Outgoing Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has thrown out the etiquette book by mounting a thinly-veiled attack on the man who's leading the polls to succeed him.
Goff is retiring at this year's local election and polls suggest businessman Wayne Brown leads a two-horse race with Auckland councillor Efeso Collins.
Goff, a former foreign minister, former opposition leader, and now in his late 60s, says it's time to hang up the mayoral chains.
"Having said that I notice that one of the mayoral candidates will be approaching 80 at the end of the term if he's successful."
In the dying days of his tenure, Goff has Brown in his sights.
"Auckland needs fixing right now and fixing's what I do," said Brown in a campaign video.
When asked if Brown was too old to become Mayor, Goff said: "I don't think it's so much about age, it's about attitudes. You've got to make sure that as you get older you are keeping in touch with the younger generations that are coming up behind you."
It's an unwritten rule of politics that you don't slag off who's coming next.
"Look it's not for me to endorse or not endorse particular candidates."
But no one's left in any doubt about how Goff feels about the front-runner - who's promising to put a rocket up the council to get it moving and to control costs
"It's that ability to work with others and not be arrogant towards and dismissive of others that I think is really important," said Goff.
"I'm really spelling out the qualities that a mayor needs without respect to any particular candidate."
Goff voted for Collins but it's understood his camp expects a Brown victory now the other right-wing candidates Viv Beck and Leo Molloy have pulled out.
"Phil Goff and Efeso Collins are out of touch, they don't realise people want a change in Auckland, they want the city back and they want the finances under control," said Brown.
Politics is about rough and tumble and if Goff could write his political obit it would go like this.
"He provided stable governance, he invested hugely in the infrastructure we need for water and for transport and he focused on the environment."
Goff's experience in foreign affairs and trade means this probably won't be 'exit stage left' - there's a vacancy at the High Commission in London which the smart money says may soon be filled.
