Manukau Mayor In Auckland DHB's Coronary Care Unit

Manukau City mayor Len Brown has now been admitted to Auckland Hospital's coronary care unit after collapsing at the Pacific Music Awards at the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre in Manukau last night.

Len Brown (51) collapsed on stage during his opening speech to the event. Former deputy mayor Su'a William Sio, and Len Brown's wife Shan rushed to the stage. Several nurses in the audience helped to administer CPR until an ambulance arrived.

Mr Brown was first taken to Middlemore Hospital but was later transferred to Auckland Hospital's coronary care unit. Scoop understands Len Brown is in a critical but stable condition.

In the 1990s Len Brown stood out as a dynamic advocate for Manukau's people both as a councilor on Manukau City Council and also as a council representative and later chair of the Counties Manukau Health Council – a body that represented the public interest, and advocated on that basis, when state owned hospitals operated under the Crown Health Enterprise and Regional Health Authority structure.

The 2004 local government elections saw Len Brown stand against the well respected mayor, Sir Barry Curtis. It was a difficult decision for Len Brown to make but he believed the time was right to challenge Sir Barry for the mayoralty. Len Brown came within 600 votes of winning that election.

Again in 2007, Len Brown launched into a well considered campaign for the Manukau mayoralty. Sir Barry Curtis did not stand for election, and in October Len Brown was successful in being elected mayor.

Up until campaigning for the mayoralty in 2007, Len Brown practised law with Wynyard Wood in East Tamaki and has always been a popular and engaging advocate for many thousands of Manukau people.

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