Auckland mayoralty: Beck tackles Molloy ‘anger’ in debate wrap-up – صحيفة الصوت

Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck has tackled rival Leo Molloy for directing anger towards her in a debate, and for six months of “lobbed insults”.

Centre-right Viv Beck showed solidarity with Labour and Greens-endorsed Efeso Collins at the end of the Radio Waatea debate in Māngere, to contrast their styles with the blunt-talking restaurateur Molloy.

“You’ve lobbed insults for the last six months – I’ve risen above them,” said Beck facing Molloy from the opposite end of the four-candidate line-up.

“You don’t need to direct anger at me,” she said, referring to Molloy earlier telling her not to interrupt.

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In the closing moments of the 90-minute debate, Beck said she and Collins had both talked about the mana and role of the mayor, and that it called for “respectful behaviour and a respectful mayor”.

Collins had his own run-in with Molloy at a June debate, where after Molloy talked of “telling fibs”, Collins said “We have seen a leadership style tonight that I think is unacceptable in a modern city”.

Another candidate Craig Lord also took a rare poke at Molloy, criticising the restaurateur for lines such as “when I’m in charge” and in a campaign video saying “one day all this will be mine”.

Otherwise, the four stuck to their mostly-familiar scripts, highlighting divergent views on issues such as climate change action.

Collins said climate action would be a core focus of the next council, Beck “accepted the need” for climate change action, but Molloy disagreed.

He didn’t believe in tackling the causes given the country was such a small player, but that Auckland should be planning for the inevitable disaster such as floods and coastal inundation.

An audience question on co-governance got support from Molloy, likening it to a rally car which has a driver and navigator, “take one of the two away and it doesn’t work”.

Lord opposed it, saying positions should be elected on merit, not just “where you sit in the spectrum”, while Beck and Collins agreed with co-governance.

Questions from the audience included what each candidate would do on their first day, to help Aucklanders.

Beck jumped straight in with ending the 11.5 cent regional fuel tax – something needing government approval, Collins would direct council managers to work towards fare-free public transport, while Lord said he would change the way council committees work.

Collins had a local turf advantage, with the Māngere marae being inside the Manukau ward he has represented for two terms, and was able to cite specific actions in response to questions.

The others struggled on one or two local hot issues, such as what they would do to tackle what one audience member called the “disgrace” of the proliferation of liquor stores.

Molloy focussed on his distaste for “pokie bars” and said locals should stand up and oppose applications for liquor licences, while Beck observed they were”business people running businesses” but that the issue needed to be dealt with “as a society”.

Other mayoral candidates include Hibiscus and Bays local board chairman Gary Brown, businessman Wayne Brown, – who was invited but unableto attend – animal rights campaigner Michael Morris, lawyer Ted Johnston, and John Lehmann.