If Phil Goff won’t fix Auckland’s housing crisis – could John Tamihere take the Mayoralty off him?

Fascinating development in Auckland politics today with an exclusive from David Fisher…

John Tamihere: If Phil Goff doesn’t sort out Auckland’s housing, I’ll take his job and do it myself
John Tamihere has thrown down the gauntlet to Phil Goff – fix Auckland’s housing crisis or he will run for mayor and do it himself.

The prominent Waipareira Trust chief executive is setting himself up to challenge Goff for Auckland’s top job at next year’s local government elections.

He has described Goff as running a “dictatorship” which is doing nothing to help house those earning $80,000 a year or less and attacked Auckland Council as “arrogant”.

On Goff, Tamihere said: “He is enforcing inequality and it is the tale of two cities and he is building it.”

…this is explosive stuff and comes about because of a major meltdown between the Waipareira Trust and the council-controlled body in charge of selling public land…

Tamihere’s threat to challenge for the mayoralty comes out of a relationship meltdown with Panuku Development Auckland, the council-controlled body currently selling off public land to balance the Queen City’s books.

The catalyst for Tamihere’s frustration was disagreement over the level of social housing in developments planned by Waipareira Trust on land sold by Panuku.

He said the way Panuku was restricting social housing levels meant the city was locked into market rule driving up property prices and rental costs.

“They’re just an arrogant bunch of bastards. There’s a culture and a monopoly that is they’re used to telling people to bugger off or do it my way or forget it”.

…effectively what is happening is Panuku Development are hell bent on selling the public land for top dollar to developers while ignoring groups like the Waipareira Trust who want to build housing for poorer Aucklanders.

Tamihere is presenting to the City Council this Thursday and it could be the most explosive challenge Goff has had to face…

Tamihere is speaking at a full meeting of Auckland Council next week in a bid to convince councillors and Goff to change Panuku’s mind.

If it doesn’t, he said the National Urban Maori Authority would seek caveats – legal blocks – over Panuku land. It would then seek a High Court ruling Panuku breached the Human Rights Act by excluding large groups of Aucklanders from owning homes built on land it was selling.

A legal opinion for Waipareira Trust provided to the Weekend Herald stated council had a case to answer in relation to a specific development.

Tamihere said the people excluded included those aged 65+ and others who retired without their own home or large savings, those earning $80,000 or less and those receiving benefits.

“The divide between rich folk and poor folk has become extraordinarily stark. This social engineering policy will drive poorer people out into the margins or into really decrepit housing situations.”

…this could be the catalyst for a massive political show down next year for the Auckland mayoralty because Tamihere has reach from the Left through to the Right which could actually challenge Goff.

The anger and frustration at those still locked out of the Auckland housing market is high enough to make those  who are apathetic become political as Bernard Hickey points out this week…

Dear young renters: you are sooo toast
It’s time for some straight talking to young renters.

You may be hearing a lot of talk lately about capital gains taxes and a surge of new housing supply and a transformation in the economy. You may even actually think things are about to improve and that a first home is a realistic prospect, or that an affordable rental is just around the corner.

You may be about to be fooled into thinking your elders have your best interests at heart and are going to change things to make housing affordable. You may actually think New Zealand is about to do the right thing, rather than the selfish thing.

Sorry to say this, but you’re dead wrong. You’re about to be done over all over again, and you probably don’t suspect a thing.

You think your parents and grandparents and their friends actually want to help you live the good lives they experienced as the luckiest generations. They may even have convinced themselves and you that they do really want to do this, but they don’t really. They’re leading you up a garden path

…Goff is polished and knows how to virtue signal to his Auckland electorate with Homeless counts and de-platforming crypto-fascists but when it comes to helping the poor buy their own house, he’s simply using Panuku Development  to balance the Council books.

Goff has been great at treating the symptoms of Auckland’s housing crisis, Tamihere however could focus on a cure.