However, his service could be tapped for diplomacy
Venkat Raman
Auckland, February 14, 2022
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has announced that he will not be seeking re-election this year.
In a statement issued today (February 14, 2022), he said that he has been in public life for more than 40 years and that it is time to ‘pass on the baton of leadership to the new generation.’
According to reports, he is likely to be posted as the next Ambassador of New Zealand to the United States of America. With his vast experience in national and international politics and his pleasing manners and amiability, he should be able to strengthen the special relationship that exists between the two countries.
He will also be able to achieve progress in securing a Free Trade Agreement.
Seasoned Politician and Minister
Mr Goff was a Member of Parliament from 1981 to 2016 and has held several ministerial portfolios under the Labour government, including such sensitive posts as Foreign Affairs and Trade.
He resigned from Parliament in 2016, leading to a by-election in Mt Roskill, allowing for the entry of Michael Wood, who is now Minister of Transport and Minister of Workplace Relations and Safety. Mr Goff served two terms as the Mayor of Auckland, which said was ‘an absolute privilege,’ and that he loves Auckland where he was raised.
“I want to thank the people of Auckland for having twice elected me by large majorities and for giving me the mandate to lead our city. I would like to thank my wife Mary, and our family for tolerating my absences at family occasions when council work has taken precedence, and my mayoral office staff who have worked hard and competently,” he said.
Mr Goff paid tributes to Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore, thanking him for his huge contribution, and all those Councillors from a variety of different political affiliations who have worked constructively with him to advance the interests of Auckland.
Challenges of the pandemic
“While the pandemic has created huge challenges, the City has made real progress over the last five and half years. We have made the biggest investments Auckland has ever seen in infrastructure for transport and water. This has reversed decades of underinvestment, where infrastructure spending did not keep up with population growth.
“We have taken big strides towards creating a sustainable environment, with measures to end the century-long problem of wastewater spilling onto our beaches and into our harbours, steps to contain the spread of kauri dieback, and predator control to revive our native bush and birdlife. Over two million native trees have been planted as part of the Mayor’s ‘Million Trees Campaign,’ and the current budget proposes strong steps to tackle Climate Change.
“We have also implemented a living wage for Council employees and our cleaning contractors. As Mayor, I am proud that I have been able to lead councillors to work collaboratively and constructively to meet the challenges of the pandemic and work towards our vision of creating a sustainable, inclusive and world-class city.
“I will continue to give the role of Mayor my full energy and commitment for the next seven months and will consider options for my future in due course,” Mr Goff said.
Phil Goff has been a friend of Indian Newslink since the newspaper was established on November 15, 1999, and has supported us with his regular Columns and articles. He has attended almost all events organised by the publication and has been a lively participant at our Business Awards and Lecture series.
We will write a separate piece on our friendship and goodwill in due course.
