KEY POINTS:
Christine Rankin, former controversial public servant and lately a leadership and management trainer, says she wants to represent North Shore residents on the Auckland Regional Council.
"I've a lot of passion and energy for this city," she said yesterday as she announced she would stand in the October elections on a Citizens & Ratepayers ticket with Max Whitehead.
Mr Whitehead is a human resources and employment expert, who was fifth out of 14 candidates for the ARC's two North Shore seats in the 2004 elections.
They seek the jobs of the city's present representatives on the ARC, Wyn Hoadley and Joel Cayford, who respectively chair the finance and transport committees and are seeking re-election.
Ms Rankin, an East Coast Bays resident, said she was under pressure to challenge North Shore Mayor George Wood.
"But I have a full-time job with a business I absolutely love."
The mayoralty would be full-time but the ARC role would allow her to build her business and still contribute to the city and to Auckland.
"But if I'm elected I intend to play a full part. I will not be a quiet, laid-back member, I assure you."
Ms Rankin said the ARC was a powerful body whose potential benefit for Auckland was tied up in bureaucracy.
North Shore residents believed decisions on the alternative harbour crossing were taking too long.
"How serious are the problems with the present harbour bridge? We need to know and to be taking action now."
Her office was in Takapuna and she knew there was huge dissatisfaction with how the city was developing.
"We should be a major hub of Auckland and we are not. The city is not being developed the way it needs to and I think the ARC has a big effect on that."
She said she had experience running a customer service-based bureaucracy and believed the ARC was not focused on its customers - the ratepayers.
Ms Rankin was chief executive of Work and Income New Zealand from October 1998 until May 2001 and sued the crown for unfair treatment when her contract was not renewed.
Since then she has appeared on the celebrity and corporate speaking circuits and on television in Dancing with the Stars. With her son Matthew, she runs Rankin Group, an agency for human resources, executive coaching and leadership and media training.
Mrs Hoadley said Ms Rankin's comments were "typical of newcomers ... ignorant of local body processes and dismissive of past and ongoing accomplishments".
