover how much the flowers were costing for the office and requested the number and size of arrangements be cut.

Ministers spent $52,000 on flowers in the first 11 months of the National-led government.