Mayor should be creative, not heartless

Mayor Prendergast needs to live up to the Creative Wellington vision when talking about the city's homeless people, said Councillors Pepperell and Zwartz today.

"There are creative, humane solutions to the problems these people face," Bryan Pepperell said. "It is heartless to respond only in a punitive way."

"The city shouldn't react only with rejection," David Zwartz added. "Wellingtonians are by and large compassionate people, and I believe they would much rather see something constructive done for the homeless, even if it's a cost to the city."

Both councillors say that creativity should be applied to social problems as well as to economic growth and setting up Wellington as the arts and culture capital.

"We don't want Wellington to be seen as a heartless place, promoting fun at Oriental Bay or in Courtenay Place but acting harshly on the people at the bottom of the heap," the councillors said.

© Scoop Media