Mark Ford was appointed by Rodney Hide to set up the Auckland super city. The ratepayers of Auckland pay him $540,000 a year.
He was responsible for hiring the agency Momentum to recruit 45 senior executives for the super city. Momentum has close ties with the National Party, employing former National Party President Michelle Boag as a senior executive, and with former Prime Minister Jenny Shipley on its board. Back in February it was revealed Ms Boag was working for John Banks’ mayoral campaign as an unpaid adviser while at the same time recruiting the super city’s chief spin doctor.
Now we find out Ms Boag has been soliciting money and votes for John Banks on Momentum letterhead while the agency is recruiting the super city’s top executives. Mr Ford is asked about it by the Herald and he says “I’m not going there.”
When Mark Ford effectively says “speak to the hand” it is a disturbing sign of what could be in store for Auckland after the local body elections. After overseeing the establishment of the super city, and advising Cabinet against allowing elected representatives on the boards of CCOs, and overseeing the appointment of the CCO boards, Mr Ford finds himself appointed to chair the powerful new transport agency which will spend more than half of Aucklanders’ rates.
He will be responsible for every transport matter from the smallest pot-hole to the second harbour crossing. And this is how seriously he takes public accountability.
But let’s be clear about this. Mark Ford is only a public servant. Rodney Hide is the Minister. He is responsible. He designed the structures of the Auckland super city which have shifted 75% of civic operations into council owned companies run by hand-picked corporate boards. The entire lot was signed off every step of the way by John Key’s Cabinet.
It is time for Rodney Hide to tell Aucklanders whether this is the standard of public accountability he expects from the people running the super city.
Update: Rodney Hide washed his hands of responsibility for this matter in Question Time this afternoon, even though the Momentum contact is costing Auckland ratepayers $355,000 to recruit 45 managers for the super city. I’m calling on Hide to show some accountability and tell Mark Ford to bring the ATA’s relationship with Momentum to an end.

