Now that the nominations for the October elections have been received, it’s time to consider the issues, and whether candidates are identifying themselves with any of the topics which are concerning the voters.
Wellington is at a crossroads, with important decisions looming about the future of the city, says Wellington city councillor and mayoral candidate Bryan Pepperell.
He lists Wellington’s pressing problems as council debt, energy and transport provision, and protecting the city’s natural and built heritage.
We visited Councillor Pepperell at his home and asked him about his policies, his aspirations and his opinion of his fellow mayoral candidates.
Meeting places speak volumes. A fair trade clothing sale at Zeal is where mayoral candidate Celia Wade-Brown is scheduled to be on a Monday afternoon, and so that is where we meet her, to hear her plans for a greener and more sustainable Wellington.
Councillor Andy Foster has all but ruled out running for mayor in the upcoming local body elections.
But as a long-term Wellington city councillor, he said he would consider running for mayor in the future and it was a job he could do well.
And he did have a clear opinion on how this year’s candidates were shaping up: “I think it’s going to be a race between Kerry and Celia and we’ll see how it goes.
Although well acquainted with the business world, Jack Yan is a new face in Wellington politics.
At 37, Mr Yan is the youngest mayoral candidate this year. He was born in Hong Kong before moving to Newtown at the age of 3, speaks four languages and has traveled widely.
With a background in the fashion and environmental industries, he definitely intends to shake things up if elected after his first mayoral campaign.
