An article on the Scoop website reminded us that more than one election campaign is under way in one chunk of Porirua. A by-election is being fought in the Onepoto General Ward.
The Scoop article drew attention to Sāmoan educator and community services leader Lealamanu’a Aiga Caroline Mareko, who is running in the by-election.
She explains what she is doing to encourage greater voting participation to give Pacific communities and Porirua East residents a stronger voice when the Porirua City Council decides how to spend money and plans for the city’s future.
Mareko is one of five candidates contesting the ward seat, which was left vacant following the death of councillor Mike Duncan.
The other candidates are Jo Dow, Zac Painting, Siobhan Samuel and Jess Te Huia.
Voting closes at noon tomorrow (16/10/26).
The Scoop article jogged our memories, too, about a Point of Order post last month which included some thoughts from West Australia-based Dr Andy Asquith, an academic with expertise in local government, on the Porirua byelection.
The Post had contacted Asquith for an opinion on the association between one of the candidates and the Porirua Whanau Centre.
PoO is unaware of polling that might give a pointer to how much support the candidates have mustered.
But the Post report drew attention to one remarkable possibility…
Should Jess Te Huia win the Onepoto ward by-election to succeed Mike Duncan, who died in June, she would be the third Porirua Whānau Centre employee elected this term – representing an area that covers the city centre and suburbs like Cannons Creek, Kenepuru and Tītahi Bay.
And:
Onepoto ward councillors Hemi Fermanis and Kathleen Filo ‒ Kelly’s daughter, who challenged Baker for the mayoralty last year ‒ already work for the centre, according to financial disclosure records submitted at the start of this year.
The city has 10 councillors in three wards and a Mayor.
A third councillor from the family centre could only amplify its voice.
Te Huia has spent 10 years working at the centre, where she serves as a Korowai Service Manager.
Her previous attempt to win a council seat fell nine votes short of deputy mayor Kylie Wihapi’s count for the Māori ward seat at last year’s local elections, after a judge granted her application to recount the votes.
She finished in 13th place when running for an Onepoto ward seat in 2022.
But family centre staff are involved in local government politics beyond Porirua.
Its chief executive is Liz Kelly, who sits on the Wellington City Council as Ngāti Toa Rangatira mana whenua representative.
Reflecting the Treaty of Waitangi’s influence on political arrangements in this country – and a curious interpretation of “democracy” – the representative doesn’t have to go through the bother of campaigning for votes, as Jess Te Hui is doing.
A “partnership” agreement between council and tribe entitles the tribal organisation to appoint its representative, who nevertheless holds full voting rights and equivalent remuneration on most Council committees and subcommittees.
Kelly previously served as a Porirua City Councillor (2004-2013), including a stint as Deputy Mayor (2010-2013).
But she has a track record for getting offside with Porirua mayors.
The Post recalled that Nick Leggett, when he was Porirua’s mayor, publicly declared he wanted her unseated at an election after they has repeatedly clashed on issues.
More recently, Kelly and Porirua Mayor Anita Baker clashed over administration of the region’s now-defunct water authority, Wellington Water, and Baker’s public backing of Leggett as its former board chairperson.
The Post report then brought Dr Andy Asquith, a local government expert and an adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia’s Public Policy Institute, into considerations.
He said having too many representatives from a particular interest group sitting on a council raised questions of independence.
But Kelly rebuffed that: she told Local Democracy Reporting there was no plan to stack the {Porirua] council and she had not asked Te Huia to run.
She also noted that councillors backed by political parties had been elected over the years, whereas Fermanis and Filo ran as independents.
“I’d rather have people who put their hand up to serve, than start ruling candidates out based on their day job.”
Asquith, however, said there was a “clear dividing line” between political parties and pressure groups, like NGOs and charities.
In his view, the former influenced policy but the latter sought political power to change it.
He had lost count of the number of councillors and mayors who had run as “independents”, but had affiliations to a political party.
“There’s an assumption by the person making the statement that people are aware of this, and the simple fact is people often aren’t.”
The Porirua Whānau Centre, run by the charitable Porirua Whānau Centre Trust, operates as a registered non-profit and Kaupapa Māori community hub established in 1994.
Charitable trusts are heavily regulated under the Charities Act 2005 because they receive taxpayer-funded tax exemptions.
They cannot participate in partisan politics and are banned from donating money to political parties, endorsing specific candidates, providing campaign volunteers, or telling people how to vote.
The Charities Service website spells out what charities can and cannot do when engaging in political activity and outlines the extra care needed during election periods, when the risk of appearing to support a political party or candidate is higher.
Charities must stay independent from political parties and candidates at all times. They can speak up on issues, but any political activity must directly support their charitable purposes and be in the charity’s best interests. Charities cannot exist to promote or support a political party or candidate.
In the case of employees who stand for election, they must ensure no charitable resources support an employee’s candidacy or a political party.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
Mareko is one of five candidates contesting the ward seat, which was left vacant following the death of councillor Mike Duncan.
The other candidates are Jo Dow, Zac Painting, Siobhan Samuel and Jess Te Huia.
Voting closes at noon tomorrow (16/10/26).
The Scoop article jogged our memories, too, about a Point of Order post last month which included some thoughts from West Australia-based Dr Andy Asquith, an academic with expertise in local government, on the Porirua byelection.
The Post had contacted Asquith for an opinion on the association between one of the candidates and the Porirua Whanau Centre.
PoO is unaware of polling that might give a pointer to how much support the candidates have mustered.
But the Post report drew attention to one remarkable possibility…
Should Jess Te Huia win the Onepoto ward by-election to succeed Mike Duncan, who died in June, she would be the third Porirua Whānau Centre employee elected this term – representing an area that covers the city centre and suburbs like Cannons Creek, Kenepuru and Tītahi Bay.
And:
Onepoto ward councillors Hemi Fermanis and Kathleen Filo ‒ Kelly’s daughter, who challenged Baker for the mayoralty last year ‒ already work for the centre, according to financial disclosure records submitted at the start of this year.
The city has 10 councillors in three wards and a Mayor.
A third councillor from the family centre could only amplify its voice.
Te Huia has spent 10 years working at the centre, where she serves as a Korowai Service Manager.
Her previous attempt to win a council seat fell nine votes short of deputy mayor Kylie Wihapi’s count for the Māori ward seat at last year’s local elections, after a judge granted her application to recount the votes.
She finished in 13th place when running for an Onepoto ward seat in 2022.
But family centre staff are involved in local government politics beyond Porirua.
Its chief executive is Liz Kelly, who sits on the Wellington City Council as Ngāti Toa Rangatira mana whenua representative.
Reflecting the Treaty of Waitangi’s influence on political arrangements in this country – and a curious interpretation of “democracy” – the representative doesn’t have to go through the bother of campaigning for votes, as Jess Te Hui is doing.
A “partnership” agreement between council and tribe entitles the tribal organisation to appoint its representative, who nevertheless holds full voting rights and equivalent remuneration on most Council committees and subcommittees.
Kelly previously served as a Porirua City Councillor (2004-2013), including a stint as Deputy Mayor (2010-2013).
But she has a track record for getting offside with Porirua mayors.
The Post recalled that Nick Leggett, when he was Porirua’s mayor, publicly declared he wanted her unseated at an election after they has repeatedly clashed on issues.
More recently, Kelly and Porirua Mayor Anita Baker clashed over administration of the region’s now-defunct water authority, Wellington Water, and Baker’s public backing of Leggett as its former board chairperson.
The Post report then brought Dr Andy Asquith, a local government expert and an adjunct research fellow at the University of Western Australia’s Public Policy Institute, into considerations.
He said having too many representatives from a particular interest group sitting on a council raised questions of independence.
But Kelly rebuffed that: she told Local Democracy Reporting there was no plan to stack the {Porirua] council and she had not asked Te Huia to run.
She also noted that councillors backed by political parties had been elected over the years, whereas Fermanis and Filo ran as independents.
“I’d rather have people who put their hand up to serve, than start ruling candidates out based on their day job.”
Asquith, however, said there was a “clear dividing line” between political parties and pressure groups, like NGOs and charities.
In his view, the former influenced policy but the latter sought political power to change it.
He had lost count of the number of councillors and mayors who had run as “independents”, but had affiliations to a political party.
“There’s an assumption by the person making the statement that people are aware of this, and the simple fact is people often aren’t.”
The Porirua Whānau Centre, run by the charitable Porirua Whānau Centre Trust, operates as a registered non-profit and Kaupapa Māori community hub established in 1994.
Charitable trusts are heavily regulated under the Charities Act 2005 because they receive taxpayer-funded tax exemptions.
They cannot participate in partisan politics and are banned from donating money to political parties, endorsing specific candidates, providing campaign volunteers, or telling people how to vote.
The Charities Service website spells out what charities can and cannot do when engaging in political activity and outlines the extra care needed during election periods, when the risk of appearing to support a political party or candidate is higher.
Charities must stay independent from political parties and candidates at all times. They can speak up on issues, but any political activity must directly support their charitable purposes and be in the charity’s best interests. Charities cannot exist to promote or support a political party or candidate.
In the case of employees who stand for election, they must ensure no charitable resources support an employee’s candidacy or a political party.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE.
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