Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will have her first meeting with new Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown on Thursday – a meeting that could be uncomfortable given Brown's campaign against a number of Government reforms and his instruction to pull the pin on any further work to ready the council for the Government's Three Waters reforms.
Ardern had also endorsed Brown's main rival, Efeso Collins, for the mayoralty in Auckland.
Brown will be the third of Ardern's face-to-face meetings with mayors who were elected in the local body elections more than a week ago. She had already met with new Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau and Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger.
Ardern announced the meeting at a press conference - just an hour before Brown issued a press release announcing he had asked Water Care to halt work on the Three Waters reforms, and told Auckland Council to stop its work.
Brown's statement said he had campaigned against the Three Waters reforms, and the local election results meant it was now unlikely they would be implemented in time for the next general election.