Brian Rudman: Transit trip puts mayors in tizz of ecstatic self-praise

From all the self-congratulatory preening and crowing going on between the mayors of Auckland and Manukau last week, I thought at least one of them must have laid an egg.

Auckland Mayor John Banks was lauding what had happened as "a major milestone for the region".

Sir Barry Curtis, his Manukau counterpart, proclaimed: "We are now in an action phase."

So what was all the excitement about?

Well they'd gone to Wellington and met Transit NZ chairman Alan Bickers and issued a press release and that, I'm afraid, was all.

Even Tony Garnier, who double dips as both publicist for the pro-road lobby and part-time John Banks PR man, had a hard time putting a positive spin on the event.

"Following a tripartite meeting in Wellington last week, the two mayors and Transit chairman agreed to investigate specific MoU which would set out protocols for a way forward." (MoU is gobbledygook for a memorandum of understanding.)

The topic on their minds was the controversial Eastern Corridor. "Auckland City will lead the project," says Mr Garnier's statement, "and has issued expressions of interest to commence the development of corridor options."

Exactly how that's a milestone, I don't know. I'm not even sure what the last quoted sentence means. But all it seems they'd done was to agree to investigate the possibility of coming to an agreement on completing the corridor "as soon as possible". Well woopty-do. Haven't people been trying to do that for the past 40 years?

And as for Auckland City going to lead the project, well, given the proposed road is within its boundaries, where's the surprise in that?

As for getting all excited about issuing a joint statement expressing a commitment to work together, all I can think is that either the participants live very dull lives - or are desperate to pretend that blather equates with action.

Mr Banks followed the press release with a piece on this page highlighting various "milestones" and "major steps forward" he had achieved in dealing with traffic congestion in his first six months in office.

You've got to admire his gall.

The list could have been written by his predecessor, Christine Fletcher, and her team of councillors. And with much more justification. Each of the items he ticks off as his achievements, was long ago agreed to, not only by Auckland City, but also by the whole region as part of the Regional Land Transport Strategy, last revised in 1999.

Progress on Spaghetti Junction, suburban heavy rail, the North Shore busway - all were well under way before Mr Banks' appearance on the political scene.

Even the call by Sir Barry and Mr Banks for private-sector contributions is not new.

Here's the late Phil Warren, as regional council chairman, launching the strategy in November 1999.

"Aucklanders can expect to see a cohesive move forward as the mayors and their councils, in partnership with a number of public and private organisations, now begin progressing the initiatives outlined in these plans."

Shamelessly, Mr Banks even tries to bask in the glory of Britomart rail station, a venture that during his election campaign, he belittled as a "temple" and a train "garage".

In his article, Mr Banks, at one stage modestly declares "this is not about my leadership ... " but then later proclaims himself "Auckland's cheerleader on completing the motorway network ... making the breakthrough after 25 years of inaction ... "

Somehow, I doubt that claiming credit for the hard work of others is going to endear him to those he aspires to now lead. Nor does his revisiting of grandiose harbour-crossing schemes, such as the long-rejected proposal to run a tunnel from Parnell to Ngataringa Bay.

I suppose one should be grateful that this avowed cheerleader for more roads is giving a nod or two in the direction of rail. Though where he gets his optimism from, I don't know.

He claims, for example, that "work is well advanced ... to ensure that we get a modern train service in place" for the opening of the new Britomart rail station in July next year.

Oh to have such confidence. Britomart's opening is just over a year away, and so far there's been no decision on what new trains we want to buy, let alone how many.

We can hope this will be progressed at tomorrow's special meeting of the regional council passenger transport committee.

But even if, by some miracle, a revived rail system is up and running next June, it won't be thanks to Mr Banks' grandstanding. Like the eastern highway, the upgrading of Spaghetti Junction and Grafton Gully, the double-tracking of the western line and the North Shore busway, these are the results of several years of local politicians working together for the common good.

A Johnny-come-lately swanning in at the last moment and claiming the credit, insults - and greatly annoys - those who have done the work. When that Johnny is also the mayor of the biggest city in the region, it threatens to make future regional co-operation that much harder to achieve.