Bernard Orsman: The lame duck and the megalomaniac

If this week's Test the Nation quiz asked the question "who is the deputy mayor of Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin?" it would have drawn a blank. Auckland City? No problem, it's that Bruce Hucker.

The Rev Dr Bruce Hucker, to give him his full title - city councillor for 18 years, the hard-nosed politician and committed left-winger who battled Richard Prebble over control of the Auckland Central electorate at the height of Rogernomics.

Now Hucker's most tense political relationships, although both men would deny it, are with Mayor Dick Hubbard, who forced Dr Hucker out of the race for the city's top spot. Dr Hucker withdrew after his support plummeted to 3.4 per cent as soon as Mr Hubbard entered.

Cereal maker and political novice Mr Hubbard, the businessman with a social conscience, took the October election, promising action-based leadership without the aggro of John Banks. But the promises are slow in being realised and they need Dr Hucker to make them happen.

In the past week, new cracks have appeared in the strained relationship. The mayor was forced to back a $1 million affordable housing package in the budget. He had control of the $73 million Civic Carpark leaky roof crisis wrested from him. The Herald understands Dr Hucker threatened to sink one of Mr Hubbard's pet projects, a land purchase at Matiatia on Waiheke Island, unless he fell into line on the housing package.

All this after the two men were supposed to bury the hatchet, knuckle down and work constructively after a terrible start to the council last year. Then Dr Hucker announced a social blueprint without informing Mr Hubbard, and the mayor mounted a coup - that failed - to dump his deputy.

The latest shenanigans even surprise some inside the City Vision-Labour camp that Dr Hucker leads.

"If the relationship between the mayor and the deputy mayor isn't seen to be working well, then there is a strong likelihood there will be a public backlash and we will see the return of John Banks as Auckland mayor," says one City Vision councillor.

Longtime council watcher and city historian Graham Bush, who warned at the outset of the dangers Mr Hubbard faced from experienced politicians and seasoned officers, is puzzled.

By now, says Mr Bush, Mr Hubbard should have reached some kind of policy agreement with City Vision-Labour and learned not to rock the boat in public. The lesson for Dr Hucker should have been to give the mayor "breathing space" in which he would not appear a patsy for City Vision.

Unfortunately for Mr Hubbard, perceptions of being a lame duck mayor are seeping into the public consciousness and shaping public opinion, which is hard to shift. He risks devaluing his most valuable asset, a strong public mandate.

Mr Hubbard understands the importance of branding from selling cereals and openly admits to a "public perception problem" that, if not fixed quickly, will damage his mayoralty and City Vision-Labour.

He likens his role to captain at the helm of the ship while Dr Hucker is chief engineer, whose job is to keep the ship running, "to some extent being the unsung hero for doing that".

When the chief engineer spends time on the bridge, "it can be confusing, contradictory and lead to misleading messages as to actually who is captain".

But the question is not so much the odd visit to the bridge but whether there is a mutiny on board HMS Auckland.

Part of the problem stems from an empire Dr Hucker has built for himself as chair of the council's all-powerful urban strategy and governance committee. The committee gives Dr Hucker control of every mayoral policy decision, including the latest urban design initiatives, plans for the waterfront and central city upgrades.

Dr Hucker used his responsibility for the Aotea area to muscle in on plans by Mr Hubbard to appoint a small reference group to look at opportunities arising from the carpark crisis. Mr Hubbard had planned to organise the group without input from Dr Hucker.

Dr Hucker is also unafraid to brandish his power within the so-called "consultative group" of City Vision, Labour, Action Hobson and two independent councillors who control the 20-strong council.

Action Hobson councillors Christine Caughey and Richard Simpson have been marginalised over their stand on rates and affordable housing, and Faye Storer, who opposed the package, left the budget meeting before the debate and vote on the issue. She was concerned about an upcoming vote on the Matiatia land. This from a new council promising to end wheeling and dealing in favour of greater "openness and honesty".

Dr Hucker steadfastly denies any problem with the mayor. He blames November's stormy events that led to the failed coup on a communication glitch over the announcement of his blueprint. He says reports of events surrounding last week's budget were "entirely inaccurate", saying there was no truth to the suggestion the mayor was threatened.

"This relationship is working and it will continue to work. The mayor has been elected by the public. He is the mayor of the council. He works with the deputy mayor and the majority group on council," Dr Hucker said.

But the doubts remain. As one source, who declined to be named, mused: "I wonder if Bruce Hucker has some deeply hidden resentment towards Dick Hubbard coming along and forcing him out of the mayoral contest."

In the wake of November's failed coup, former mayor Christine Fletcher described Dr Hucker, her deputy on the 1998-2001 council, as a "megalomaniac" who was "petty and incredibly vain".

With nowhere else to go - the opposition Citizens & Ratepayers team loathe the mayor - Mr Hubbard has little choice but to stick with Dr Hucker and City Vision-Labour for the next two-and-a-bit years.

It's a point not lost on Auckland Regional Council chairman and City Vision member Mike Lee, who says it's imperative for Dr Hucker and his team to work effectively with Mr Hubbard and provide him support.

To kill the perception of being a lame duck mayor, Mr Hubbard says Dr Hucker is going to have to take a "considerably lower media profile". Frank discussions have been held behind closed doors.

"I'm quite happy with the fact that the reality is fine. I'm firmly here as mayor calling the shots. But if there is a problem with perception, then we do have to address that."

Mr Hubbard is confident of turning the tide by a combination of appealing directly to the public, asserting his moral authority and working behind the scenes to achieve policy gains. He cites the example of brokering a compromise over City Vision-Labour's election promise to abolish the $189 uniform annual general charge, getting agreement to reduce it to $95, softening rates rises to Auckland's wealthiest homeowners.

Another issue Mr Hubbard promises to address is the practice of backroom deals, which he considers different to sitting down with all parties and reaching a compromise. In his maiden speech to the council in November, Mr Hubbard said Aucklanders inherently distrusted wheeling and dealing and abhorred ego trips and spin.

"I will be communicating to the deputy mayor very clearly my unease at suggestions that councillors get asked to absent themselves from a meeting specifically in order to get votes on the basis if they are absent for one issue they are promised support on another issue.

"I also have very considerable unease at any suggestion of the possibility that [committee] chairs could be exchanged for support," says Hubbard.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey takes a different line to the softly, softly approach of his mayoral colleague.

"The politics of Auckland City are so important for the region and the rest of New Zealand that they cannot be messed around with. The mayor must exert leadership and resolve it quickly.

"Dick Hubbard has a unique opportunity. He is new. He is fresh and he has to show exactly what the people wanted. The people don't want squabbling housewives, they want bloody sure leadership," said Mr Harvey.