Wellington 2023? Here are two recent stories about what the Mayor wants to achieve
From the NZ Herald
The Front Page: Tory Whanau on changing Wellington council and authenticity in politics
In October 2022, the political left was dealt a major blow when many of the nation’s local councils swung to the right, in a combination of anti-incumbency and anti-government feeling, as well as a general demand for change.
Yet in our capital, that swing went the other way, as former Green Party political staffer Tory Whanau won the Wellington mayoralty, ousting Andy Foster and defeating sitting Labour MP Paul Eagle in the process.
Speaking to The Front Page as the political standout of 2022, Whanau said that the fact Wellington is quite progressive and left-leaning helped her campaign.
“I was also the representative for change. People wanted me to do things differently to what the last couple had done. I was that person promising bold change.
Listen to this 20 minute interview produced by The NZ Herald
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From the Newsroom website
Tory Whanau: I want Wellingtonians to be proud of their city again
Opinion: I went all out with my vision for a prosperous, sustainable future for Wellington during this year’s local body election campaign. It resonated with a lot of people and it delivered me an election victory with a huge majority – much larger than I anticipated.
I have used it as inspiration as Mayor of Wellington to stick to my ideals and not doubt myself. The size of the majority has also reinforced to me that I need to listen to the community – the very people who voted me into office.
You can’t, obviously, please all of the people all of the time but I am committed to being up front about issues the city will face. I want Wellingtonians to be proud of their city again and already I can feel that sense of pride is gaining momentum. It’s such a beautiful feeling.
