I’m not and never been a member of a union. Mostly due to my work being fairly niche in nature.

I believe in the mission of unions to support and protect their people.

I have worked with unions previously and was part of a working group looking to through the challenges of introducing new vehicles, technology and processes. Then, like now, I might be considered to be in the position of representing ‘the business’ however this experience instead cementing the need for all parties to feel represented and respected.

Yes and yes. These are policies that the Wellington City Council has already committed to and I have no expectation of changing.

Perhaps. I believe in paying people equitably and believe the living wage represents this. I however like to take the time to ensure that I have a full understanding of the financial, legal and ethical impacts of advocacy. I commit to looking deeper into the living wage if elected.

Yes. I strongly believe in partnerships.

It seems that every time you turn on the TV the international situation is dire and escalating. We live in troubling times.

I am greatly concerned by the horrific situation in Gaza (not to mention Ukraine) and feel like there is a significant disconnect between the moral and ethical reality and the international response.

While I hold these views privately and will take them and live them in council I am however aware there is a separation between private views and public office and professional employment and I would need to be confident I was representing Wellingtonians.

The council has been reliant on the now cancelled Three Waters to fix generations of underinvestment in our water infrastructure. This isn’t a simple, easy or quick fix.

As I see it, there are two parts to this issue. Funding and delivering a cost effective solution.

Firstly, funding will need to be found without blowing the budget. There are a number of vanity projects being prioritised over core services currently which need to be reduced or eliminated. I believe cycle lanes are poorly and expensively executed and the 100km still to be delivered will never be delivered so funding for this should be immediately reclaimed. Funding aligned with LGWM needs to be reallocated.

Cost effective delivery. There isn’t much point in simply continuing to increase funding for fixing leaks if the number of leaks continues to increase proportionately due to aging and run down pipes.

I believe there are efficiencies to be found by aligning the various services to ensure if your roads are being torn up then, where practical, all services needing fixing get it.

I expect to consult with real people and communities as part of my approach. And I expect to actually listen to the input. We need to actively promote, and listening to the groups we actually have.

I’m not sure about additional groups which may actually make taking action more challenging, costly and slow.

I also do not necessarily believe in voting on matters which require nuanced and informed judgements by your elected officials.

I expect to consult with real people and communities as part of my approach. And I expect to actually listen to the input. We need to actively promote, and listening to the groups we actually have.

I’m not sure about additional groups which may actually make taking action more challenging, costly and slow.

I also do not necessarily believe in voting on matters which require nuanced and informed judgements by your elected officials.

Companies rarely have deeper driver than profit. Ethical commerce is a rare beast.

In most cases promises made during the transfer have rarely stacked up to the reality of running the asset.

Wellington Airport is a significant asset for Wellington city that confers benefit for both parties. In addition, the profit from Wellington Shares significantly offsets your rates.

I do believe there needs to be a focus on the councils assets base to ensure ownership is necessary for the effective running of our city. Like perhaps the Council building.

Stopping vanity projects

Reducing the focus on poorly executed or unnecessary cycle lanes.

Making evidence based decisions and prioritising the right work in the Long Term Planning

Seeking appropriate partnerships with National Government

Seeking to reduce the significant costs of managing current debts

A range of small tweaks and adjustments

User pays (where this does not impact unfairly)

Encouraging revenue growth through simplifying services (Consents), unlocking potential in asset base (1000

derelict and unoccupied buildings + 1000 Earthquake prone buildings)

Wellington for ALL Wellingtonians.

(Cliché I know but) I have many LBGTQ friends. I have an outsiders understanding of the challenges but am very keen to promote a narrative of diversity (of all kinds) as a strength of our communities.

I would be keen to understand the issue and any proposed solutions further from representatives of the community

Te Tiriti is a founding document of Aotearoa. It is a moral and legal requirement to include real considerations of equity and inclusion in the councils approach.

I have been part of developing, supporting and championing Te Tiriti, cultural awareness and its real world application and would like to see it lived to a high standard.

Wellington is in the midst of a water crisis.

Water meters aren’t a silver bullet but may be a necessary evil to help reduce water waste and provide funding for essential infrastructure when budgets are tight as part of a number of interventions.

The alternative may be a block rise in rates which is a blunt instrument which doesn’t target funding or incentivize people who don’t waste water.

The Wellington Water expert report provided some good insights on some options but, I’d wouldn’t be living up to my promises if I wasn’t open to new information if it was available.

No. Water meters are massively unpopular.

If we could who would vote for taxes? But they’re necessary for a raft of things we take for granted to live our lives.

I would expect the council to look at the best evidence provided by experts and make judgements on what is best for Wellington, even if it’s hard and unpopular.

Having been on both sides of the staff/contractor argument there are so many factors to consider.

I’m generally a believer in a staff solution where possible but there may be efficiencies with a dedicated provider.

Without full access to the information, the pros and cons of either, I would be doing a disservice to answer off the cuff.

I have confidence in the process established for selecting Te Toi Mahana trustees and don’t see a huge need to relitigate them with the other more pressing matters in front of council.

I have full faith in the board of Te Toi Mahana to do their challenging job diligently.

I would expect the board to govern Te Toi Mahana and set expectations and aspirations for the trust as is their role.

The selection of tenants should be left to the people entrusted with that role who have much better information and processes for doing that.

I can’t say I know much about Dr Hickey’s appointment, but she appears to bring great experience and strength of character into her role.

Social housing is a hugely important service provided by Te Toi Mahana and WCC.

There are very challenging tradeoffs involved when deciding social investment.

Housing is a very important but only one dimension is a complicated equation that must be considered to help our people live their best lives.

The rundown on public infrastructure in the early 2000/10s is coming back to bite us.

Water infrastructure is the most obvious and pressing of these issues but ask again in six months, a year and something else will have broken and needing fixing.

Sadly, this has largely been short term political thinking, passing the buck. Previous administrations have avoided unpopular rates raises which have left Wellington with crumbling infrastructure AND no money to fix it.

I do not feel unsafe as a pedestrian crossing the road. In specific cases where there is high risk or accidents this absolutely needs to be addressed.

I’m a big walking commuter but the reality is many people are not. In many cases there are good, justifiable reasons for this; ability, time, need. I do not support trying to change behaviours through blunt solutions. It doesn’t work.

I think we need to ACTUALLY get Wellington moving.

This is a city of commuters. Roads and cars are essential to enabling people to access the centre city, businesses need to function.

Do commuters ever get to 50KM in the central city!?

I see no need to relitigate this issue with the other more pressing matters in front of the council.

There were a number of evidenced based studies that supported the decision to lower central city speed limits to reduce harm in high density shared areas. If elected I would of course look at whether the theory matched the reality.

Having a bus tunnel DOES reduce congestion – there are no buses clogging it up!

The bus tunnel without significant, costly upgrades simply isn’t a suitable alternative.

I believe there is more benefit in exploring the proposals for alleviating these traffic issues in the long term plan which is soon to be considered. Let’s fix it properly.

Absolutely. There are many underlying causes of the empty commercial properties which the council must seek to resolve.

There are some compliance issues which make it hard to operate in the city –earthquake strengthening being a huge factor.

And the world is changing. The council must seek to futureproof Wellington so the city can thrive.

I think this is a double edged sword.

We already have several forms of congestion charge – High parking fees for the tiny number of parks and let’s not discount the annoyance of driving in Wellington!

I would like to see Wellingtons roads flow more smoothly I don’t however think this is the solution.

The decision to make this road bus only is based on practical decision making – during rush hour, when this might be of any use, there isn’t the width for cars to pass the many buses so I cannot see any benefit.

If restrictions stopped drivers getting directed through there on google maps by mistake then maybe. There are many streets around Wellington unsuitable for heavy vehicle throughfare.

I suspect anyone driving a heavy vehicle on our narrow winding streets regrets it already and I don’t think too many drivers are screaming up Devon street at 50kms, especially in a heavy vehicle.

As a rule of thumb it makes sense to ensure people remain connected to their whanau and support networks however I wouldn’t want to micromanage the processes of Te Toi Mahana in selecting their residents.

Wellingtons long term plan is being decided this term which sets priorities for the next ten years. These are hugely important decisions that set the priorities for our city.

I’d hate to see them be made based on short-term thinking or politics. I want to be part of making good, evidence-based decisions that focus on delivering our core services for Wellingtonians while keeping costs down. Not flashy political boondoggles.

Dogged persistence. Transparency in decision making and listening to what Wellingtonians want and try to get the best outcomes for everyone.

I expect to make decisions based on the best information on what is good for our city. Not on who shouts the loudest.

I want roads to work for everyone. As I see I, they don’t currently work that well for anyone. Effective road management for all road users is key to reducing congestion.

I applaud the effort to reduce congestion, risk and climate impact however human behavior is a fickle beast and I do not believe the current approach to cycle lanes is achieving its desired effect for cyclists, drivers or the climate.

Yes. Fluoridation has massive measurable health benefits with minimal proven risk.

The direct cost of fluoridation and any perception of risk is massively offset by health benefits and savings later, especially for disadvantaged groups.

Simple question but there is a lot to it. Is ‘more land’ the only answer? Is it available in ‘appropriate places’? If this was a simple easy fix it wouldn’t be a worldwide issue.

The council has a duty to ensure that land is able to be effectively utilized.

We must unlock the potential of currently underutilised land and buildings. How many

private and commercial properties lie empty? How many buildings are red stickered for earthquake strengthening?

How can we reduce the unnecessary restrictions and compliance stands in the way of fixing this? How can we make this easy and stop moving the goalposts?

I think this is a great initiative.

I suspect however this doesn’t provide the impact for people or the environment that make this the best bang for buck for the council.

I do wonder however about more community based solutions like more support or visibility for the amazing community gardens that are dotted about our city.

Climate change is real and will have a huge impact on our lives and our children’s lives.

There is no putting our heads in the sand. Whether you are motivated by ideology or the economic impact of it, a changing climate is an unprecedented risk.

While my campaign hasn’t focused heavily on green issues, efficient, practical solutions are by nature green – they get the job done, with minimal waste and deliver real impact.

I would look to leverage innovation to reduce negative impact of our significant infrastructure needs and strike a balance between cost and people. Now and in the future.

People are complicated. I consider this a people issue, not a car issue.

People drive because they need to. The alternatives; walking, bus, trains, bikes, or not commuting at all are great… in SOME contexts for SOME people.

It feels like our current solution is to raise the pain of people using cars while not really providing viable alternatives. It doesn’t really work and it alienates people just trying to get on with their lives.

I would prefer to look for better solutions for people through a more comprehensive understanding of why cars are necessary – what are the incentives and motivations?

I think the council need to be highly selective about the work and the proportion of funding allocated to that work.

We must of course focus significant funding towards critical issues however, I do think there are also lower cost initiatives that contribute significantly towards important outcomes for Wellingtonians that make living in Wellington vibrant and enjoyable that cannot be neglected.

The council has many responsibilities to balance.

I’ve spent the last 15 plus years in adult education and training and it still gets me out of bed.

I love helping to empower people through building their skills, knowledge and confidence.

I love the challenge of trying to make the complicated, simple. I love getting to problem solve, be creative and innovate to make a real difference.

I count myself fortunate to be amongst a group of people who are so passionate about Wellington they’re prepared to put themselves forward for public office.

The job comes with a lot of pressure and scrutiny, both publicly and personally. No one loves a politician.

But like me, these people care enough to go through it because they want to make a difference.

It’s tough to know as an outsider looking in. In every organisation I have worked for the reality has been very different from the perception.

Before leaping to solutions, I expect to observe, discuss and listen to what the issues are and what they’re already doing to address them.

Culture and behaviour are really challenging things to change. I want to try to create a safe environment where you can be yourself, where we listen to people’s ideas AND problems, where we support people to be their best, where we set people up for success.

There is no single solution. Both local and national governments must try to work together harmoniously as their duty of care to their people. Neither has a bottomless bucket of money.

Having worked for much of my career in central government including building partnerships with local entities to provide local solutions to local issues I can attest to the challenges and opportunities that exist. Both locally and nationally we must seek to maximise the impact of the work we do and where we focus our funding. As well as being mindful about any unintended consequences of those changes so no one is left behind.

I remain unconvinced about the current justification and approach to cycleways.

In many cases cycleways are necessary to reduce risk to cyclists or open up areas to cycle commuting However, I think the current solution is over engineered, expensive and satisfies neither cyclists or other road users. I also do not believe they have lived up to the promise of transforming polluting car drivers into green bike riders.

I suspect the central funding that is required to support this effort is unlikely to continue and that the lack of the blank check, which has driven much of this enthusiasm in construction, might actually lead to some tough but valuable decisions about where cycle lanes are necessary and how they are constructed.

Without greater time and access to the specific information underpinning these decisions I think committing to a specific course of action is immature.

This is a huge decision affecting Wellingtonians and shouldn’t be made by an outsider looking in without the benefit of expert advice and data.

Having navigated this very issue with our body corporate, stating a position and therefore being unable or unwilling to negotiate or compromise is risky.

Again I will wait until I have the full access to the evidence and advice that these decisions were made on.

I think there are some innovative and sensible initiatives as part of the golden mile project however it has become impossibly politicised in the same way as the rest of Let’s Get Wellington Moving.

What I would like focus on is the DELIVERY of some less controversial elements of the plan to actually produce some real benefit to the people of Wellington so we can build momentum.

My motivation for running for council is to make sure Wellington is a great city for my kids to grow up in. I’m not on an ego trip or have some political axe to grind. I won’t fritter your money away on crap. I want a great Wellington for ALL Wellingtonians.

I will look at the evidence. I will listen to the experts. And then I will make judgements based on what I BELIEVE will give best bang for your bucks.