KEY POINTS:
The launch of the new 1Auckland.com political group in the basement of a central-city apartment tower yesterday spoke volumes about the state of centre-right politics in Auckland City.
Inside the stuffy room were porn king Steve Crow, dumped Citizens & Ratepayers Now candidate Julie Chambers and a handful of political novices who had signed up to a new party with no policies, no confirmed candidates and a website that was not up and running last night.
In the background was another former C&R Now candidate, Chris Diack.
How this group of bedfellows, whose only firm policy is to abolish the council for a super city, came together remains a mystery.
The assembled crowd of 30 or so were promised policies over the next few weeks but candidates would also be able to exercise a conscience vote.
Mr Crow, who had a crook knee and apologised for leaning to the left, was defensive about his role.
He said he was simply a founding member, on the executive and planned to run as an independent candidate for the mayoralty.
He scotched suggestions his adult entertainment business was bankrolling the new grouping, saying he had not put a dollar into the kitty.
A clue lay with Mrs Chambers, "the scorned Epsom housewife", who refused to be photographed alongside Mr Crow.
This month, she had a falling-out with the C&R Now hierarchy after twice winning the support of local members at two executive meetings for a council spot in blue-ribbon Hobson, only to be dumped by the executive, chaired by former National Party president John Slater.
Mr Diack is said to have been among her backers.
The episode has caused internal ructions in C&R Now, which is still smarting from losing two of the three Hobson seats to the anti-eastern highway ticket of Action Hobson at the 2004 local body elections.
There is a line of thought that selecting three white males to contest Hobson against Action Hobson, whose main warhorse is Christine Caughey, is plain dumb and Mrs Chambers, the highest-polling community board member anywhere in the city in 2004, should have got a place.
Adding to the centre-right woes are growing rumours that Heart of the City chief executive Alex Swney is about to throw his hat into the mayoral ring with the backing of former C&R Now councillor Greg McKeown and a number of wealthy backers.
This spells trouble for C&R Now's preferred candidate, John Banks, who is trying to keep the centre-right field clear to increase the chances of topping Dick Hubbard.
What's more, C&R Now has been trying to lure Mr McKeown back as a candidate in Eden-Albert - a ward it must win back if it is to regain control of the Auckland City Council.
As they say in politics, watch this space.
