Danny Bright
Unless there’s some form of miracle between now and when votes close on Saturday, Auckland seems destined for another three years of Phil Goff as mayor.
This is not because the people of Auckland have an overwhelming love for Mr Goff, his policies or the way he’s conducted himself during the past term. It’s because the populace of Auckland (and indeed most of the country) has little or no interest in the mediocrity of local body politics.
Ask most average voters a few simple questions and it becomes abundantly evident that the majority have no idea how the system even works, never mind who the people they are supposed to be voting for are, or what they’re supposed to do. Ask if they can name just one councillor. Very few can. Ask if they will be voting this year. Too many declare that it’s just all too hard and they won’t bother.
With that background, it doesn’t take too much thinking or research to predict what’s likely to happen. Just look at the history of the previous two elections.
In 2013, Len Brown garnered 164,338 votes and won with a majority of 55,410. The runners up: John Palino (108,928), Stephen Berry (13,650) and Penny Bright (11,723) managed a total between them of 134,301. That’s 30,000 votes less than Brown managed so even considering the split vote, it would have made no difference. Voter turnout was a discouraging but understandable 42%.
Looking at 2016 we quickly find a similar outcome. Voter turnout even lower at under 40% and Phil Goff well ahead with 187,622. The runners up were Vic Crone (111,731), Chloe Swarbrick (29,098), John Palino (22,387) and Mark Thomas (9,573) making a combined total of 172,789. Again, even considering the split vote, the total vote would have been 14,833 short of beating Goff.
One can only speculate at why the figures fall this way, but an educated guess has to surely point to the coincidence that both Brown and Goff, despite claims of being independent, have long and clear ties to Labour. The Labour political machine for all its failings has a history of being reasonably well organized and mustering people to stump up and vote.
There is no well oiled (or even partly oiled) political machine on the right in Auckland, or indeed in most of New Zealand.
While one side actively encourages people to vote and no doubt also provides heaps of suggestions about the qualities of candidates, the other is lost in a vacuum supported by a mainstream media that no longer reports facts but presents opinions as though they are facts.
I haven’t looked up the voting statistics by ward but I’m willing to bet socioeconomics play a significant role in who voted and who didn’t.
If we want to see change, we all need to stump up and vote for it, otherwise we’re pretty much guaranteed the status quo.