KEY POINTS:
John Banks has launched a bid to regain the Auckland City mayoralty he lost to Dick Hubbard three years ago, promising a new style and new policies.
After months of speculation, the 60-year-old former National Party Cabinet minister said he had learned from mistakes with the eastern highway and V8 car race. In future, he would consult ratepayers and build goodwill as the days of personal attacks were over.
Unpopular policies and a polarising leadership style led to Mr Banks losing the mayoralty in 2004 to businessman and political novice Mr Hubbard by nearly 20,000 votes.
Mr Hubbard, who has struggled at times with the move from being his own boss to politics, is out to break the bogey of one-term mayors in the country's largest city.
He will start campaigning next week with a series of advertisements in community newspaper spelling out his achievements and plans for a second term.
Mr Banks has kicked off "by sending a letter to 50,000 households this week saying the council was unfocused and consumed by pet projects. Rates had gone up massively, spending was out of control and debt was projected to blow out.
"Leadership has been erratic and inconsistent. Council is riven with political correctness and is out of touch on symbolic issues like overseas junkets, confidential meetings and excessive water charges."
In the letter, Mr Banks said he had reflected long and hard and given the opportunity "I will promote common-sense policies with openness and accountability".
Mr Banks, whose black Ferrari came to symbolise a "roads, roads, roads" mantra during his term, said he had had a "transmogrification" and was now committed to building a world-class public transport system. He supported rail electrification, green buses in the central city, improved park and ride services, and expanded ferry services - subject to looking at costs and who would pay.
He was also keen to investigate a rail link to the airport and breaking through the Britomart railway station to create an inner city rail loop.
On rates, Mr Banks said he was making no definitive promises about keeping overall increases to the level of inflation, as he achieved between 2001 and 2004.
Rates would be "affordable" to fund sound, common-sense policies.
He has also softened a hard line against borrowing, saying there would need to be some "strategic borrowing" and promised not to use water bills to pay for stormwater or hold down rates.
Asked if a leopard could change its spots, Mr Banks said: "The sight of the guillotine helps focus the mind and the guillotine three years ago was the ballot box. I don't deserve a second chance if I clearly don't understand that tenet."
Mr Hubbard said he doubted Mr Banks, at 60 and after 18 years in politics, had had a road-to-Damascus conversion and was a softer, gentler person.
"All the evidence I have heard of his broadcasts on Radio Pacific saying some pretty rough and tough statements give me no confidence such a conversion has occurred."
Mr Hubbard said he looked forward to debating his record on several transport projects, including the city-to-Newmarket dedicated busway, the mega transport project linking Manukau and Auckland's eastern suburbs, Dominion Rd corridor and advocating for rail electrification, Victoria Park tunnel and Newmarket Viaduct.
Other mayoralty contenders include porn king Steve Crow, who organised last year's Boobs on Bikes parade, and Labour city councillor John Hinchcliff.
