[GPSCC-chat] [Fwd: [G-C-F] Wellington's new mayor a party pioneer]

[Tian Harter]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [G-C-F] Wellington's new mayor a party pioneer
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:54:39 -0800
From: Hank Chapot <hchapot at igc.org>
To: gpca forum <cal-forum at cagreens.org>

Wellington's new mayor a party pioneer

BY KATIE CHAPMAN - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 14/10/2010

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/4230364/Wellingtons-new-mayor-a-party-pioneer

FLOWER POWER: Celia Wade-Brown celebrates winning the Wellington mayoral 
race with her husband, Alastair Nicholson. A member of the Greens for 
more than 15 years, Ms Wade-Brown stood as an independent.


Wellington goes green and cuddly
Politics
Celia Wade-Brown has become New Zealand's first Green mayor – a moment 
being described as a "watershed" by the party leader.

Green Party members flocked to congratulate Ms Wade-Brown when her 
narrow victory over incumbent Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast was 
announced yesterday, with co-leader Russel Norman, former leader 
Jeanette Fitzsimons and MP Sue Kedgley among them.

Although Ms Wade-Brown stood as an independent, she has been a member of 
the Greens for more than 15 years, and becomes the first party member 
elected to a mayoral office.

Dame Sukhinder "Sukhi" Turner, mayor of Dunedin from 1994 to 2005, was 
affiliated with the Greens, but was not a member.

Dr Norman said getting a member into the capital city's top job was a coup.

"It's a bit of a watershed for the party. Having a Green mayor in the 
capital city is a bit of a breakthrough for the city."

Getting Greens into local government was a strategy of the party, 
because so many important decisions were made at local and regional 
level, he said.

The party would be talking to Ms Wade-Brown, but would not be trying to 
overtly influence her mayoralty, he said.

"The Greens obviously don't operate a rigid party discipline. We'll talk 
to Celia, but I'm sure Celia will talk with all other political leaders 
as well."

Asked if she was answerable to the Green Party hierarchy, Ms Wade-Brown 
said she served Wellington first.

"I stood as an independent candidate. I firmly support the principles of 
looking after our ecology, appropriate decision-making and a just 
society. I'm answerable to the people of Wellington."

Dr Norman said Ms Wade-Brown's win, with Len Brown for the Auckland 
super-city mayoralty, showed the public wanted to move toward more 
sustainable policies, particularly around transport.

"The idea that you can just keep on relentlessly building motorways just 
doesn't convince people."

When asked about suggestions that – had she lost – Ms Wade-Brown would 
have stood in a general election, high on the Green Party list, he said 
he had not heard that rumour, but it would have been on the cards.








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