In the wake of this week’s announcements of Andrew Little’s candidacy for the Wellington Mayoralty and Mayor Tory Whanau’s subsequent withdrawal in his favour, there has been a general assumption that the Mayoralty is now Little’s for the taking, notwithstanding that there are other declared candidates in the race and still over five months until the election.
Nominations for election do not open until the start of July, with the final dates for candidates to declare themselves being August 1. There is still plenty of time therefore for other candidates to emerge or for the electoral scene to change to challenge the emerging sense that the Mayoral election will really be Little’s coronation.
Much of the early support for Little has been because he was seen as the best prospect to topple Whanau. Many moderate and centre-right voters were prepared to hold their noses and to support him on this basis. However, it is an open question whether they will continue to do so now that Whanau has withdrawn, or whether they will revert to form and look for a candidate more in tune with their outlook. If that is the case, the broad coalition predicted to build around Little could be over before it started.
There has been much talk that Little’s ability to work across party lines is just what the dysfunctional and divided Wellington City Council needs right now. But that capacity may be over-stated. Early in the term of the previous Labour/New Zealand First government there was a row over Labour’s intention to scrap the Three Strikes law ACT had promoted during the term of the National-led government.
As Minister of Justice, Little publicly announced Labour’s plans without first consulting New Zealand First (which supported Three Strikes), on the grounds that repealing the Three Strikes law was Labour policy and therefore no consultation was required. It was not a good indication that he could work collaboratively across party lines to achieve an agreed policy outcome.
Little has also been described as a safe pair of hands, just the sort of leader Wellington now needs to address its major problems, responsibly and credibly. But it is worth remembering that in Labour’s second term, Little, as Minister of Health, was the author of the 2021 health reforms which abolished district health boards in favour of a central agency, Te Whatu Ora (since renamed Health New Zealand) and Te Aka Whai Ora, the standalone Māori Health Authority which the National-led coalition abolished on returning to office.
However, so far, his reforms have not improved the delivery of public health services. Since 2021, the public health service has been bedevilled by ongoing uncertainty about its form and structure; significant staffing shortages across health care professions with no clear plan for filling those gaps, and a continuation of chronic funding shortages.
These examples do not detract from Little’s credibility as a Mayoral candidate, but they do provide a more balanced perspective of his capabilities, in contrast to some of the more inflated claims others are making in support of his Mayoral bid.
As a seasoned politician, Little will understand full well that while his political record will attract scrutiny during the forthcoming Mayoral campaign, his election will depend more on the policy programme he puts forward, and whether that resonates with Wellington voters. He will know that the election is about voters making their choice, not giving him their anointment.
After the dramas of recent years, Wellingtonians want a Mayor and Council that will stick to their knitting and ensure that basic services are efficiently and properly provided. They want rates to be kept as low as possible; an end to social engineering projects like social housing, and vanity projects like cycleways and upgrading the Golden Mile.
Voters will be assessing all candidates on their willingness to make these things happen for the city. Their reputations and experience will be relevant to their capacity to do so.
Although at this stage, Little looks well-placed in this regard, his election should not be accepted as a foregone conclusion. His plans for the city still need to be outlined, then tested, defended and scrutinised alongside those of other candidates during the campaign. Only then will it become clear whether he is the best choice to lead Wellington.
Right now, the last thing Little wants is to enter the campaign looking like a Mayor but ending up a private citizen. It is a message some of his more enthusiastic media and other backers should take on board.
Peter Dunne, a retired Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, who represented Labour and United Future for over 30 years, blogs here: honpfd.blogspot.com - Where this article was sourced.
Much of the early support for Little has been because he was seen as the best prospect to topple Whanau. Many moderate and centre-right voters were prepared to hold their noses and to support him on this basis. However, it is an open question whether they will continue to do so now that Whanau has withdrawn, or whether they will revert to form and look for a candidate more in tune with their outlook. If that is the case, the broad coalition predicted to build around Little could be over before it started.
There has been much talk that Little’s ability to work across party lines is just what the dysfunctional and divided Wellington City Council needs right now. But that capacity may be over-stated. Early in the term of the previous Labour/New Zealand First government there was a row over Labour’s intention to scrap the Three Strikes law ACT had promoted during the term of the National-led government.
As Minister of Justice, Little publicly announced Labour’s plans without first consulting New Zealand First (which supported Three Strikes), on the grounds that repealing the Three Strikes law was Labour policy and therefore no consultation was required. It was not a good indication that he could work collaboratively across party lines to achieve an agreed policy outcome.
Little has also been described as a safe pair of hands, just the sort of leader Wellington now needs to address its major problems, responsibly and credibly. But it is worth remembering that in Labour’s second term, Little, as Minister of Health, was the author of the 2021 health reforms which abolished district health boards in favour of a central agency, Te Whatu Ora (since renamed Health New Zealand) and Te Aka Whai Ora, the standalone Māori Health Authority which the National-led coalition abolished on returning to office.
However, so far, his reforms have not improved the delivery of public health services. Since 2021, the public health service has been bedevilled by ongoing uncertainty about its form and structure; significant staffing shortages across health care professions with no clear plan for filling those gaps, and a continuation of chronic funding shortages.
These examples do not detract from Little’s credibility as a Mayoral candidate, but they do provide a more balanced perspective of his capabilities, in contrast to some of the more inflated claims others are making in support of his Mayoral bid.
As a seasoned politician, Little will understand full well that while his political record will attract scrutiny during the forthcoming Mayoral campaign, his election will depend more on the policy programme he puts forward, and whether that resonates with Wellington voters. He will know that the election is about voters making their choice, not giving him their anointment.
After the dramas of recent years, Wellingtonians want a Mayor and Council that will stick to their knitting and ensure that basic services are efficiently and properly provided. They want rates to be kept as low as possible; an end to social engineering projects like social housing, and vanity projects like cycleways and upgrading the Golden Mile.
Voters will be assessing all candidates on their willingness to make these things happen for the city. Their reputations and experience will be relevant to their capacity to do so.
Although at this stage, Little looks well-placed in this regard, his election should not be accepted as a foregone conclusion. His plans for the city still need to be outlined, then tested, defended and scrutinised alongside those of other candidates during the campaign. Only then will it become clear whether he is the best choice to lead Wellington.
Right now, the last thing Little wants is to enter the campaign looking like a Mayor but ending up a private citizen. It is a message some of his more enthusiastic media and other backers should take on board.
Peter Dunne, a retired Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister, who represented Labour and United Future for over 30 years, blogs here: honpfd.blogspot.com - Where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
Andrew “I’m Still Here” Little, former Labour leader, eternal ministerial reshuffle survivor, and — lest we forget — the man who could not win a parliamentary seat, he had to give it up entirely, has done a u-turn. Undeterred by this minor technicality — i.e. losing elections — Little now has his eyes on Wellington’s mayoral chain. Because why not? If you can’t win a seat in Parliament or manage your health portfolio without the health system politely collapsing, you might as well run a capital city.
Let’s take a brief tour of what’s not in his LinkedIn profile, shall we?
As Minister of Health, Little presided over the great health restructuring — Te Whatu Ora, or as it’s known in most DHBs, Te What a Mess. Staff were demoralised, nurses on strike, and hospital buildings falling apart faster than Labour’s polling numbers. But it’s okay — Andrew reassured us with his trademark charisma vacuum and bureaucratic serenity.
“The system is under strain,” he intoned. No kidding, Andrew.
And who could forget the MIQ debacle, in which New Zealanders stranded overseas were told to spin the roulette wheel of the online booking system while non-residents glided through the cracks like ghosts. But Andrew stood firm. “The system is fair,” he said, like a man who has never met fairness.
Now, Wellington awaits. A city already sinking — literally and figuratively — under its own weight: water mains bursting like overripe fruit, civic confidence circling the drain, and a public transport system that might arrive if you chant three times and sacrifice a goat. What Wellington needs is someone competent, visionary, electable.
Instead, we get Andrew Little.
Wellington: vote wisely. Or at least, vote for someone who’s actually won something since 2008.
Tory Whanau's endorsement of Andrew Little worries me. Left wing/Green luvvies scratching each other's backs. Why do we need another Labourite (and by definition, Green supporter) when the current opposition put us into a mess? Mind you, given comments on this site about National I have to wonder whether councils should be as apolitical as possible, but a fond hope unlikely to be realised.
quote 'Little has also been described as a safe pair of hands, just the sort of leader Wellington now needs'
South Island Miners might not consider him a 'safe pair of hands'.
Wellington will get.........
INHO, Little showed how treacherous he was with his weasel words when he declared in Parliament that Maori "settled " in the Chathams in 1835 and then handed the Chathams $18M of taxpayers money as compensation for the genocide by Maori of the peaceful Moriori people.
Note that this was in 1835, at that time, there was no NZ government, and yet we paid this compensation, not Maori.
Trust Little? You have to be kidding !!!
It is a pity that " someone" does not review Mr. Littles time as a Union Rep and display that history as well.
We should also remind ourselves, that He was " promoted " to Leader of The Labour Party leading into then forthcoming General Election, only to find the Academic Socialist element decided that Jacinda Ardern would be a " better person ", one who could be manipulated ' by the unseen hands ' of the Party, which included both Helen Clark & Her former Chief of Staff.
That speak volumes about his ability to Lead, as perceived by others.
Yeah quite a few pull out of elections when they know they are going to get beaten.
$18 m of taxpayer dollars handed by Mr Little to descendants of the invading tribes, Tama and Mutunga, along with an ‘apology’ by Ms Ardern? The murder and enslavement of the peaceful Moriori was a most shameful episode; any compensation was/is due to remaining Moriori from the Maori descendants. An aside, the British govt outlawed slavery the year before the invasion - ironic in a way.
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