Andrew Little has revealed he's got his eyes on Wellington's future as he outlines plans as a mayoral candidate.
The former Labour leader officially launched his campaign for the mayoralty in the capital yesterday.
He's vowing to implement a more transparent, democracy-focused system of decision-making at the council if elected in October.
Little says people feel 'disconnected' - and he's hoping to restore faith in the council.
"I think there are some habits inside the council that we'll need to change... in the 18 months or so since I've been out of Parliament, I'm up against local Government and the city council and I've seen some of the things that happened internally."
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks edb Right.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Former Cabinet minister and Labor leader Andrew Little has officially
launched his meyoral campaign. At his campaign launched yesterday, Little
highlighted two main policy focuses, creating a council that serves
Wellington and prioritizing community facilities. He also highlighted a need
for greater public trust and the council and to discuss
Andrew Little joins me now, good morning morning, Francestin, thank
(00:34):
you for a time on a Sunday morning. So we
launched yesterday. You said at the launch that you promised
to change at the council. What is wrong with the
current council and its leadership?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Just people I've been talking to over the last few weeks.
When I first an now I would stand the overwhelming
message of God is that when they've tried to engage
with counsel, what they've often come up against is not
a way to enable things to happen or facilitate things,
but a whole bunch of reasons why things can't happen.
And people say, you know, when the counsei has come
(01:06):
up with an idea and they're consulting about it. What
they often get presented with as a fully completed idea
and really people just being asked to give an opinion
on it and nothing ever changes. And so I think
and I think that's the reason why Counselor has lost
the confidence a lot of Wellingtonians. Are the reasons you
are being told, you know what's going to happen, what
to do. People aren't getting a real say or a
(01:26):
real input into the things that are changing their environment,
changing their lives. And that's the thing that has to change.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Are you going to become a yes? Counsel Andrew?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I want? Well, this is I said that needs a
lot to happen. It's a pretty bad funk at the moment,
and there's a whole bunch of reasons for it. Something
to do with the public service cast, there's other things
as well. The time we're still struggling and so other
things need to happen. Things needed to change and I
should we do worse? The need to review priorities here
and out again, that's a pretty normal thing to do
(01:58):
to do. It's about I think a council that has
more respons to what Willington Werningtonians need now, and there's
they think about the future as opposed to barreling head
with a bunch of ideas that a lot of people
feel disconnected from. That's really what it comes down to.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Look, sexing Wellington's a big job. How do you build
trust in the council and create a council that serves Wellington.
Sounds easy?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yeah, look that other words, that's off the done pretty easily,
but the hard work behind it is engaging with the
council officers. That there's a new chief executive, these council officers,
I think there are some habits in the council that
will need to change. I mean, part of my professional work.
In the eighteen months or so i've been out of Parliament,
I've come up against the Local Government Act and at
(02:44):
will And City Council, and I've seen some of the
things that have happened internally just about the way options
are narrowed down. There's often very few options. Sometimes, you know,
an astomatic cost of something, the most inflated cost is
was presented to counselors. I think, you know, when I
get around the Council of the incumbent counselors of whatever stripe.
(03:05):
You know, they're all they've all got the right intentions,
all want to do the right thing. That defrustration is
getting good information from the people who are advising them.
And I think working with a new council and with
the Office of Counsel, I think there's a lot we
can change that will make it better for the way
counselors do their job. But I think council is taking
a bit more control and saying, you know what, We're
(03:27):
just not going to do this right now until we've
seen a much more satisfactory engagement with the.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Public andrew you in it for the long haul. Because
Wellington has had a series of one term mayors. Now
is that good for the city? No?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
I think that that sort of stopped that thing and
changes that mayor don't help. So that look, if i'm
standing now, I see it. I'm standing now. I'm standing
for at least another term because I think the changes
that are required don't bed in after three years. The
need a longer horizon to do that. But I think
you've got to make the start. I'm here for a
(04:00):
long term change it. You know, the councils of blog organization.
City is a big city. Changes that can be implemented
over a year. Two years take a lot longer to
peer them and to get the habits right, if you like,
And so it doesn't need to need a longer commitment.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Investment in community facilities makes up a proportion of your proposal,
which I think is really sensible because we all want
the day to day benefits of what a council provides.
But are you campaigning on keeping the lights on? Are
they more important issues also that need to be campaigned on.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Oh? I think I think they go hand in hand.
I think, look, those are the community facilities, as I've
talked about, But you know, this is a wells of
a city that's made up of suburbs and what have you,
and those facilities are the things that make those communities
strong and they are well used facilities. So again it
comes down to priority. So yeah, the current council and
(04:54):
previous councils of community to some big things. Now it
seems to be at the expense of those things there's
too good for more localized communities. It's about getting that
balance right, making sure that the communities are strong, making
sure or we're doing the big stuff as well.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Is it work to do and improving the relationship with
central government.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
It looks like it from the outside, I think that
it's got to stand office and that's not helpful, you know.
I think the thing that really took me over to
seriously considering putting my hat in the room was when
the news came out earlier this year that the gavia's
got a regional fund. Councils had to sort it. All
they had to do was express an interest in being
putting out projects to it. And we didn't do that,
(05:33):
and we should have done that now. You know, I
might come from a different plodity or strike to the
current government, but I know most of the ministers and
the prist. I think I'll get on reasoning well with them.
I can. I'm confident I can afford a very constructive
relationship with them. But also, you know, when it comes
if we think that there's some overreach, you know, I
bet myself to be able to stand up to a
government that is overreaching itself and dipping into areas of
(05:58):
council authority.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Andrew, you ive asked the current council to stop signing
Golden Mild contracts before this next election. Tori Fano doesn't
sound like she's going to stop. You are you overstepping
as a candidate to suggest that the council does pause.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I think it's a realistic ask to make because I
think the I think one of the you know, one
of the critical issues of God is our particularly in
our CBD, business conditions are really fragile. There's much less
foot traffic than a fewer people, and the retail, retail
and hospitality in particular are really feeling it. And those
those BOO projects important as they awm they will help
(06:35):
and lift the physical appearance of the city. They are
incredibly disruptive and we've seen, you know, with the implementation
of some of these measures and other parts of the
city Thornton Key for example, is that it has put
roal pressure on businesses. It's so fragile at the moment.
I just think we need to think carefully about the
timing and the phasing of it, which is why I
(06:56):
suggest that, Look, if the contracts sound signed, they shouldn't
be signed and less a new council. You know, one
thing we know after the eleventh of October is there
will be a new mayor. There will be a different
lineup of council because some income A councilors are stepping down.
Let the new council gauge based on the mandate they've
got what is needed and what is responsive to Willington's
(07:17):
needs at the moment.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Is stopping though a good idea. I mean, it's one
of the sort of another example of the critique of
local government these days that nothing happens because it's just
constant debating and rethinking and making decisions. Again, not having
a consistent plan is often a problem and a waste
of money.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, I think. I think the benefit of having a
big projects that do have a longer horizon is that
you know when conditions do change, as they have in Wellington,
and then I think the next responsible thing to do
is to is to just pause for a moment, review
it all, see right what what should happen now, or
see whether there are other priorities that we should be
focusing on right now. Restoring the confidence of business in
(07:57):
the city is pretty critical and that's what needs to happen.
So it's in that context that I think we should
look at the Gold and Mile project. I'm not opposed
to gold of my project didn't think it's going to
lift the kind of physical appearance of the city and
whatever is going to be good. But it is a
big project and it would be incredibly disruptive. So let's
(08:17):
just think carefully about the impact businesses. Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So is this Is this a desirable job? I mean,
it can be broke worse than central government.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah. I've had like you know, I've been in politics.
I've been in elected positions and roles and stuff. You know,
I thought I was asked at the end of that
about August last year, and I said no. At the time,
I didn't have any particular appeal to go on to
a local government. I was very much enjoying being back
in the law, being legal practice, but haven't been asked.
(08:55):
I didn't. Started looking more closely at what was happening,
and there's a few things going on here. And then
by the beginning of this year, I thought, actually, this
doesn't doesn't seem right. And you know, I know about match.
I was getting a lot of from a lot of
people right across the political picture, and somewhere we really
need someone who can you know, got to say the
skills can bring people together. Well, I realized is Yes,
I do have a s of skills that I think
(09:16):
could make a real difference to to Wellington, so I
go in it with that. I'm not phased by by
the job being tough, being challenging, being difficult. I welcome them,
I don't, you know, I don't. I don't look for
an easy ride, so I expect it will be. But
I bet myself and the skills I've got an ability
to forge good relationships to make to make a difference.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Will you win.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I think I've got a good chance, but I take
nothing for granted. I'll be working pretty hard over the
next five months for everybody I can get. It was interesting,
you know. One of my one of my competitors, asked
to come along to my launch you see came.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Wrong and that weird, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well you might have to talk to writing right there.
But I welcomed him and we turn on some really
good chet actually before and after the event, so that
was nice. So but I think that's again I'm not
fancised by people who have a different set of ideas
of people who are standing in the race as well
as I say, I think my skills are I get
on with pretty much everyone and find a way to work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Andrew, thank you so much for your time this morning.
Nice to catch up with you.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks edb Right.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Former Cabinet minister and Labor leader Andrew Little has officially
launched his meyoral campaign. At his campaign launched yesterday, Little
highlighted two main policy focuses, creating a council that serves
Wellington and prioritizing community facilities. He also highlighted a need
for greater public trust and the council and to discuss
Andrew Little joins me now, good morning morning, Francestin, thank
(00:34):
you for a time on a Sunday morning. So we
launched yesterday. You said at the launch that you promised
to change at the council. What is wrong with the
current council and its leadership?
Speaker 3 (00:45):
Just people I've been talking to over the last few weeks.
When I first an now I would stand the overwhelming
message of God is that when they've tried to engage
with counsel, what they've often come up against is not
a way to enable things to happen or facilitate things,
but a whole bunch of reasons why things can't happen.
And people say, you know, when the counsei has come
(01:06):
up with an idea and they're consulting about it. What
they often get presented with as a fully completed idea
and really people just being asked to give an opinion
on it and nothing ever changes. And so I think
and I think that's the reason why Counselor has lost
the confidence a lot of Wellingtonians. Are the reasons you
are being told, you know what's going to happen, what
to do. People aren't getting a real say or a
(01:26):
real input into the things that are changing their environment,
changing their lives. And that's the thing that has to change.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Are you going to become a yes? Counsel Andrew?
Speaker 3 (01:37):
I want? Well, this is I said that needs a
lot to happen. It's a pretty bad funk at the moment,
and there's a whole bunch of reasons for it. Something
to do with the public service cast, there's other things
as well. The time we're still struggling and so other
things need to happen. Things needed to change and I
should we do worse? The need to review priorities here
and out again, that's a pretty normal thing to do
(01:58):
to do. It's about I think a council that has
more respons to what Willington Werningtonians need now, and there's
they think about the future as opposed to barreling head
with a bunch of ideas that a lot of people
feel disconnected from. That's really what it comes down to.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Look, sexing Wellington's a big job. How do you build
trust in the council and create a council that serves Wellington.
Sounds easy?
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yeah, look that other words, that's off the done pretty easily,
but the hard work behind it is engaging with the
council officers. That there's a new chief executive, these council officers,
I think there are some habits in the council that
will need to change. I mean, part of my professional work.
In the eighteen months or so i've been out of Parliament,
I've come up against the Local Government Act and at
(02:44):
will And City Council, and I've seen some of the
things that have happened internally just about the way options
are narrowed down. There's often very few options. Sometimes, you know,
an astomatic cost of something, the most inflated cost is
was presented to counselors. I think, you know, when I
get around the Council of the incumbent counselors of whatever stripe.
(03:05):
You know, they're all they've all got the right intentions,
all want to do the right thing. That defrustration is
getting good information from the people who are advising them.
And I think working with a new council and with
the Office of Counsel, I think there's a lot we
can change that will make it better for the way
counselors do their job. But I think council is taking
a bit more control and saying, you know what, We're
(03:27):
just not going to do this right now until we've
seen a much more satisfactory engagement with the.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Public andrew you in it for the long haul. Because
Wellington has had a series of one term mayors. Now
is that good for the city? No?
Speaker 3 (03:40):
I think that that sort of stopped that thing and
changes that mayor don't help. So that look, if i'm
standing now, I see it. I'm standing now. I'm standing
for at least another term because I think the changes
that are required don't bed in after three years. The
need a longer horizon to do that. But I think
you've got to make the start. I'm here for a
(04:00):
long term change it. You know, the councils of blog organization.
City is a big city. Changes that can be implemented
over a year. Two years take a lot longer to
peer them and to get the habits right, if you like,
And so it doesn't need to need a longer commitment.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Investment in community facilities makes up a proportion of your proposal,
which I think is really sensible because we all want
the day to day benefits of what a council provides.
But are you campaigning on keeping the lights on? Are
they more important issues also that need to be campaigned on.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Oh? I think I think they go hand in hand.
I think, look, those are the community facilities, as I've
talked about, But you know, this is a wells of
a city that's made up of suburbs and what have you,
and those facilities are the things that make those communities
strong and they are well used facilities. So again it
comes down to priority. So yeah, the current council and
(04:54):
previous councils of community to some big things. Now it
seems to be at the expense of those things there's
too good for more localized communities. It's about getting that
balance right, making sure that the communities are strong, making
sure or we're doing the big stuff as well.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Is it work to do and improving the relationship with
central government.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
It looks like it from the outside, I think that
it's got to stand office and that's not helpful, you know.
I think the thing that really took me over to
seriously considering putting my hat in the room was when
the news came out earlier this year that the gavia's
got a regional fund. Councils had to sort it. All
they had to do was express an interest in being
putting out projects to it. And we didn't do that,
(05:33):
and we should have done that now. You know, I
might come from a different plodity or strike to the
current government, but I know most of the ministers and
the prist. I think I'll get on reasoning well with them.
I can. I'm confident I can afford a very constructive
relationship with them. But also, you know, when it comes
if we think that there's some overreach, you know, I
bet myself to be able to stand up to a
government that is overreaching itself and dipping into areas of
(05:58):
council authority.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Andrew, you ive asked the current council to stop signing
Golden Mild contracts before this next election. Tori Fano doesn't
sound like she's going to stop. You are you overstepping
as a candidate to suggest that the council does pause.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
I think it's a realistic ask to make because I
think the I think one of the you know, one
of the critical issues of God is our particularly in
our CBD, business conditions are really fragile. There's much less
foot traffic than a fewer people, and the retail, retail
and hospitality in particular are really feeling it. And those
those BOO projects important as they awm they will help
(06:35):
and lift the physical appearance of the city. They are
incredibly disruptive and we've seen, you know, with the implementation
of some of these measures and other parts of the
city Thornton Key for example, is that it has put
roal pressure on businesses. It's so fragile at the moment.
I just think we need to think carefully about the
timing and the phasing of it, which is why I
(06:56):
suggest that, Look, if the contracts sound signed, they shouldn't
be signed and less a new council. You know, one
thing we know after the eleventh of October is there
will be a new mayor. There will be a different
lineup of council because some income A councilors are stepping down.
Let the new council gauge based on the mandate they've
got what is needed and what is responsive to Willington's
(07:17):
needs at the moment.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Is stopping though a good idea. I mean, it's one
of the sort of another example of the critique of
local government these days that nothing happens because it's just
constant debating and rethinking and making decisions. Again, not having
a consistent plan is often a problem and a waste
of money.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, I think. I think the benefit of having a
big projects that do have a longer horizon is that
you know when conditions do change, as they have in Wellington,
and then I think the next responsible thing to do
is to is to just pause for a moment, review
it all, see right what what should happen now, or
see whether there are other priorities that we should be
focusing on right now. Restoring the confidence of business in
(07:57):
the city is pretty critical and that's what needs to happen.
So it's in that context that I think we should
look at the Gold and Mile project. I'm not opposed
to gold of my project didn't think it's going to
lift the kind of physical appearance of the city and
whatever is going to be good. But it is a
big project and it would be incredibly disruptive. So let's
(08:17):
just think carefully about the impact businesses. Yeah, very much.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So is this Is this a desirable job? I mean,
it can be broke worse than central government.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah. I've had like you know, I've been in politics.
I've been in elected positions and roles and stuff. You know,
I thought I was asked at the end of that
about August last year, and I said no. At the time,
I didn't have any particular appeal to go on to
a local government. I was very much enjoying being back
in the law, being legal practice, but haven't been asked.
(08:55):
I didn't. Started looking more closely at what was happening,
and there's a few things going on here. And then
by the beginning of this year, I thought, actually, this
doesn't doesn't seem right. And you know, I know about match.
I was getting a lot of from a lot of
people right across the political picture, and somewhere we really
need someone who can you know, got to say the
skills can bring people together. Well, I realized is Yes,
I do have a s of skills that I think
(09:16):
could make a real difference to to Wellington, so I
go in it with that. I'm not phased by by
the job being tough, being challenging, being difficult. I welcome them,
I don't, you know, I don't. I don't look for
an easy ride, so I expect it will be. But
I bet myself and the skills I've got an ability
to forge good relationships to make to make a difference.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Will you win.
Speaker 3 (09:41):
I think I've got a good chance, but I take
nothing for granted. I'll be working pretty hard over the
next five months for everybody I can get. It was interesting,
you know. One of my one of my competitors, asked
to come along to my launch you see came.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Wrong and that weird, wasn't it.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Well you might have to talk to writing right there.
But I welcomed him and we turn on some really
good chet actually before and after the event, so that
was nice. So but I think that's again I'm not
fancised by people who have a different set of ideas
of people who are standing in the race as well
as I say, I think my skills are I get
on with pretty much everyone and find a way to work.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Andrew, thank you so much for your time this morning.
Nice to catch up with you.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it Be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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