Hide rejects accusation he misled John Key over super city

Local Government Minister Rodney Hide has denied accusations he misled Prime Minister John Key about his consultation with Auckland's mayors over restructuring plans.

The Government on Tuesday said it would adopt the Royal Commission's idea for a single council for Auckland, but that it would appoint 20-30 "local boards" instead of six "local councils" to look after community matters.

Mr Williams said Mr Key told TV3's Sunrise programme last Tuesday that "Rodney Hide did a lot of great work in the last sort of week or so, working closely with all the officials and listening to the community, spent time going out and talking to the various Mayors and different people".

However, Mr Williams said the only mayor Mr Hide consulted with was Auckland City Mayor John Banks.

"Has the Local Government Minister misled the Prime Minister that his plan for Auckland, a radical knee-jerk deviation from the Royal Commission's recommendations, had some sort of buy in from the Mayors around Auckland?"

But Mr Hide said he spoke to other Mayors the day the Royal Commission released its report, a day when Williams was in the South Island.

"Andrew Williams wasn't there when the Royal Commission released their report, and I don't know why, so we did our best," he told NZPA.

"What we've done is talk to civic leaders, business leaders and to the people of Auckland, and they were very clear that they wanted one mayor, one city.

"Their big concern was the loss of local representation and that's why the Government ensured local boards to ensure local representation for within Auckland."

Mr Hide said he wasn't worried about Mr Williams accusing Mr Hide and the ACT Party hijacking the governance reform programme.

"What we have done as a Government is work out what's best for Auckland and for Auckland governance and I think Mayor Williams sees it always about himself. I don't know what it is that Mayor Andrew Williams particularly wants," Mr Hide said.

"I think it's time for Andrew Williams to decide what's best for Auckland and indeed for local representation, understand that following the Royal Commission, decisions have been made.

"It's now times to work for the best interests of Auckland and the people that the Mayor representations, and throwing around these sorts of accusations doesn't help Auckland at all."

- NZPA