Shore mayor gone hook, line and sinker

Andrew Williams. Photo / The Aucklander

Outgoing North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams went fishing after being unceremoniously dumped out of Auckland politics in yesterday's Supercity election.

Williams received less than 1 per cent of the vote in the race for the mayoralty, despite being given equal standing at televised debates with frontrunners John Banks and Len Brown.

Williams could also only muster a lowly 11th place in the Albany ward election with 4429 votes, meaning his political career in North Shore politics is over.

The so-called "leaky mayor" left Auckland before the election day for a holiday with his family and did not respond to calls or emails.

But his political rivals were hardly lining up to dance on his grave yesterday.

Prime Minister John Key, who was on the receiving end of late-night text messages from Williams, said his defeat was "predictable". "He had a few issues," he said.

Williams had been a thorn in the side of Local Government Minister Rodney Hide since the Supercity was announced. Hide met the news of Williams' defeat with grace.

He said: "Politics is an up and down business.

"I'm always sorry people don't make it back and I wish him well."

But Williams' nemesis, Whaleoil blogger Cameron Slater, claimed that his standing in the Albany ward had dealt a blow to Williams' chances.

He said: "My stated aim was to take him out of the running, that's what I wanted to do to make sure he didn't get elected." Slater too missed election, with only 1186 votes.

Slater said that he campaigned to draw attention to his "appalling behaviour" and that he had been "destroyed politically".

Williams has been forced to deny he has a alcohol problem after increasingly strange behaviour. He accused the media of stalking him after he was spotted urinating on a tree on a night out in Takapuna.

North Shore city deputy mayor Julia Parfitt, who was edged into third in the ward (only two are elected), said Williams had gone on a fishing holiday for a week.

Williams also stood for the Waitemata District Health Board, where votes were still being counted last night.