Rodney Hide - Post-2008 General Election

Post-2008 General Election

After the 2008 election, one of the main focuses of Hide's work in cabinet was the Auckland 'Super City' proposal for unification of the various local authorities of Auckland. In April 2009, Hide and John Key announced that several recommendations of the Royal Commission would not be accepted. The Commission's six district sub-councils would be replaced by a local structure of 20-30 community boards. The recommendation to have separate concept Maori representation was also not accepted. In September 2009, the Labour Party accused Hide of mismanaging the Auckland reform process and criticised Hide's advocacy of privatising council assets and services. Labour also alleged that a bad process had led to the centralisation of power in the hands of a privileged few.

Issues of satellite city boundaries, assets, financing & political consolidation have brought criticism from parties including North Shore City mayor Andrew Williams.

In March 2010, an editorial in the New Zealand Herald made five criticisms of Hide's implementation of the 'super city' amalgamation:

1. Hide had a bad track record of consultation in the design of the single city,
2. He was plainly driven by his ideological agenda,
3. He had threatened to resign if the Prime Minister acceded to a strong call for Maori seats,
4. He had ignored concerns about the lack of power of local boards, and,
5. as much as 90 per cent of services were to be run by seven Government-appointed boards.

Hide was criticised in November 2009 for taking his girlfriend Louise Crome on a tax-payer funded private holiday to Hawaii and on a tax-payer funded trip to London, Canada and the United States. He repaid the money for the Hawaii trip.

In November 2009, a special ACT-party caucus meeting was held to discuss the Hide's position as party leader, where he was chosen to be retained.

On 28 April 2011, he resigned as leader of ACT after a successful challenge from former National leader Don Brash. Hide indicated to Brash he would not be standing in the 2011 general election. When he left parliament he chose not to give a valedictory speech.

In December 2011 Hide was granted the right to retain the title of The Honourable in recognition of his term as a Member of the Executive Council of New Zealand.