‘Toxic’ Council Claims “Overblown”: Justin Lester

Wellington’s new mayor Justin Lester says comments made by him about some Wellington councillors – including that some of them were “silly and self-serving”, were part of campaigning for the mayoralty, and said claims of any toxicity on the city’s council were “overblown”.

He also said that his relationship with Nick Leggett, his main rival, was great, and that Labour would be buoyed by his win.

“It’s a wonderful outcome for progressive candidates across the entire country. We’ve seen progressive candidates elected in Auckland, in Wellington, in Christchurch and in Dunedin too, and I think that bodes well,” he told Jessica Mutch.

END



Q + A
Episode 31
JUSTIN LESTER
Interviewed by Jessica Mutch

JESSICA Well, joining me from the capital is the new mayor, Justin Lester. Thank you very much for joining us this morning.

JUSTIN Good morning.

JESSICA I want to start off by asking you, you said during the campaign that Wellington needs a mayor that they can be proud of. What’s the one thing you think you want Wellington to feel about you as you take on this new job?

JUSTIN Look, I want Wellingtonians to be happy to live in this wonderful city. We’ve got an amazing city here in Wellington, and I think the best city in the country, although Phil may dispute that. And I want them to just be confidant that I’m doing a good job, that I will be true to my word and deliver what I said I’d do through the campaign, and that’s a focus on the economy, a focus on transport and a focus on housing. We’ve got to address some of our social issues as well. I’ve proposed an innovative solution for homelessness around having a wet house here in Wellington that’s had huge support.

JESSICA You mentioned that first. Is that the one thing you think will make Wellingtonians proud of you? Is that your main priority?

JUSTIN Oh, look, no, Wellingtonians want to live in a great city, and they want to be confident in their mayor, they want to have confidence in their council as well, and that’s what I think I can deliver.

JESSICA So sorting out that toxic council, as it’s been named, is that the main priority for you?

JUSTIN Oh, look, I think that’s a wee bit overblown. I think we’ve got really good councillors. We’ve had five new councillors elected to the council as well, and I think they’re going to bring in a whole lot of new ideas, fresh energy and enthusiasm, and I think they’ll do a wonderful job.

JESSICA Because you have said in the past that some of the councillors have been ‘silly and self-serving.’ So you admit there’s some degree of toxicity there in the council?

JUSTIN Oh, no, look, I think in an election year, people will campaign. And that’s democracy, and that’s part of the process. But now the election’s behind us, I’m going to be calling the councillors today and tomorrow. We’ll be sitting around the table, having a chat, and we’ll form a vision for the city for the next three years as well.

JESSICA You were Labour’s man in this election. What do you think that the Labour Party will be reading into this, given that you beat Nick Leggett?

JUSTIN Look, I think that we campaigned really hard. I think Wellingtonians have supported my vision for the city, and that’s a focus on transport, a focus on housing, and a focus on economy and growing jobs here in Wellington. We’ve worked really hard too. We’ve contacted 60,000 households and Wellingtonians have been really supportive, and we’ve seen that in the election outcome too.

JESSICA But do you think that Labour will be buoyed by this result?

JUSTIN Look, I think it’s a wonderful outcome for progressive candidates across the entire country. We’ve seen progressive candidates elected in Auckland, in Wellington, in Christchurch and in Dunedin too, and I think that bodes well.

JESSICA How’s your relationship with Nick Leggett now?

JUSTIN It’s great. He lives across the road from me, so I see him most days.

JESSICA Did that make it awkward during the campaign or…?

JUSTIN No, not at all. I mean, Wellington is a small place. You need to get on with everybody. You don’t want to burn any bridges in this city. So Nick’s got young kids, I’ve got young kids, and we’ve campaigned really hard. It’s been hard fought, but I think we’ve both done a good job, and I’m glad to have won, but I’m sure Nick will go on to do other things.

JESSICA I want to go through some of the policies you announced in the campaign. And can you tell in, in yes or no answer, whether this will be part of the hundred-day plan, whether Wellingtonians can expect to see this soon. The first one is 5000 for rates rebate for first-home builders. A hundred days, yes or no?

JUSTIN Look, I’m not going to commit to a timeframe for this. We’ve got our annual plans. We need to have committed funding for a budget. We’ll work towards that. We’ll finalise that before June of next year, and then I’ll have that in the annual plan for next year, yes, of course.

JESSICA What about free entry for kids up to 5 at council school pools?

JUSTIN We’ve already done it.

JESSICA So tick off the list for that one?

JUSTIN Yeah, tick. I want to take it a little bit further as well – a free entry for guardians too. Currently guardians pay, I think, $1.10.

JESSICA So first hundred days for that one?

JUSTIN Well, again, it needs committed funding, so we’ve got to go through a budget process, so by June. But, yes, it’s committed to and I’m going to deliver it.

JESSICA What about the idea of removing the fees for restaurants being on public land outside?

JUSTIN Again, that will be my first budget in our annual plan. A small cost. Good for vibrancy in the city. It will cost us about $70,000 in a budget of $460 million. Small business owners, hospitality owners have come to me to say, look, this is a small thing and it will make a big difference to the way they operate and to vibrancy in the city.

JESSICA Well, good luck with balancing all of that over the next little while. Thank you very much for your time this morning.

JUSTIN Thank you.

© Scoop Media