Hubbard hesitant to express confidence in Hucker

Auckland City Mayor Dick Hubbard has refused to express full confidence in his deputy, Bruce Hucker, after the latest flare-up in their power struggle.

Mr Hubbard hesitated before saying he had confidence in Dr Hucker but stopped short of saying he had "full confidence" in the City Vision-Labour leader.

Asked if he could work with Dr Hucker for the remaining two-and-a-bit years of the present term, Mr Hubbard said: "I believe I can work with anyone if I try. It's not a question of whether you work together or not. The acid test is always the robustness of the relationship."

Asked how robust the relationship was, Mr Hubbard said: "I consider that there is a workable relationship there."

In the lead-up to last week's final budget meeting, enormous pressure came on Mr Hubbard to back a $1 million affordable housing package, and control of the $73 million Civic Carpark leaky roof crisis was wrested from him.

Mr Hubbard had planned to vote against the package and chair a reference group on the carpark crisis without any input from Dr Hucker.

Relations between the two men have been strained since the terrible start to the council last year when Dr Hucker announced a social blueprint without informing Mr Hubbard, and the mayor mounted a coup to dump his deputy, but that failed.

The Herald understands Dr Hucker threatened to pull the plug on one of Mr Hubbard's pet projects, a land purchase at Matiatia on Waiheke Island, unless Mr Hubbard supported the housing package.

Mr Hubbard said he did have questions about the merits of implementing the housing package this year or next year but "when I got all the facts from council officers I was happy to roll out with it".

He denied doing any deals with City Vision-Labour over the housing package but he did acknowledge making some "compromises" over the budget.

In his maiden council speech, Mr Hubbard said Aucklanders did not trust "political wheeling and dealing", and wanted "openness, transparency and honesty".

Dr Hucker, who contested last year's mayoral race but pulled out after a poll put his support at 3.4 per cent, said he had "full confidence" in Mr Hubbard.

Dr Hucker denied threatening Mr Hubbard over the affordable housing package.