‘Nothing fazes me now,’ mayor says
| Published date | 26 April 2024 |
| Publication title | New Zealand Herald, The (Auckland, New Zealand) |
It sparked a fierce debate over whether the plan was visionary or corporate welfare.
It was the latest blow for Whanau, who spent significant political capital championing the deal, but she told the Herald she did not regret it.
“I certainly hope to be mayor for more than one term and I’m going to have a number of failures under my mayoralty, and that’s because you have to fail fast, or give something a go, to try to make something work.”
Whanau said she was frequently being asked whether she still hoped to serve three terms as mayor.
“Because people have seen, especially last year, just how relentless and brutal this role can be. This job is not easy and it’s probably been the most unpleasant role I’ve ever had, but it’s been the most meaningful role I’ve ever had.”
If she didn’t do the job, she worried about who else would and the possibility they would take the city in the wrong direction, Whanau said.
There was no question she would be running for the mayoralty in next year’s local body elections, she said.
“I’ve been through the worst in my mayoralty and that was last year, so nothing fazes me now.”
In 2023, Whanau went from embracing the identity of Wellington’s “party mayor” to emerging as a more humble and apologetic person promising to change her ways after admitting to having a drinking problem.
She was also bogged down in code of conduct complaints, allegations of serial leaking, and claims of dysfunction.
On being called the ‘loony Green mayor’
Whanau has rejoined the Green Party after previously deciding not to renew her membership to work more productively with councillors.
This has fuelled speculation she intends to get on the party list to become an MP in the next general election.
Whanau said this was not true.
“I chose not to renew my membership because I’d spoken to some councillors who found party-aligned [elected members] untrustworthy.
“I thought I’d put it on pause to prove I could be a team player.
“That brought a couple of people on board, not everyone, and I’ve managed to work on those relationships.”
She pointed to independent councillors Tim Brown and John Apanowicz as examples of colleagues with whom she has built good relationships and rates highly.
“But it’s been a year now, and people still refer to me as ‘that Green mayor’. I have another councillor who calls me the...
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