Windbag: The clown car of candidates vying to be Wellington's next mayor
As the clock struck noon on Friday, August 1, the candidate nominations closed for the Wellington mayoral race. The capital entered a new era. The transition of power has begun. By October 11 (or October 16 if it's a really close race), the capital will have a new overlord. A new man or woman will seize the chains of power – and with it, the ability to grant the key to the city to any cat they choose.
There are 12 candidates in the race, ranging from very serious to not serious at all. This is my rough attempt to sort them into tiers.
Serious candidates
Andrew Little
You know him, you love him (or more realistically, have no particularly strong feelings about him)… It's Andrew Little. The former Labour Party leader and senior cabinet minister under the Ardern government is by far the most credible and experienced candidate in the race. He has left-wing bona fides but a conservative temperament. He's unlikely to propose any game-changing reforms, but he's a steady hand who promises stability. He's announced policies to introduce a weekly cap on bus and train fares, committed to funding community facilities, and proposed some boring-but-sensible rules to make council decisions more transparent.
Alex Baker
Pitches himself as a Green-aligned candidate with a free-market approach to housing policy and business regulation. A former director of sustainability at Kāinga Ora and a chartered accountant at KPMG, he has solid back-room experience, but this is his first time seeking public office. He's pushing a switch to land value rates and cuts to commercial rates. He wants more bike lanes and bus lanes, further reforms to encourage high-density housing development, and an overall focus on growing the city's population.
Diane Calvert
A third-term city councillor, Diane Calvert entered the race after Ray Chung's campaign self-destructed, and immediately became the most credible candidate on the centre-right. She typically takes fiscally conservative stances and is a fan of more extensive community consultation on most council decisions. She has generally opposed bike lanes and the Golden Mile, and supported community projects in her Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward, such as the Khandallah Pool and Karori Event Centre. Her campaign policies so far are based around a 'back-to-basics' approach, with lower council expenditure, more regional collaboration with other councils, and a focus on suburban voices.
Karl Tiefenbacher
The founder of the Kaffe Eis ice cream chain and former banker has run twice unsuccessfully in Pukehīnau/Lambton ward. This year, he's seeking the mayoralty as well as running in Motukairangi/Eastern ward, which should be more receptive to his centre-right views. He's become a regular attendee at council meetings, and his opinion pieces on Scoop show a good grasp of council functions (which in this race is saying a lot). He's campaigning on reduced spending, cutting cycleways, and reforms to encourage faster housing consents and to incentivise the growth of the tech sector.
Unserious candidates (who think they're serious)
Ray Chung
A few months ago, Ray Chung was the highest-polling candidate. Then his campaign blew up with the emergence of tawdry emails he'd written about the mayor, which he repeated in live radio interviews. He handled the backlash ineptly and candidates started fleeing his ticket so fast that Independent Together became Independent Not Together.
He's campaigning on zero rates increases but has not provided any numbers to show how he would do that.
Ray Chung has never been fit for office
Rob Goulden
Goulden was a Wellington City Councillor for four terms from 1998-2010. According to reporting by Stuff in 2009, he was accused of being 'too combative, too aggressive, too intimidating' and was eventually trespassed from the council offices. Then mayor Kerry Prendergast said councillors were concerned by 'his increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings' and '[Some of the] women staff will not meet with him one-to-one.' Then-councillor John Morrison, a former political ally, said he was 'unfit for public office'. Goulden is running on a fiscally conservative platform, but no one is paying much attention to him.
Kelvin Hastie
Came a distant sixth in the 2022 mayoral election and is running again despite doing little to grow his profile in the intervening years. Describes himself as a ' predator-free hero ' and ' community champion '. Has promoted some ambitious but questionable policies, including a six-lane tunnel underneath the CBD, a roof on Sky Stadium, and selling the council's social housing to first home buyers.
Joan Shi
Previously ran in the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward byelection, during which she seemed well-intentioned but didn't have a particularly strong grasp of the issues. Says she wants to fix the pipes, cut rates, and make public transport cheaper.
Donald 'Newt' McDonald
A beloved figure on local Facebook groups and a star guest on Guy Williams' New Zealand Today podcast. McDonald has some big ideas for how to fix the city. Unfortunately, most people struggle to understand what he is trying to say.
Unserious candidates (who know they're unserious)
William Pennywize (Pennywize the Rewilding Clown)
Wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp, repopulate the Golden Mile with moa, and use genetically enhanced tuna as the foundation for a new public transport network.
Josh Harford (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party)
Campaigning on subsidised pizza delivery, publicly accessible cows, a lazy river on Courtenay Place, anti-rain dances to keep the sky sunny, a legally enforced no-hat-no-play policy, and mandatory optimism.
Scott Caldwell
Founder of the Scoot Foundation, which, depending on who you ask, is either a shadowy global cabal of Yimbys whose power and influence rivals the Atlas Network, or a Twitter account that he runs. He's a spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes and is a genuine expert on housing density and infrastructure. There's just one problem: he lives in Auckland, and according to The Spinoff's sources, has only been to Wellington once.
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The Spinoff
7 hours ago
- The Spinoff
Windbag: The clown car of candidates vying to be Wellington's next mayor
Twelve candidates – including at least one actual clown – have put up their hands for the worst job in local politics. As the clock struck noon on Friday, August 1, the candidate nominations closed for the Wellington mayoral race. The capital entered a new era. The transition of power has begun. By October 11 (or October 16 if it's a really close race), the capital will have a new overlord. A new man or woman will seize the chains of power – and with it, the ability to grant the key to the city to any cat they choose. There are 12 candidates in the race, ranging from very serious to not serious at all. This is my rough attempt to sort them into tiers. Serious candidates Andrew Little You know him, you love him (or more realistically, have no particularly strong feelings about him)… It's Andrew Little. The former Labour Party leader and senior cabinet minister under the Ardern government is by far the most credible and experienced candidate in the race. He has left-wing bona fides but a conservative temperament. He's unlikely to propose any game-changing reforms, but he's a steady hand who promises stability. He's announced policies to introduce a weekly cap on bus and train fares, committed to funding community facilities, and proposed some boring-but-sensible rules to make council decisions more transparent. Alex Baker Pitches himself as a Green-aligned candidate with a free-market approach to housing policy and business regulation. A former director of sustainability at Kāinga Ora and a chartered accountant at KPMG, he has solid back-room experience, but this is his first time seeking public office. He's pushing a switch to land value rates and cuts to commercial rates. He wants more bike lanes and bus lanes, further reforms to encourage high-density housing development, and an overall focus on growing the city's population. Diane Calvert A third-term city councillor, Diane Calvert entered the race after Ray Chung's campaign self-destructed, and immediately became the most credible candidate on the centre-right. She typically takes fiscally conservative stances and is a fan of more extensive community consultation on most council decisions. She has generally opposed bike lanes and the Golden Mile, and supported community projects in her Wharangi/Onslow-Western ward, such as the Khandallah Pool and Karori Event Centre. Her campaign policies so far are based around a 'back-to-basics' approach, with lower council expenditure, more regional collaboration with other councils, and a focus on suburban voices. Karl Tiefenbacher The founder of the Kaffe Eis ice cream chain and former banker has run twice unsuccessfully in Pukehīnau/Lambton ward. This year, he's seeking the mayoralty as well as running in Motukairangi/Eastern ward, which should be more receptive to his centre-right views. He's become a regular attendee at council meetings, and his opinion pieces on Scoop show a good grasp of council functions (which in this race is saying a lot). He's campaigning on reduced spending, cutting cycleways, and reforms to encourage faster housing consents and to incentivise the growth of the tech sector. Unserious candidates (who think they're serious) Ray Chung A few months ago, Ray Chung was the highest-polling candidate. Then his campaign blew up with the emergence of tawdry emails he'd written about the mayor, which he repeated in live radio interviews. He handled the backlash ineptly and candidates started fleeing his ticket so fast that Independent Together became Independent Not Together. He's campaigning on zero rates increases but has not provided any numbers to show how he would do that. Ray Chung has never been fit for office Rob Goulden Goulden was a Wellington City Councillor for four terms from 1998-2010. According to reporting by Stuff in 2009, he was accused of being 'too combative, too aggressive, too intimidating' and was eventually trespassed from the council offices. Then mayor Kerry Prendergast said councillors were concerned by 'his increasingly erratic behaviour and his mood swings' and '[Some of the] women staff will not meet with him one-to-one.' Then-councillor John Morrison, a former political ally, said he was 'unfit for public office'. Goulden is running on a fiscally conservative platform, but no one is paying much attention to him. Kelvin Hastie Came a distant sixth in the 2022 mayoral election and is running again despite doing little to grow his profile in the intervening years. Describes himself as a ' predator-free hero ' and ' community champion '. Has promoted some ambitious but questionable policies, including a six-lane tunnel underneath the CBD, a roof on Sky Stadium, and selling the council's social housing to first home buyers. Joan Shi Previously ran in the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward byelection, during which she seemed well-intentioned but didn't have a particularly strong grasp of the issues. Says she wants to fix the pipes, cut rates, and make public transport cheaper. Donald 'Newt' McDonald A beloved figure on local Facebook groups and a star guest on Guy Williams' New Zealand Today podcast. McDonald has some big ideas for how to fix the city. Unfortunately, most people struggle to understand what he is trying to say. Unserious candidates (who know they're unserious) William Pennywize (Pennywize the Rewilding Clown) Wants to turn the Basin Reserve into a swamp, repopulate the Golden Mile with moa, and use genetically enhanced tuna as the foundation for a new public transport network. Josh Harford (Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party) Campaigning on subsidised pizza delivery, publicly accessible cows, a lazy river on Courtenay Place, anti-rain dances to keep the sky sunny, a legally enforced no-hat-no-play policy, and mandatory optimism. Scott Caldwell Founder of the Scoot Foundation, which, depending on who you ask, is either a shadowy global cabal of Yimbys whose power and influence rivals the Atlas Network, or a Twitter account that he runs. He's a spokesperson for the Coalition for More Homes and is a genuine expert on housing density and infrastructure. There's just one problem: he lives in Auckland, and according to The Spinoff's sources, has only been to Wellington once.
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
The pub you have when you don't actually have a pub
Friday night at the Patearoa Bowling Club. PHOTO: JULIE GREIG What has this National government (forget the hangers on) done for the rural communities, who for seven decades have returned them to power more often than not? When it comes to something really important in the countryside the answer is nothing. As country pubs are closing and ripping the heart out of the small settlements they serve, MPs seem utterly unaware of the tragedy facing those who voted for them. The "local" MP for Patearoa, the member for Waitaki, is never seen here but with an electorate spread from near Ashburton to not too far from Queenstown who can blame him. All the same, when there's strife in a small town you would hope for some support from your elected representative. The 138-year-old Patearoa pub closed eight months ago, but we are not alone and could take some consolation from realising there's always someone worse off than yourself. In the UK there's one pub closing every day, 378 last year, and in the last 25 years 68,000 have closed, leaving 45,000 still operating. It's no surprise, then, that from time to time when a pub is reopened there after being bought by the locals the story makes headlines. It happens in this country, too, but not often enough. When the Patearoa pub closed we called a meeting and about 70 people, many who were seen at the pub only occasionally, turned up and the battle to raise funds to buy the pub was on. We lost. There was no-one with a spare hundred thousand to throw into the kitty and the target was beyond us. Gone was the meeting place where jokes were shared, lies were told and village gossip (most of it Trumpian inaccuracies) was spread like Covid. We heard about a scheme the British Conservative government introduced in 2021 when a community ownership fund was established which gave grants of £40,000 or more to swell the fundraising. Sounds a bit like a caring Labour Party policy but Labour in the UK dropped the scheme when it came to power last year. The chances of a New Zealand National-led government intent on destroying anything that smacks of "nice-to-haves" setting up a pub rescue fund seems remote. But in the country, people soon stop moaning and get on with setting things right. For the past three months or so there's been a once-a-week "pub" at the Patearoa Bowling Club. The legalities have been covered, qualified bar manager, open to club members (membership has increased) and signed-in guests, and good food available. Many of us can walk there just like we did to the pub. There's often nibbles supplied by volunteers, the same people who do all the background stuff a publican has to do. Thankfully, there's no music and no television and your drink costs a smidgen less than a real pub charges. It's booming and it's great to see familiar faces, some unseen since the pub closed. The midwinter opening led to the installing of a top-rate wood burner, something never needed during the heat of the bowling season, and there's indoor bowls available. In summer we'll intersperse a few ends on the green with a quiet drink. So far, the club seems to be breaking even. Long may it last. The crowd which turns up includes a few who weren't pub-goers and for newcomers it's the place to become part of the community, just like it was at the pub. It's easy to understand now why locals at places like Macraes and St Bathans refused to let their pub close. Maybe the bowls "pub" could revive the regular (and packed out) events at the old pub like the quizzes, opening of the fishing season awards night and the great Patearoa Bark Up, which saw farm dogs display their vocal skills. But beneath the euphoria of the bowls "pub" success, those of us who are country pub aficionados know that we can never completely capture the true essence of the country pub. Open every day for whoever happens to drop in or be passing by. The hub of activity where you dropped stuff off or picked stuff up. The chance of striking up a conversation with strangers and the comfort of knowing just where old Norm will be if you called in to his house and he wasn't home. There's an election next year and the party which adds a Pub Community Ownership Fund to its platform may well see a surge in support in the rural polling booths. Given this column's title, you may think I'm not being serious about the loss of a pub. Well, I am. To prove it, if the Patearoa pub ever reopens, turn up and I'll shout for you. — Jim Sullivan is a Patearoa writer.
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Rotorua housing boost: 40 sections for growing Redwood Park site
Green said the Nobles had owned the farm since the early 1990s and were now looking to develop the land into higher-end residential sections. Green said Rotorua had become known nationally for its housing shortage, and there was a big emphasis in recent years to grow the housing stock in the social housing sector. However, he said it was good for buyers to know there were more than just social houses being built in the city. The Nobles had gone into a subdivision partnership with the neighbouring farm owner, where the first Redwood Park homes were built over the past few years. Now the Nobles' land has been divided into sections, ready to be sold over three stages. Green said there had already been strong interest in the first 15 sections, particularly from seven potential buyers. 'Some are out-of-towners and want to buy sections to build houses as holiday homes ... We have barely promoted the land and every day we have a lot of interest.' Ben Green at the site where new sections are on the market as part of the Redwood Park development. Photo / Kelly Makiha Green said that showed Rotorua was an attractive destination and they were pleased the development was attracting 'new money' to the city. He said there were home and land package options available from $1.4 million, and the land packages started at $700,000. Green said it was different from some other subdivisions because the Nobles intended to continue living on-site long term. 'Their genuine intent is to create an environment where communities can grow together and thrive. That is their vision and hope.' An aerial view of the new sections at Redwood Park. Green said the showhome used cladding from redwood trees in Taupō that were planted at the same time as the Rotorua redwoods about 100 years ago. He said it was special that potentially local materials could be used on a local project. About 15,000 native trees had also been planted to prevent erosion, help prevent stormwater run off and attract native birds. Green estimated work to start in the spring. Stage two is with the Rotorua Lakes Council, awaiting consent and stage three would then follow. Council district development general manager Jean-Paul Gaston said there had been a drop in new housing consent applications in Rotorua following what he described as the highest level of completion of new homes for 15 years. He said the drop was from a reduction in the Kāinga Ora build programme since the Government's renewed focus on its spending. He said the council expected activity to increase again, although to a more limited peak than recently, through Community Housing Provider and iwi housing developments, supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. He said the ongoing progression of housing development at Eastside and fast-tracking for Sommerset's retirement village on Fairy Springs Rd would also support additional homes during the next few years. He said the council was supporting another 28 developments that each had more than 10 dwellings, including 14 Māori housing developments. 'We look forward to seeing the progression of all planned developments to contribute towards our goal to address the housing shortage in Rotorua.' Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
