John Palino takes aim at Phil Goff and confirms third bid for Auckland mayoralty

Two-time Auckland Mayoral candidate John Palino has confirmed he will stand for a third time at next year's local body elections . Photo / Hagen Hopkins

Two-time Auckland Mayoral candidate John Palino has confirmed he will stand for a third time at next year's local body elections and says he wants to make Manukau and Albany real cities.

He has also taken aim at incumbent Auckland mayor Phill Goff, who also suggested he will run again, saying Goff was neither a team player or team leader.

Palino came second to Len Brown in 2013, but his second tilt in 2016 saw him come fourth behind Victoria Crone and Chloe Swarbrick.

Palino's 2013 bid for the mayoralty became embroiled in a love triangle between then-incumbent mayor Len Brown, Bevan Chuang and Luigi Wewege.

Wewege worked on Palino's mayoral campaign and was also allegedly involved with Bevan Chuang, who later revealed she was having an affair with the Auckland Mayor.

Palino was defeated in the election polling 108,928 votes to Brown's 164,338.

He said his chances were best this year as he planned to get the support of National and start his campaign early.

"I think it is a good time and I also kept having people tell me to start early. I have to get my voice out there and get the information out earlier.

"Intensification has destroyed the suburbs, causing congestion and sewage issues, they [Council] are convinced we need to go up not out."

People liked his policies and his intention of building a satellite city.

"[Minister for Transport]Twyford said the same thing they know that is the right direction," he said.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has suggested he will run for the mayoralty again next year. Photo / Greg Bowker

"They need someone who can do it."

If Manukau and Albany were turned into proper cities that could support office jobs and infrastructure then in 10 years Manukau would have 50,000 more jobs and Albany would have 20,000.

"A real city is like Wellington. Auckland is multiple cities and multiple provinces."

He blamed incorrect planning for Auckland's congested traffic and said Goff was not a team player or a team leader.

"One of the biggest problems Auckland has is that they call it a city.

"It is a province or a region and when they go to experts the experts tell them how to fix the city, not a state or a province."

"There is no team-work there is no team leader. We need someone who can put councillors to work and make Auckland work better."

"This is horrible what is happening, Auckland is in trouble now and it doesn't have enough money."

National MP for Tāmaki, Simon O'Connor, is also considering running for the Auckland mayoralty next year.

O'Connor told the Herald he had been approached by people involved in local and national politics about putting his hat in the ring and was considering challenging Phil Goff for Auckland's top job.

Waipareira Trust chief executive John Tamihere also registered interest to challenge Goff for the mayoralty.

With three issues to tick off - funding, putting together a citywide election team and finalising policy - Tamihere plans to make an announcement in January or February on whether he will stand and run a "ripper" of a campaign.

The local body elections will be held on October 12 next year.

Craig Lord, a freelance media operator, has also announced confirmed that he planned to stand for the mayoralty.

Lord is a former engineer who turned to work in the media in 2003. He predominantly works as a presenter, journalist and commentator for motorsport.

He is also a fill-in host on both Newstalk ZB and Radio Sport.