Fran O'Sullivan: Let's have a Superwoman

Prominent Aucklanders are tossing up whether they should raise a pot of money to back a new woman candidate for the Auckland Super City mayoralty.

What's inspired these mainly male businesspeople to consider whether a woman might make a better stalking horse for the mayoralty is the singularly uninspiring performance of the two male candidates - Auckland City Mayor John Banks and Manukau City Mayor Len Brown.

Banks' reputation has taken a deserved pounding as a result of the scandal over Huljich Wealth Management's Kiwisaver fund, and Brown is perceived as fundamentally a nice guy but ineffectual.

But the major issue is that both these men now appear so focused on publicly battling with central government over the extent of the new council's powers that they have lost sight of the big picture - their opportunity to exert visionary leadership and unite Aucklanders within one city that actually works.

Instead of simply going down to Wellington to persuade the Prime Minister and his team to fine-tune upcoming legislation to ensure the new Auckland Council has the power to make Auckland run better, Banks and Brown have chosen to play on fears that democracy is under attack.

This may boost their respective campaigns, but this is sand-pit stuff.

The calculation now doing the rounds is that an outside candidate, particularly one who has not previously been a mayor of an Auckland city, might make a better fist of uniting Aucklanders behind what really matters.

So why not a woman? Former National Prime Minister Dame Jenny Shipley apparently said: 'Thanks, but no thanks" when asked whether she would toss her hat into the ring.

Shipley has built a strong business career since leaving politics. She is a director of a Chinese bank which happens to be the world's second biggest, and chairs Genesis Energy and Mainzeal here.

I think Shipley would make an excellent Auckland City Mayor. She has developed a strong internationalist outlook since leaving national politics and would bring a strong focus on wealth creation.

Shipley is more relaxed, funny and charismatic than when she was PM. She knows what matters.

The other prominent woman mentioned as a potential runner is leading Kiwi businesswoman Bridget Liddell. Liddell lives in New York but spends considerable time here attending meetings of Guardians of the NZ Super Fund and, the NZTE's Beachheads advisory board.

Her Auckland credentials date back to her time here as a director of Competitive Auckland (a forerunner to the Committee for Auckland lobby).

She has been a chief executive of the University of Auckland's Auckland Development and served on the University Council. And she is a director of several publicly listed New Zealand companies.

Liddell has said she would come back to Auckland "in a heartbeat" if the right opportunity presented.

In Liddell, Auckland would get a mayor who could get the city focused on what's needed to drive up economic performance. She has also evolved as an inspirational leader.

Other women candidates are also thought to be in contention.

But Banks and Brown were the only players from among the existing ranks of seven Auckland mayors to put themselves up for the mayoralty.

What is notable is that Banks is already on his second "go-round" as mayor of Auckland City.

He moderated his behaviour after his pugnacious instincts cost him the mayoralty after his first term.

Former National Party president Michelle Boag is driving the Banks campaign. The problem is while Banks is nominally an independent, the right-leaning Citizens and Ratepayers lobby has actively dissuaded potential aspirants within its ranks from having a shot at the top job.

The story goes that if anyone does break ranks - then loses - retribution will be exerted and they will be cut out of jobs. This smacks of bully-boy stuff.

At this stage the Labour Party-backed Brown looks likely to beat Banks in a straight one-to-one contest.

He has cross-appeal to residents of other cities such as Waitakere and North Shore.

Labour will also pull out all the stops to ensure their people get their postal votes in on time for the October election. But does Brown have the right stuff to get Auckland moving?

Unfortunately, far too many political retreads are also putting themselves forward for council seats.

Former Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher and former North Shore Mayor George Wood have made their contributions.

Surely it is time for them to move on.

On the outside, Prime Minister John Key is maintaining his usual sang-froid. Creating Auckland as a "super city" is the most courageous move the Key Government has (so far) made.

But even the optimistic Key must now be starting to wonder whether the National-led Government has a "tiger by the tail" in Auckland.

However, 2011 will be a political nightmare for his Government if the big Auckland Super-City dream becomes a trainwreck.

But, more importantly, it will be a lost opportunity for Auckland if it doesn't get it right.