Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has a blunt message for politicians: stop making promises you can't deliver and expecting Aucklanders to foot the bill.
"My message to Aucklanders is simple: don't get sucked in by political party rhetoric when their only focus is how to increase their poor polling,” says Mayor Brown.
"It seems all parties are promising the world because they want a headline or a boost in the polls. Aucklanders should be asking is this project really a top priority and what is it really going to cost us?
“As usual transport is where the biggest and dumbest promises are being made. We all know what happened when one lot proposed Light Rail, and National’s RONPS projects have blown out to tens of billions of dollars more than what they promised in 2023. We don’t need any more announcements like this that parties will regret once government officials tell them what projects really cost.”
Mayor Brown said Auckland's priorities are already clearly set out through the Regional Deal, agreements with central government and the city's long new term transport planning processes.
"We have a City Deal with the Government, not with individual political parties all panicking about poll numbers,” says Mayor Brown.
"The future of Auckland's transport and infrastructure network won't be determined by politicians making promises during an election campaign. It will be shaped through the new Auckland Regional Transport Committee's 30-year transport plan that's being developed for the region, which will be a joint agreement between the council and government"
The Mayor said politicians wanting to understand the city's priorities should look at the agenda that Auckland itself has developed, which will be released soon.
"When you want to know what Auckland is asking for, read my Manifesto,” he says.
"It outlines the issues that matter most to our city, the investments we need and the reforms required to unlock Auckland's potential."
Mayor Brown said he would continue advocating strongly for Auckland and challenging any political party that claims to speak for the city without engaging with its elected leadership.
"I've got a mandate from Aucklanders to speak up on the issues that matter to this city."
"Nobody gets to decide what Auckland can or can't ask for. As Mayor, I'll continue fighting for the investment, infrastructure and policy changes our city needs to succeed."
The Mayor said Aucklanders should approach election campaign promises with a healthy dose of scepticism.
"Don't get distracted by promises that sound good but have no genuine pathway to delivery,” he says.
“We’re no more likely to get level crossings done in order to get the Greens elected than we are to build motorways in order to get the National party elected.
"Auckland needs practical solutions, long-term investment and a genuine partnership with government. That's how we'll get the transport connections, housing, infrastructure and economic growth our city needs."
"My advice is straightforward: don't get sucked in by political party promises. Judge them on whether they can actually deliver outcomes for Auckland, like I have."
