Road cones, raised crossings and the entire board of Auckland Transport have all attracted the wrath of the city's mayor, and today Wayne Brown had the opportunity to pop off a few shots at its chief executive in person.
The mayor joined AT chief executive Dean Kimpton at the Māngere Bus Depot on Tuesday afternoon to show off Auckland's first electric double decker bus. Kimpton, who has been the recipient of blunt emails about all manner of transport-related tribulations.
And as the two Auckland leaders got behind the wheel for a test drive, Checkpoint thought it would be a good opportunity to test the temperature between them.
First at the wheel, Brown drove two laps without running over a single road cone laid out for the figure of eight route.
When asked what he made of Kimpton's performance, nearly a year into the job, Brown said "Well, he's listening".
The most recent battleground between the mayor and AT has been the scrapping of the regional fuel tax, and which council projects need to be cut as a result.
Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson said the mayor had no power to tell AT to down tools - but Brown had other ideas.
Wayne Brown behind the wheel of Auckland's first electric double decker bus. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
"I do have the authority, I have the moral authority to do that. You have one pernickety little d***head of a person who's said that possibly I don't … but that's all," Brown said.
"I give them the instruction of how I want them to run the whole thing, so I don't actually have really the stop dead… I'm elected to provide the leadership to the city and that was done in that case and they've listened, they understand."
Brown said when he said projects like the last stage of the Eastern Busway would need to be cut as a result of the fuel tax ending, he was not bluffing.
"It's not a bluff, it's using the power of the fact that I am the most voted for person in New Zealand and so it's unwise not to listen."
When he campaigned for the mayoralty, Brown called for AT's board to resign - soon after the voting papers were in, the transport organisation's chairperson quit "willingly".
Now, he says he wants AT to regain its social licence, and passenger numbers are heading in the right direction.
Auckland Transport chief executive Dean Kimpton also had the chance to get behind the wheel. Photo: RNZ/Nick Monro
Kimpton also agreed to take questions from RNZ as he took his turn behind the wheel.
So: What is the communication like between him and Brown?
"Some of the language he uses is not the language I would use as a leader but we both understand that," Kimpton said.
"Do I have the confidence of the mayor? Yes I do actually, I think you just have to read in between sometimes the headline and the substance of what's being said."
Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
Kimpton said he and the mayor talked just yesterday.
"We probably covered off about six or eight topics of great importance to Auckland, including the Government Policy Statement on land transport, on the integrated transport plan, the regional fuel tax, on issues that matter and we've got some really strong alignment I'm pleased with it."
Auckland Council directed AT to make cuts worth $30 million last year - the agency then spent $6m on staff redundancies as it cut 150 roles.
Kimpton said he would be discussing his own job with AT's board later this month.
"Our job will not be done in 18 months there's some really good things to do I'm pleased with the way that AT has responded to the challenge and is shifting the way that it both works with Auckland and Aucklanders and delivers its services and I'd like to continue contributing to that for a bit longer."
Asked if he would support Kimpton staying on past October at AT's helm, Brown said it was not his business.
"Well, he's employed by the board of AT and if I haven't got the authority to tell them not to do anything I certainly haven't got the authority to tell them who they do and don't employ."
While he allowed us to talk to him as he drove the bus, Brown did decline a seat while RNZ was driving.
