18 October 2013
The thing that keeps occurring to me is that of all of Auckland's past mayors, the one with which Len Clown has the most physical similarity is the much-missed, dearly-beloved Robbie.
Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson was Auckland's mayor for 18 years, and while he and Clown have some similar characteristics, they are as different as chalk and the LHC at CERN. Robbie, as he was universally known, was a visionary leader and true gentleman. Honest to a fault, had we listened to Robbie, we would have the world's best public transport system.
Len Clown, on the other hand, has overseen a blowout in Auckland's finances raising its public debt to $7 Bn, all the while having it off with a council volunteer when he's supposed to have been working.
Now, I don't know what would happen if almost everyone else in the country had been proven to have been having sex while being paid to work... actually that's completely wrong - I know exactly what would have happened: the employee would be summarily dismissed. Unfortunately, there is no means of recalling a mayor, and there's no way Clown is going to resign.
To date, we have a mayor who is known to have cheated on his credit card, has been using council property - the mayoral vehicle - in pursuit of sex with someone not even his wife, has accepted favours from city hoteliers (won't it be hilarious if Sky City turns out to be one of them!) and most damning of all, assisted his mistress to get a job with Auckland City Council.
Clown is a cheap crook. His wife & family are welcome to support him, and I'll bet any amount you like that he's been to confession to seek absolution from his sky-daddy, but I'll also parlay that wager that he never confessed until after he got sprung!
And the "told ya so"?
I've been saying for years that Clown should never have been mayor of Manukau, let alone Auckland City.
In Len Brown, Auckland has the mayor its voter apathy deserves.
Copyright © Alan Charman