John Banks (New Zealand politician): Difference between revisions

The Honourable John Archibald Banks QSO
38th Mayor of Auckland
Incumbent
Assumed office 2007
Preceded by	Dick Hubbard
In office 2001–2004
Preceded by	Christine Fletcher
Succeeded by	Dick Hubbard
Minister of Police
In office 1990–1996
Prime Minister	Jim Bolger
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Whangarei
In office 1981–1999
Preceded by	John Gordon Elliott
Succeeded by	Philip Heatley
Personal details
Born	(1946-12-02) 2 December 1946 Wellington, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealand
Political party	National

John Archibald Banks QSO (born 2 December 1946) is a New Zealand politician. For three years (2001–2004), he served as Mayor of Auckland and was re-elected to this office in 2007. He is also a former Cabinet Minister for the National Party.

His personality, especially during the time of his first Auckland mayoralty term, has been called that of a bully, "raised by Sir Robert Muldoon in the ways of the bear pit". However, it has been commented on that his leadership style has become much less brusque and confrontative in recent times, something he himself ascribes to the "long, cold shower" he received in being defeated by political newcomer Dick Hubbard in the 2004 elections.

Before politics

Banks, born in Wellington, moved to Auckland while still at high school. His father, Archie spent much of his life in prison, a fact Banks does not try to hide, going as far as to mention his father's prison experiences in his criticism of the style of the proposed Mount Eden Prisons building.

In his career before entering politics, Banks worked as a market researcher in the pharmaceutical industry, as a commercial property developer, and as a restaurant owner. He served for a time as Chairman of the New Zealand Licensed Restaurant and Cabaret Association.

Banks began his political career in local-body politics with election to the Birkenhead Borough Council.

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate	List	Party
1981–1984	40th	Whangarei			National
1984–1987	41st	Whangarei			National
1987–1990	42nd	Whangarei			National
1990–1993	43rd	Whangarei			National
1993–1996	44th	Whangarei			National
1996–1999	45th	Whangarei	16		National

In the 1978 general election, Banks stood as the National Party candidate for the Roskill electorate, but was unsuccessful. In the 1981 election, he stood in a different seat, Whangarei, and won. He would retain this seat for the remainder of his parliamentary career.

Cabinet minister

When National won the 1990 elections, Banks entered Cabinet, becoming Minister of Police, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Sport. He quickly gained a high public profile due to his controversial views, most of which reflected a highly conservative political outlook. His political opponents accused him of racism towards Māori and immigrants, and of homophobia. Despite this, Banks earned the respect of the Police force and senior police hierarchy as "one of their own". Banks also had a troubled relationship with some of his political colleagues, who were concerned over his allegedly confrontational style. Banks sometimes clashed with Prime Minister Jim Bolger and other senior ministers.

While Minister of Police, he was fined $750 for answering his cell phone on a commercial flight in 1991.

Banks gained a position as the host of a talkback radio programme on Radio Pacific in August 1992, taking over the Sunday afternoon timeslot from former Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon., for whom he had occasionally substituted during 1991 and 1992. In 1995, his fellow National Party Member of Parliament John Carter rang his programme impersonating a workshy Māori called Hone, which caused widespread offence.

In 1996, he resigned from Cabinet, becoming a backbencher after he refused to participate in the same cabinet as New Zealand First leader and coalition partner Winston Peters.

Banks retired from Parliament at the 1999 elections.

Mayor of Auckland

First term 2001-2004

In 2001, he contested and won the Auckland City mayoralty, defeating the incumbent Christine Fletcher (herself also a former National MP). Banks remained controversial in his new role, although often regarding financial and management issues rather than social policy. He governed with the support of the traditional incumbent ticket at Auckland City, Citizens and Ratepayers Now. Banks brought in a streamlined decision making process at council, kept spending increases within inflation, sold half of the Auckland International Airport shares to pay off Auckland City's increasing debt and proposed massive roading and public transport projects such as the "Eastern Corridor". Banks' personal style, coupled with his mayoral agenda, polarised many Aucklanders. In 2001 he was caught speeding on a jet ski close to the beach, not long after criticising boy racers. He also said Asian immigrants had filthy habits such as spitting on footpaths.

A serious challenge to his mayoralty came from philanthropic cereal-maker Dick Hubbard in late August 2004. Six weeks out from the next election, a New Zealand Herald public opinion poll gave Hubbard 32.2 per cent and Banks 27.3 per cent, with Christine Fletcher trailing by a wide gap.

The campaign gained notoriety as one of the "nastiest" and hardest-fought in memory. In September 2004, Banks's campaign manager, Brian Nicolle, resigned amidst allegations of "gutter politics" after he ordered distribution of copies of a National Business Review article highly critical of Hubbard to hundreds of letterboxes in Auckland, and then proceeded to deny it. Nicolle eventually confirmed he ordered the article distribution. This was done without the authorisation of Banks as the candidate, which helped make the story even more controversial during the campaign.

The New Zealand Herald poll's pattern held for most of the campaign as the postal votes came in. On October 9, 2004, Hubbard defeated "Banksie" in his bid to be re-elected as Mayor of Auckland. At the same time, the city also elected a centre-left council, dominated by the City Vision and Action Hobson councillors. In early interviews after his election loss, Banks stated that he would look after his varied business interests, both in New Zealand and Australia.

Post 2004 election

For a time, rumours suggested that he might return to national politics, standing as a candidate either for the National Party or for ACT New Zealand. Speculation eventually focused on ACT, and several meetings took place between Banks and senior party members. In the end, however, Banks declined to become an ACT candidate, despite indications that he could win a seat for the ailing party that would guarantee them representation.

In February 2005, Banks returned to talkback radio reprising his "Breakfast with Banksie" early morning radio show on Radio Pacific.

Re-election in 2007

In October 2006, Banks announced he was giving serious consideration to standing for the Auckland Mayoralty again. He indicated that if he did become Mayor again, he would practise a more inclusive style of leadership with a firmer focus on financial matters. He has indicated qualified support for the proposed 2007 "Hero Parade", which was an annual gay parade held in the 1990s prior to his becoming Mayor. Banks has confirmed that he has ditched the controversial Eastern Corridor proposal that caused a split in his voting base.

In July 2007 Banks announced his intention to stand for Mayor in the October 2007 local body election, running on a platform of "affordable progress" and transparency in council meetings. Polls soon showed him in a clear lead. Banks has campaigned heavily on platforms of affordable progess, plus openness and accountability, particularly in regard to Auckland City's leaky homes crisis.

On 13 October 2007, Banks was re-elected as mayor of Auckland, becoming the only the second Mayor in Auckland City's history to have come back to the Mayoralty after defeat, the other being Dove-Myer Robinson in 1968.

Second Mayoral term 2007-

Upon his successful re-election, Banks indicated a number of initial changes and spending cuts in order to meet his goal of keeping future rates increases at affordable levels. Banks and the Citizens and Ratepayers council majority re-introduced a streamlined council structure, bringing in five super-committees instead of the previous 14 committees.

Banks has kept overall rates increases to within the rate of inflation over the 2007 council term. In addition to reducing the projected rates increases to the promised levels, Banks has also reduced contentious water price rises as well, holding water price increases to around half of the 10% plus water price rises planned under the previous council.

In addition to maintaining his policy of fiscal pruduce and "affordable progress", Banks' council has embarked on a number of projects around Auckland City, including beach re-sanding projects, public transport initiatives like the Central Connector, park and art gallery upgrades like Pah Homestead, and security measures like closed circuit television for business and shopping mainstreet areas.

Banks has also campaigned on job creation and economic development initiatives, such as a film friendly policy for Auckland, to attract television, movie and commercial filming. The benefits of the film industry was reported as almost $900 million in GDP activity for Auckland region.

Regional Governance

Banks has supported pushing for a unitary authority or a "supercity" as far back as 2001. After the Royal Commission recommended and the Government confirmed it would introduce a single council for Auckland, Banks confirmed he would stand for the office of the new Auckland Council mayoralty. Banks has been critical of some of the aspects of the new supercity, favouring increased powers to the local boards that would represent people at the most grassroots level.

Business involvement with the Huljich family

John Banks has said that he knew the Huljich family from 1972 when he opened his first restaurant, Becky Thatcher's Coffee Kitchen, in Karangahape Road. The three Huljich brothers ran a nearby juice distribution business and ate breakfast at Banks' cafe most mornings. Banks said that "They are very careful, cautious and prudent investors ... and they have kept mostly off the radar screen. I have been in business with the family in various ways and they are one of the great Croatian families in this country." In 2007 the son of Chris Huljich, Peter Huljich, with the support of Banks and former National Party leader and Reserve Bank Governor Don Brash set up a "boutique funds management company" in downtown Auckland, partly to manage the Huljich family's extensive investment portfolio. The operating company, Huljich Wealth Management (NZ) Ltd, also established three KiwiSaver funds to target "high net-worth individuals although smaller investors can gain access through KiwiSaver or through the balanced fund". John Banks said he, Brash and the Huljichs "would be fairly choosy about who invests with us".

In 2010, Peter Huljich admitted responsibility for "lapses" in investment practice where he topped up the company's KiwiSaver fund from Huljich family funds to make up for losses incurred in order to retain the fund's favourable market performance figures and appear more profitable than competitors. Peter Huljich's management role was taken over by the company's chairman, Don Brash and Hulich was replaced on the Board of the company by Chris Huljich, his father.

Private life

Banks married his wife Amanda in December 1987, they adopted three children from a Saint Petersburg orphanage in 1995 (a girl and two boys, biological siblings). He holds a private pilot's licence, for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

In addition to his pilot's license, Banks also is an avid motorcar and motorcycle enthusiast, owning and regularly riding a Harley Davidson motorbike.

Biographies

• Paul Goldsmith: John Banks: A Biography: Auckland: Penguin: 2001: (Updated. Originally published 1997): ISBN 0-14-301819-1
• Noel Harrison: Banks: Behind the Mask: Wellington: Estate of Lyndsay Rae Gammon: 2002: ISBN 0-476-00990-1

External links

• Campaign website for 2007 Auckland City mayoral bid