Statement by Wellington Mayoral Candidate and city councillor Ray Chung

It’s been a month since we launched the Independent candidates’ campaign to contest the local government election this year. Since then, we’ve received a huge amount of public support that has been truly humbling.

I’m proud to stand beside these Wellington candidates, under the “Independent Together” brand. They are all hard-working residents who love this city and who will bring a variety of different skills as well as life and business experiences to the council should they be elected.

What is starkly apparent is the desire for change amongst Wellington ratepayers and residents. Many are telling us that a clean sweep is needed – an entirely new council is required to lift our city out of the mire.

Our policy pillar of no party politics in council resonates well with voters. For too long, we have had city councillors whose first allegiances are to the central Parliamentary political party – like Labour or the Green parties – and Wellington comes a poor second place.

The last couple of years under Mayor Tory Whanau with Green and Labour party majority support is demonstrative of the need for our policy. What the Labour and Green political parties stand for has changed enormously in the last 20 years, and Wellingtonians viscerally understand this. Party politics no longer works for the city, if it ever did.

Our candidates are truly independent. But they also acknowledge the hold that political parties have over Wellington. In order to beat the party political machines, they know they need to stand together, pool their resources, and express a common objective. They do not support the “tax and spend” status quo that has left many Wellington ratepayers unable to afford to live in the city.

Hundreds of people around the city have come forward with offers of help, to donate, to volunteer, to distribute flyers or door knock on behalf of the candidates. We are grateful for that assistance because we cannot do this as candidates alone. When people ask me how this election campaign is being funded, my answer is simple: from concerned Wellington people who are desperate to end the cycle of spending that is taxing them out of the city they love.

We may be the underdogs, but we are the only candidates who are offering a real solution to Wellington’s problems.

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