His Worship the Mayor, Andy Foster’s Opening Comments to the meeting

We are in unprecedented times. It is tough emotionally, socially, physically, economically. But we will get through – I hope we get through together as a better city and country.

We’re almost two years into a global pandemic that has upended plans, dreams, livelihoods, and businesses. It’s prevented getting together with loved ones, sometimes its prevented saying final farewells. Many people are stressed, tired, and sometimes angry and fearful.

Directly associated with this, we have an unprecedented protest occupying the grounds of Parliament, surrounding streets and important public places. The protest is hurting local businesses, local schools, our ability to move about our own city freely, and it’s causing anger and frustration in our community.

Let’s be clear, this protest must end. It will end, it is only a matter of when and how.

In that light I want to thank the Police Commissioner and the police force for the way they are dealing with this protest - methodically, professionally, with admirable restraint and dignity. I am in no doubt that our police force is one of, if not the best, in the world.

I also want to thank the council’s chief executive, management, and staff. We are working closely with the Police. The danger in listing names is that you will miss somebody out – but we have been providing parking enforcement when requested, traffic management, and legal advice. I’ve worked with Sky Stadium to provide a place to get vehicles off our roads when there was a danger of even more of them being clogged. Thank you to our Stadium Trust.

Some of you have been critical of my meeting with protest influencers. Can I be clear that any meeting is with the explicit support of the Police. There are many significant figures encouraging dialogue, including iwi leaders and the former Prime Minister Bolger who said,

“Dialogue is the only way to end the disruptive impasse in Wellington … an essential principle of democracy is that leaders listen to the people.”

It includes the Chief Human Rights Commissioner, Paul Hunt who said,

“The Government needs to do more to engage in a respectful dialogue if it hoped to restore a feeling of safety and belonging.”

We are all working together around the clock to try to resolve and end this protest as quickly as possible, and as safely as possible, so that we can return this part of our city to Wellingtonians.

We are also conscious that this protest must be resolved in such a way that does not provoke further issues around New Zealand, and that doesn’t leave our country and our people scarred.

Make no mistake there has been some vile behaviour from some protestors. The nature of the protest has changed over time. There are also people who have lost jobs, or are about to lose them including nurses, teachers, firefighters, army, and police.

If we do not talk, if we do not listen, then we will not bring people back together. There is a real need for healing here, which is both national and local. Wellingtonians are emotional, frustrated, upset and angry about what’s happening to our city. There are also too many people around our country feeling alienated.

As a nation the last two years have been very tough. We are not through that yet, but I believe there is light at the end of the Omicron tunnel. The more clearly that light shines the better for us all.

A lot has been said about kindness, about a team of 5 million. Of course, Kiwis overseas would remind us its actually 5 + 1 million. Many of us have used the unifying phrase ‘he waka eke noa’ – we are all paddling this waka together. We need to make sure we don’t leave anyone behind.

As I said I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. We will reclaim our city, streets, and places.

We’re discussing a Pandemic Response Package today to help our struggling businesses get through. To help preserve jobs and vitality. We have many major projects progressing well, as does the private sector. There are big decisions being made about future projects to set our city up for a great future – sustainable, creative, inclusive.

We will get through this protest, we will get through Omicron and then we can celebrate, get our people back and get our city - that we all love - really humming again.

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