Brian Rudman: Bad-mouthing ARC no way to spend rates

In last week's encyclical to the people of Auckland, Mayor Dick Hubbard argued that "without a brave decision on rates right now, we quite simply won't have the resources we need to create the city you want".

Shame he didn't mention that the city is planning to spend some of it on funding a Wellington political lobbyist to badmouth the Auckland Regional Council to central government.

With Boys' Own adventures like this, it's no wonder the natives are revolting.

Six weeks ago I wrote how Auckland City politicians were running around like demented chooks at the thought that the ARC was keen to reclaim ownership of Auckland Watercare Services, the region's bulk water and sewerage provider.

Since then the hysteria seems to have increased, with wild rumours that the ARC was willing to adjust metropolitan urban limits - which both Manukau and Waitakere cities crave - in return for them agreeing to hand Watercare over to the ARC.

One version of this rumour has a Cabinet minister - unnamed - approaching a councillor - unnamed - for a reaction. All of this tittle-tattle is being fed, and printed unchecked, to the elderly Wellington political gossip sheet, TransTasman, much to the ire of ARC chairman Mike Lee.

"The allegation is of corruption in high places," he said.

It was scurrilous and a complete lie and "it seems to be sourced from local authorities in Auckland which is really disappointing".

"One wonders about the spending priorities when they're considering hiring a fancy PR firm in Wellington to campaign against the ARC."

Auckland City was lying low yesterday, deputy mayor Dr Bruce Hucker responding by email that "Auckland City is in discussions with adviser to facilitate communications with central government on this and other issues".

But a spokesman for Waitakere City, which, with Manukau City, has been asked by Auckland City to join the smear campaign, said no lobbyist had been engaged as yet.

Wally Thomas said, "Obviously, we don't have a fulltime government relations staffer ... so from time to time it is necessary to engage contractors who are better connected to government officials in particular in Wellington.

"That might happen in this case."

Opponents of the ARC complain enviously that the regional council has superior personal links inside the Beehive. One source complained that ARC chief executive Peter Winder's one-time off-sider in a previous job as head of Local Government New Zealand, John Hutchings, is now an adviser on local government in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

It was to counteract such influence, they argue, that the cities approached Senate Communications, whose principal lobbyists include Mark Blackham, a one-time press secretary to former Labour leader Mike Moore, and another Moore adviser, Tracey Bridges. Mr Blackham confirmed he'd received recent "phone calls" from Auckland City about representing it, but that no contracts had been signed.

Now, to me, if private companies want to frighten themselves silly with unsubstantiated rumour, and retain expensive lobbyists to slay political shadows, then good luck to them. But there's something rather obscene about my rates being spent on this sort of expensive silliness. Especially when the purported bogeyman is my regional council and the pleading is being done to my Government.

The ridiculous thing is, the hysteria erupted as a result of a letter from Mayor Hubbard in June demanding to know the ARC's intentions regarding Watercare.

This had been sparked by a long-scheduled Government review of Watercare's legislation. Watercare had been part of the regional council until 1992, when a privatising National Government separated it off, the easier to eventually sell it. That did not happen, and it came under the joint control of the city and district councils. In response to the mayor's query, the ARC said, if it's up for grabs, we'll have what was ours back, thank you.

Auckland City must have known that would have been the response and having triggered the shadow it feared, it duly leapt in fright and ran off complaining to central Government.

Dr Hucker grumped: "ARC is clear they intend to use Watercare as a cash cow." This from a council which has just started milking its retail water company, Metrowater, within an inch of its life!

One City, one region, one focus and hopefully some grown-up politicians, it can't come soon enough.