It's fair to say it's probably not the kind of result that John Key or Rodney Hide dreamed about when they first sketched ideas for a Super City that combined eight Auckland councils into one, representing a quarter of the country's population.But Aucklan
It's fair to say it's probably not the kind of result that John Key or Rodney Hide dreamed about when they first sketched ideas for a Super City that combined eight Auckland councils into one, representing a quarter of the country's population.
But Auckland now has a left wing mayor, backed by a majority left wing council.
It's reminiscent of the way the centralist Tony Blair reconstituted the greater London Council - only to be landed with "Red" Ken Livingstone as its leader.
Now, Auckland has Red Len.
National strategists will be wondering if the left can grab Auckland at a time when Labour's popularity is so low, then what's going to happen at a less favourable time for the right?
The black fly in Mr Hide's chardonnay
Manukau mayor Len Brown (53) will be the first mayor of the Auckland Super City (population 1.4 million) - albeit with his influence moderated by the government-appointed Super City chief executive Doug McKay (54), plus the commercial heads of the various Council Controlled Organisations.
He has beaten nearest rival Auckland City mayor John Banks with about 95 percent of the votes counted.
Mr Brown polled 221,167 votes, compared to 161,167 votes for Mr Banks, a victory by 60,198 votes, according to the first progress result declared after the polls closed at midday.
Businessman Colin Craig was in third place with 40,483 votes.
Mr Brown will preside over a council dominated by independents.
By Kiwiblogger David Farrar's estimate, 11 of the 20 Super City councilors are left-leaning.
Unionist and commentator Matt McCarten puts the left wing majority at 12, or 13 counting the mayor's vote.
The right wing Citizens and Ratepayers won just four of the 20 Auckland Council wards; the left wing City Vision just two.
Right-leaning-independents include self-styled mayor of Newmarket Cameron Brewer, who won the Orakei ward beating C&R veteran Doug Armstrong.
Lee beats Swney, Powell
Left wing independents outside the City Vision fold include ex-Auckland Regional Council chairman and staunch anti-privatisation campaigner Mike Lee, who won the central Auckland Waitemata ward, beating high-profile contenders Tenby Powell and Alex Swney.
Mr Lee is best known for bringing Ports of Auckland back into public ownership.
The West was lost
And although the working class West was won by National (at least in the list vote) at the general election, lefties Penny Hulse (Bob Harvey's deputy) and Sandra Coney won the Waitakere ward today.
Ex-mayors spurned
On the North Shore, ex-mayor Andrew Williams, accused of drunken shenanigans by the Sunday Star Times, finished a humiliating 10th place in the Albany Ward.
Mr Williams did manage to finish ahead of Cameron Slater, a sickness beneficiary and son of National Party power broker John Slater. On his blog, Mr Slater claimed a moral victory, saying "I took him out" through a campaign to highlight the ex-mayor's behaviour.
Former Manukau mayor Sir Barry Curtis lost out in the Manurewa-Papakura ward, where the most votes were won by Calum Penrose and John Walker, who both join the new council.
Ex-MPs elected
Ex-National MP and former Auckland mayor Christine Fletcher was elected to represent C&R in the Albert-Eden-Roskill Ward (which second-placed Cathy Casey, of City Vision, will also represent. Ms Casey finished a knife-edge 250 votes ahead of C&R's Paul Goldsmith).
Another ex-National MP, Arthur Anae, was one of two councilors elected to represent the Manukau ward.
Two ex-Labour MPs also made the Super Council: Richard Northy, for Maungakiekie-Tamaki and Ann Hartley, who finished second in the North Shore ward (behind ex North Shore mayor George Wood).
Click here to visit the local elections official website for updated results from around the country. The full Super City mayoral and council results, with 95% of the vote counted:
Mayoralty
Len Brown: 221,167
John Banks:161,167
Colin Craig: 40,483
Rodney ward: (1 elected)
Penny Webster: 8063
Christine Rose: 5553
Albany ward (2 elected)
Michael Goudie 8538
Wayne Walker: 8007
North Shore ward (2 elected)
George Wood: 14,116
Ann Hartley: 12,767
Waitakere ward (2 elected)
Penny Hulse: 16,875
Sandra Coney: 12,567
Waitemata and Gulf ward (1 elected)
Mike Lee: 10,523
Alex Swney: 4979
Whau ward (1 elected)
Noelene Raffills: 7158
Ross Clow: 6740
Albert-Eden-Roskill ward (2 elected)
Chris Fletcher: 19,492
Cathy Casey: 14,081
Orakei ward (1 elected)
Cameron Brewer: 17,021
Doug Armstrong: 10,433
Maungakiekie-Tamaki ward (1 elected)
Richard Northey: 8614
Alred Ngaro: 6880
Howick ward (2 elected)
Sharon Stewart: 22,537
Jami-Lee Ross: 18,382
