Hide and 'mad mayor' lock horns over Arnie

Rodney Hide says he was hoping to get a few tips on power-lifting from Arnold Schwarzenegger. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide accused North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams of "madness" as their spat turned nasty yesterday.

The comment followed Mr Williams' circulation of the itinerary for the controversial taxpayer-funded trip that Mr Hide took with his girlfriend, Louise Crome.

It emerged yesterday that Mr Hide tried to arrange a meeting with Arnold Schwarzenegger on the trip, but did not get to see the Governor of California.

Mr Williams said the itinerary showed Mr Hide undertook only 19 hours of meetings on the 12-day trip, which was a fact-finding mission for the Auckland Super City.

Mayor Williams obtained the itinerary and Mr Hide's report to the Cabinet under the Official Information Act and sent it out with a press release yesterday.

It was raised in Parliament by Labour MP Phil Twyford, and Mr Hide dismissed it as a product of Mr Williams' "madness".

Mr Williams told the Herald the jibe was linked to the "mad mayor of the North Shore" nickname he has been given by some right-wing bloggers.

Mr Hide said he had 25 meetings, across seven days in four different cities.

Large parts of the Official Information Act release was deleted, such as what the minister discussed with London Mayor Boris Johnson. Mr Hide said that was done to protect free and frank advice.

Mr Williams said Mr Hide's madness comment was "ungracious". He said the Official Information Act request was a legitimate mayoral task, because his constituents did not like the Super City and he was holding Mr Hide to account on their behalf.

He wanted to check what Mr Hide gained from the trip, which coincided with the wedding of Ms Crome's brother near London.

One News reported last night that Mr Hide had told Prime Minister John Key that as well as meeting Governor Schwarzenegger, he was going to see former London Mayor Ken Livingstone and influential British political operator Peter Mandelson, but these meetings never eventuated either.

Mr Hide said he was disappointed not to meet Governor Schwarzenegger. "I was interested in getting a few tips on power-lifting."