Auckland’s new-look council held its inaugural meeting yesterday. The first point of order? Who’s sitting where. Todd Niall brings us the play-by-play.
This story was first published on Stuff.
“I want to have this guy sitting next to me if I can”, said veteran politician Maurice Williamson, pointing to Rodney ward Auckland councillor Greg Sayers.
It was half an hour before Auckland councillors were due to sit around their table for the first time, and the early arrivals from the Class of ‘22 were not happy.
“Councillor Walker, can you please not do that,” said a governance advisor in a severe tone, as Wayne Walker tried to move his name sign. “Please sit there”.
First into the level two reception lounge were a group which burst in through the emergency exit where the media sit: Mike Lee, Wayne Walker, John Watson and Maurice Williamson.
Walker took exception immediately to the seating order determined by the mayor for the 20 councillors around the horseshoe layout. “We’re not capable of deciding where we sit,” he said tartly after a council officer repeatedly told him not to mess with the seating order.
Josephine Bartley arrived and spotted another problem. “You’ve got all the Islanders sitting in one place,” the Maungakieie ward councillor, who is Samoan, pointed out. “So I’m mixing it up.”
As the council staff tried to maintain the mayor’s seating pattern, Howick ward councillor Sharon Stewart created new ripples. “I’ve just spoken to the mayor, and he says we can change it,” said Stewart.
In the meantime, Maurice Williamson’s preferred deskmate Sayers had agreed to swap with left-leaning Richard Hills, who settled in happily next to the former National Party cabinet minister.
Wayne Brown, who had also arrived early, seemed exasperated by the displeasure: “I just didn’t want it looking like parliament with the greens and the reds together and the blues on the other side”.
Eighty minutes later, after the maiden speeches from six new ward councillors, and the comeback of veteran councillor Mike Lee, seating and name signs were again on the agenda.
Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina had arrived late and missed the opening shemozzle, and raised the issue again. “You’ve got the three Samoans together,” he told the mayor, meaning himself, and Bartley and Lotu Fuli who flanked him. “I feel we’ve been put into a box and it’s important to say this now.”
“Secondly, My name plate, the spelling of my surname (misspelt as Filipania) – the spelling of anybody’s name is crucial to their whakapapa and I don’t like the fact that you (Brown) laughed at it,” (when pointed out) said Filipaina.
“I agree with that,” Brown replied. “I said this was just an outline of seating and if you have any issues do say so,” he told the assembled councillors.
“Who do we raise it with,” asked Williamson, after spending 80 minutes sitting next to Hills.
“With me for a start,” said Brown. “Or if you are happy to swap with someone, go ahead and do so, I’m not opposed to receiving input.”
The mayor said he was happy to consider Filipaina’s thoughts. “There was no intention to create… I’ve managed to get a lot of Pākehā together as well, but there was no intention there either.”
With the seating order seemingly on the road to resolution, Brown now plans to tackle the next potential “A team-B team” issue before the next meeting in just nine days time – who will chair the council committees.
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