-
Source: Reuters -
Watch Video
-
Related
With local body elections just two months away, the subject of liquor licenses is rearing its head as an issue any new super city mayor will have to tackle head-on.
On TV ONE's Q+A today Auckland mayor John Banks slammed the number of outlets granted licenses in South Auckland.
"There are an unprecedented numbers of new booze outlets there taking young people on a journey to hell," he said. "We've got to push back on the liquor outlets. We've got to have a united Auckland singing from one song sheet. We need to reach out to all the communities from Wellsford to Tuakau, from Little Huia to Maraetai."
But Manukau City mayor Len Brown, also appearing on the live Q+A debate, along with North Shore mayor Andrew Williams, said it's not just up to local government to fix that problem.
"There is a major proliferation across the region, not just Manukau," said Brown. "There are 500 off-licences in Auckland against 187 in Manukau City. The key issue here is parliamentary leadership, and a leader of Auckland delivering a change in the legislation to enable local communities to have a serious say in the granting of liquor licences."
The three mayors were were all looking to build momentum through the televised debate, ahead of the October local body elections, but commentators said there was no clear-cut winner.
Simon Wilson, editor of Auckland's Metro magazine, said Williams perhaps had more to prove than the other two candidates.
"He had to go out and prove that he wasn't simply the man who urinates in public and sends abusive texts. I think he did that."
Williams said his controversial text to the prime minister was not sent at 3am, as has been reported.
"Our records show the last text was sent at 15 minutes past midnight the night that Parliament rose at midnight from the second bill," he said. "The Prime Minister didn't get those at 3.30. He woke up and read his texts at 3.30. So sorry, I dismiss it..."
Williams also announced his plan to have four deputies if he becomes super city mayor - one representing north, south, central and west.
"The four deputies will help bring the whole of Auckland together, because this cannot all be on one single person," he said. "The same way as it cannot all be on the Prime Minister. You have ministers around the Prime Minister."
