[imc-auckland-video] Transcribe of John Banks press conference and post Q & A

Sun Oct 10 12:12:23 PDT 2004

Hi guys - this will make transcribing John Banks' press conference tape
a piece of piss - text from his speech & Q & A - probably missing some
bits but almost all there, from Herald website - I'll plug it into a
template when I have the chance, sans timecodes. Kim 

John Banks: Auckland mayor's concession speech 

09.10.2004
COMMENT 

I have spoken with Mr Hubbard and have given him my congratulations. 

It has been a great privilege to be the 38th mayor of this city. 

Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I would be given this privilege
to lead. 

It has been a long and tough campaign. 

For my team this was never a four-week effort. This has been four-years
of hard work. 

I have given this job 110 per cent - I have given it my very best shot.
It has been a huge commitment and I have always sought to represent
Auckland's very diverse people fairly. 

I have been humbled by the many messages of good will and support in
recent weeks. 

This election was always going to a vote between the centre-left and the
centre-right. 

Let's note forget that there are five electorates in Auckland City held
by the Labour Party with huge majorities. Just two seats belong to
National. When the centre-left got a candidate they could support, I
knew it was going to be tough. 

I am proud to leave Auckland in much better shape than when I inherited
it. 

Auckland is well positioned. Auckland is on the map, Auckland is more
competitive, and Auckland is heading for international greatness. 

It has been a great team effort. 

I pay tribute to my Deputy Mayor, David Hay, my Auckland Citizens and
Ratepayers Now colleagues and the two independent councillors, Bill
Christian and Geoff Abbott. 

I thank the Chief Executive Bryan Taylor. We started off as colleagues
and we leave as friends. We are very well served by the officers of
Auckland City. 

I pay tribute to my office staff. They have been incredibly hardworking
and loyal. They have always been supportive of me and my political
career. 

My biggest supporters are my family. My wife Amanda and the children
have always been understanding and supportive. For that I give public
thanks. 

To my campaign team - thank you for your hard work. It's been a huge
anddifficult undertaking but you've given it everything. Brian Nicolle
is a talented campaign manager. His enormous efforts have not been
forgotten and our friendship remains. 

I love this city and its people and I have never made any apologies
about being its number one cheerleader. 

This is a land of opportunity and New Zealand has given me every
opportunity. 

This was my eleventh election for public office. It all started so long
ago when I was first elected to the Birkenhead Borough Council. 

All my adult life, I have had an overwhelming commitment to civic duty
and to balance the family ledger. 

I finish as I began, it has been a great privilege to lead and to serve.

I never dwell on my losses. I never look back. For me, it is upwards and
onwards. Today a door has closed and tomorrow a new one will open. 

The people of Auckland have spoken and I respect that. 

I wish Mr Hubbard and his team of new and re-elected councillors all the
very best as they serve the citizens of Auckland to the best of their
abilities. 

Q and A: John Banks faces the media after election defeat 

09.10.2004
4.30pm 

Outgoing Auckland mayor John Banks held a press conference at 3pm today
at the Auckland Town Hall mayoral suite. Here are the questions posed by
media representatives present, and his edited answers: 

Question: What are your plans now? 

Banks: What are my plans now? I'm very ambitious. I'm very ambitious for
myself, my family, and ambitious for New Zealand. My options remain
open, but I won't miss a beat. 

* * * 

Question: Will you stay in politics? 

Banks: Well, I have business interests that need attention and I will
give them some attention and I'll serve where I'm called. 

* * * 

Q: Do you blame the National Business Review newspaper leaflet drop
[containing anti-Dick Hubbard stories] for your loss? 

Banks: Not at all - I'm glad you asked that question. Not at all. In net
terms, it made no difference. Why do I say that? Look at the make-up of
the council. The people have spoken and I respect that. I think I could
say, whilst on the subject of the NBR article, I was disappointed in the
distribution of the NBR article, but in net terms [it made no] no
difference. 

* * * 

Q: What do you put the result down to? 

Banks: I would conclude that when the centre-left got one candidate
[Dick Hubbard] that they could support, it was always going to be tough.
The centre-left got themselves a candidate they felt that they could
support and the centre-left are now in control of the Auckland City
Council. I respect that. I don't like it, but I respect it because the
people have spoken. 

* * * 

Q: What do you put that that centre-left shift down to? 

Banks: I think there's a strong vote for the centre-left across the
country that's replicated in Auckland. Five Labour Party seats in
Auckland are held with huge majorities, and there are two National Party
seats held with much less majority. I don't make excuses. I've been
beaten and I'm happy for Mr Hubbard and his team and I want them to
continue to progress Auckland toward greatness. I don't look back, I
don't dwell, and I really don't reflect on what may have been, because
tomorrow's another day. 

* * * 

Q: Do you think some of your policies and issues, like the eastern
highway, contributed to your defeat? 

Banks: The eastern transport corridor will never be built in your
lifetime. The eastern transport corridor will be built, but it won't be
built in your lifetime. 

* * * 

Q: Are you worried Mr Hubbard may get council back into debt by buying
more assets? 

Banks: It's a very different council from the council that I led. But
that is what the people of Auckland wanted, and that's what they voted
for, and I respect that. 

* * * 

Q: Did your leadership style contribute to your downfall? 

Banks: My decisive leadership style certainly is much more appreciated
by the centre-right than the centre-left. But having said that, I make
no apologies for any mistakes, dropped passes ... you know, we make
them. We apologise at the time, we get on. But I think we have a lot to
celebrate. Everyone in this room, if you put your hand on your heart,
knows this Auckland City Council has achieved so much. So much. 

So I just hope that Mr Hubbard's city council is able to achieve as much
and I wish him every success. And I congratulate my colleagues, my new
colleague Toni Millar [elected to an Eastern Bays ward council seat on
the Citizens and Ratepayers Now ticket] and my other colleagues for
their elections. For every person that committed themselves to civic
duty and representing the community in public elections that misses out
today, good on you and thanks for your contribution. And for those who
have been elected, you have an awesome responsibility. There are very
few accolades. There are many brickbats. I have never met anyone who has
stood for public office that hasn't stood with honourable intentions. 

* * * 

Q: Are you going to meet Mr Hubbard? 

Banks: Mr Hubbard has asked if he could get together with me at some
time. Mr Hubbard is very busy celebrating ... no, I won't be meeting Mr
Hubbard today. I have called him. Of course he can see me, of course,
and I look forward to that, probably in the next week. 

I've got a lot of work to do between now and Weds. You've got to pay me
between now and Wednesday (laughter from crowd). I've got a lot of work
to do. Right up until 12 o'clock on Wednesday night I'm still the mayor,
and I'm going to enjoy the last four days. 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3599138
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3599138&thesection=n
ews&thesubsection=dialogue&thesecondsubsection=&reportid=1162640>
&thesection=news&thesubsection=dialogue&thesecondsubsection=&reportid=11
62640

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3599141
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3599141&thesection=n
ews&thesubsection=general&thesecondsubsection=&reportid=1162640>
&thesection=news&thesubsection=general&thesecondsubsection=&reportid=116
2640

 <http://www.greens.org.nz/> 
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