Local Body Elections in Wellington - My Picks

Why should a socialist be interested in the local body elections? After all, whoever gets in will be helping to run capitalism. Well, socialists live in the real world and the working class faces everyday issues such as basic services like water and housing. One group in Wellington fighting to keep public services is the Wellington Residents' Coalition.

My picks are based on:

1. Answers to the Residents' Coalition questions;
2. Candidates' opinions on the end of capitalism;
3. Personal commitment to a candidate;
4. Trade union affiliation; and
5. Past performance.

One thing about the answers given by some candidates is that they weren't unequivocal. Equivocation is an enemy of working people. Here I would like to praise Kerry Prendergast and Robert Armstrong, who although directly opposed to what the Residents' Coalition stands for, gave unequivocal answers.

Mayor

As far as the Residents' Coalition questions and answers go Bryan Pepperell, Helene Ritchie, Nick Kelly and Jack Ruben rate equally. Both Nick, who is a fellow Workers' Party member and who has campaigned well on workers' issues, and Bryan realise that capitalism will come to an end. Bryan once stated that "People will end up working for nothing.", realising that the wages system (capitalism) will come to an end. I told Bryan that I would vote for him before I knew that the Workers' Party was standing a candidate.

So what about Helene and Jack? Both have had a fine voting record on the Council as far as Residents' Coalition issues go but Jack blotted his copybook during the last Annual Plan by voting for increased library and swimming pool charges. Thus Helene has a slight margin over him in this rating. Carl Gifford dipped out on the Marine Education Centre question but is with the Coalition on water, rates, housing and the Waterfront. Rob Goulden is with the Coalition on rates and housing but favours a uniform annual charge for water. Paul Bailey gave some quite good answers but was not unequivocal in them. Neither Nick Wang nor Ray Ahipene-Mercer replied to the questionnaire but I do not that Nick Wang believes in the right to protest. Ray was
supportive of the Coalition in the past, especially on water but unfortunately voted in 2003 for the formation of a company to manage the City's water network.

My mayoral picks are thus :

1 Bryan Pepperell, 2 Nick Kelly, 3 Helene Ritchie, 4 Jack Ruben, 5 Carl Gifford,
6 Rob Goulden, 7 Paul Bailey, 8 Nick Wang, 9 Ray Ahipene-Mercer

Southern Ward:

1 Bryan Pepperell, 2 John Robinson, 3 Lorraine Edwards, 4 Rex Nairn, 5 Celia Wade-Brown, 6 Ida Faiumu-Isa'ako, 7 Shelagh Noble, 8 Bernie Harris.

Eastern Ward:

Only Ian Macfarlane was with the Residents' Coalition on all issues. Josie Bullock is with the Coalition on water and rates whereas Rob Goulden is with the Coalition on rates and housing. I have judged Leonie Gill on her past record as someone who has voted against shifting the rating burden onto residents.

1 Ian Macfarlane, 2 Josie Bullock, 3 Rob Goulden, 4 Leonie Gill, 5 Paul Bailey,
6 Ray Ahipene-Mercer, 7 Ruth Gotlieb.

Lambton Ward:

Stephanie Cook as for a long time supported the Coalition. In the ten years of the Coalition's existence, the only times that I know of that she has departed on where the Coalition would stand are when she voted to cut back the number of public playgrounds and when she voted for the 125 lease of the Overseas Passenger Terminal. Ed van Son is also with the Coalition on all questions asked. Iona Pannett is with the Coalition on water and housing, and has pledged to try to do something about poverty whereas as Callum Strong is with the Coalition on rates and housing but is not unequivocally opposed to user charges for water.

1 Stephanie Cook, 2 Ed van Son, 3 Iona Pannett, 4 Callum Strong.

Western-Onslow Ward:

Only Jack Ruben and Pauline Scott bothered to reply. Pauline is not in favour of income-related rents for Council flats but is with the Coalition on the other issues.

1 Jack Ruben, 2 Pauline Scott

Northern Ward:

Helene Ritchie is the only one with the Coalition all the way. Jim Candiliotis is with the Coalition on rates and rents, but supports a uniform annual charge on water and some more buildings on the Waterfront. Roger Ellis and Jonathan Fletcher are both against user charges but again, they equivocate on rates and housing. This is a difficult one.

1 Helene Ritchie, 2 Jim Candiliotis, 3 Roger Ellis, 4 Jonathan Fletcher.

Greater Wellington Regional Council:

All of the people listed below are against user charges for water as are Michael Fleming, Ian Hamlin and Michael Gibson. It is a shame the the Regional Council did not decide to use STV because I would like to give these three consolation prizes.

Michael Appleby, Paul Bruce and Yvonne Legarth oppose local body amalgamation. Other candidates either supported it or were vague in their opposition. I have therefore decided to support Judith Aitken and Hugh Barr for the past performance in general but particularly on the issue of water.

APPLEBY, Michael
BRUCE, Paul
LEGARTH, Yvonne
BARR, Hugh
AITKEN, Judith


Capital and Coast District Health Board:

The first ten in the list below all answered "No" to the privatisation questions so I then rated them on their answers to how they would foster public participation in the planning and delivery of health services. Michael Appleby has given good direct answers to all questions asked.

1 Michael Appleby, 2 Jim Delahunty, 3 Peter Roberts, 4 Adrian Webster, 5 Margaret Faulkner, 6 Gordon Strachan, 7 Trisha Inglis, 8 Felicity McLennan, 9 Sandra Patton, 10 Helene Ritchie, 11 Donald Urquhart-Hay, 12 Judith Aitken, 13 Petra van den Munckoff, 14 Virginia Hope, 15 Colyton Shaw, 16 Ruth Gotlieb.