John Banks considering third go at being Mayor
The 72-year-old former Auckland City Mayor has hired a team of political strategists. John Banks believes the super city needs decisive leadership, comparing current Mayor Phil Goff to a decaying vegetable.
"This leadership is like grandma's boiled cabbage - every single day it gets worse. We need to have a change at the top - someone needs to stand up, and if they don't, I need to step up." Nominations open this Friday. Banks served as Mayor of Auckland, before the amalgamation into the super city, from 2001 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2010.
He says the ideal candidate needs strong policies. "In the absence of someone that's prepared to stand up and deliver to the city accountability and financial responsibility, then I am considering it... We need to turn this city back to a place where the ratepayers and citizens have a say, not run by an arrogant council with a very colourless Mayor.
Banks has also served as a National Party MP, six years as Police Minister, and briefly led the ACT Party. If he runs, Banks will arguably be the strongest candidate from the right - the two frontrunners, Goff and John Tamihere, both former Labour Party MPs.
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Andy Warhole Triple Elvis at Auckland Art Gallery
Something different and worth visiting, See special for Elvis Fans below
Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
One of the most iconic artistic tributes to The King is now on display at Auckland Art Gallery
Andy Warhol’s Triple Elvis — a legendary artwork that helped shape Elvis Presley’s image as a global pop culture icon — is a standout highlight of Pop to Present: American Art from Virginia Museum of Fine Arts , a landmark exhibition of American art.
This is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a work that celebrates Elvis’s enduring legacy, alongside masterpieces by Jackson Pollock, Roy Lichtenstein, Mark Rothko and more.
✨ Don’t miss your chance to see Elvis through Warhol’s eyes. ✨
Special promotions
Quadruple Elvis Comeback Special: Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 January 2026
In honour of Andy Warhol's Triple Elvis, featured in Pop to Present, we're holding a special promotion to celebrate The King of Rock and Roll's birthday.
Inspired by Warhol's work, the Gallery invites you to become the art and take it from a Triple Elvis to a Quadruple Elvis. From Thursday 8 January to Sunday 11 January, anyone who comes dressed in their best Elvis getup will receive 50% off their entry to Pop to Present. Think: sunglasses, sideburns and slicked hair. Dust off the jumpsuit and leather jacket or even an Elvis Tee Shirt, and join us for a weekend of Pop-inspired fun.
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
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