Mayor Phil Goff has been accused of running a 'boys' club'. One of Auckland's longest serving councillors and former mayor, Christine Fletcher, has questioned mayor Phil Goff's leadership appointments, claiming "he is inclined to run [the council] as a bit of a boys' club at times", which the mayor strongly refutes. Fletcher's comments follow Goff's nomination of planning committee chair Chris Darby as council representative on the government's establishment unit board for the Auckland light rail project. The council has the ability to nominate one member of its governing body and potentially one local board chair to the unit. "There is also likely to be a local board member added to the establishment unit, though the process to do this has not yet occurred."

Source: New Zealand Herald May 10, 2021 22:30 UTC