September 16, 2025 • 21 mins
Three term Wellington City Council Diane Calvert joined Nick Mills in studio to discuss her second bid for the Wellington Mayoralty.
Calvert pledged to cut the Council's operational expenditure by 5% - or $40 million - in her first year as Mayor.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
At b As promised, over the next four weeks, we'll
be talking to the contenders running for the Wellington Mayoralty.
We'll go one by one, one a week from now
until the election time. Today we have Diane Calvert in
the studio. Our phone lines are open, oh, eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty if you'd like to ask her
(00:33):
a question. That's what she's here for today. As I say,
we've been joined by three term counselor Dian Calvert, who
was first elected to the Wellington City Council in twenty sixteen.
This is Diane's second attempt for the mayoralty, after also
running in two thousand and nineteen. Good morning, Good morning, Nick,
(00:53):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm great and I'm glad you got the best stuff?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
First?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There you go. You'll be about to prove to us
that you are the best contender. Tell us about the debates.
Has been a whole lot of them, and then you've
been obviously both all four of you be very busy.
I saw the Q and A one on someday. I
found it reasonably boring. Are they all been boring.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
They've been pretty much Q and a's. The candidates get
a minute or a couple of minutes to say their pitch.
There's no real debate going on between the candidates, so
that's probably why most people have been finding them a
little bit boring. It's really it's a question of just
meeting people and answering their questions, but no spark between
(01:36):
the candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Are all four contenders boring?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well, it depends what your class is boring. But I
think people are looking for a contest of ideas and
they're looking to say, well, somebody might present an idea,
but it's not being challenged by anybody else.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So you haven't said yes or no. Do you feel
that we're a boring group. There's no one out there
that's going to really sort of get us going. The
said going, get it moving, get it happening, go to work.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, yes there is, because there's me there. But what
you are looking for and what some people are saying
it's boring because there's no great big vision. But we
don't need a great big vision at the moment. We
need to get things back under control. And that sounds
very boring to some, but that's the realities that we're
dealing with.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But we are all doing it pretty tough. You know
how tough Wellingtonians are doing. I see your articles, I
see what you're commenting about. We're doing it tough. So
we need the Council to get going and get moving
and give us that energy and give us that support.
Don't we we do?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
But what that means is it means getting the finances
under control. It means making sure that the Council does
this business as well as it can do, and it
means helping businesses and being open for business. And we're
just not doing the basics well enough. And that's what
we've got to focus on.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
How are you going to do that well?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's really about making sure that we cut down on
the priorities that we have, cut down on the big
prog some of those bigger projects that are nice to have,
and focus on our essentials and making sure that we
are supporting business at the moment. You know, we're not
competitive here in Wellington. We charge the highest commercial rates
around the country. You know, we've got to be there
(03:18):
helping supporting a business because if we support the businesses,
we get the jobs and we get the people back
in the city.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Can you do anything to lower the rates?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yes, we can. So we can look at what the
number of projects we've got on. We can cut down
our priorities and with that we'll reduce our expenditure and
so yes we can do that, and it's with a
focus on it not but we won't do that if
we carry on the same trajectory that the council has
been on in time to keep bringing in new projects.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
My concern is with I mean, apart from Andrew Litle,
who is definitely labor green on that side of the fence,
the other three of you, if you become mayor, you're
going to have a really big issue because the council
Wellington's always going to vote a green labor counseling, isn't it.
So you're going to have all sorts of problems trying
to lead a group that don't have the same vision
(04:13):
as you.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Well, the thing is, and on the campaign trail what
everyone's amissing now it is about rates, affordability and it
is about growing the sas.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
My question My question is how are you going to
try and convince people around a council or have a
different pace.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But it is part of it is part of answering
your question, because what I'm saying is people are recognizing that,
candidates are recognizing that. So when I'm mayor and around
the table, we'll be working on making sure we're focused
on that. Now, yes, there will be some people elected
who are aligned to a particular party. It's no different
to what it's been. I say there'll be less this
time around, but I've served under three different mayors. I've
(04:51):
seen what works, I've seen what doesn't work. And what
we have to do is get more consensus around that table.
We won't get one hundred percent agreeing, but we've got
to get more, especially on those big deals.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
What are you going to do if you don't have
the consensus, because that's what concerns a lot of us.
What happens if you have a you know, the majority
of the council that actually don't share your vision for
the city. Where does that leave you? As much?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
My vision for the city is getting the finances under control.
Everybody wants that. Everybody wants us to be open for business.
So that is my vision. So that is quite simple,
it's quite basic, and I will get people around the
table doing that because that's what they also want. It's
not about what honesty to.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Sit here and tell me that the current council that
you're a member of wants to be open for business.
I mean, that's almost a laughable comment.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
No, it's not because I'm talking about the candies. I'm
talking about the candidates that are standing, and it will
change with new leadership. The leadership that's been there has
not driven that has not led that. When I become mayor,
I will be driving that and we will have a
new council. Last time, three years ago, half the council
(06:01):
was new that, including the mayor, didn't have a clue
what they were doing. I do.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Right, we've got a call. Can you put your headphones on.
We've got a call coming in, Charlie. You've got a
question for a council of Diane Calvert, who is running
from here.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
Yeah, Hi, Diane, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Thanks? Charlie.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
You've sort of started to actually talking about what I
was going to ask, which is about alignment to politics
political parties. But I think I can slightly change my
question to you. How are you going to get counselors
to partner politics at the door and make sure everyone
is talking about Wellington because for me, this seems to
be the biggest problem.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, you'll see by the people who get elected and
including me as mayor, is that we'll have a mandate.
We'll be able to say this is what the people want,
not what a particular political party wants. And it will
be working with the council. And I do know that
you have to spend half your time working with the council.
(07:01):
You can't be away from the council that much. You
have to focus on all the council and it's working
and it's doing the deals, it's doing the negotiations. That's
what's going to have to happen and it can be done.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Thanks Charlie. How do Wellington people trust you? What do
you say to the people of Wellington that are looking
at you and saying can we trust her? She's been
on that council for a long time. She's watched all
the cycle lanes happen, She's watched the overspending of the
town hall, she's watched the overspending of the library. I mean,
how do people trust that you can give them what
(07:38):
they want?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Because people trust me now because they've seen that I
have stood up for them, and I've advocated strongly for them.
They've seen my voting record. You're not electing someone. You
have no idea what they'll do. They may say one
thing and go off and do another. You know, the
evidence is clearly there where I've advocated strongly for more
transparency around council, lower rates and trying to build that
(08:03):
trust back up with all our partners and with the public.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Can you ask me answer to this question, why did
you not run for mayoralty last time? And this time?
You really only put your name in the hat when
Ray Cheng got himself in a little bit of trouble.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
So what was no? It was it was more than
that because I put my hand up. I wasn't going
to because look.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
But you actually came out public instead, you're not going
to stand, And then you came.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Out absolutely because I could see a lot of the
funding was being sucked out by people who thought that
Ray was the answer to their prayers. Andrew Little was standing.
He had a big party machine around him, and I thought, well,
there's not much point. I don't have a big party
machine because I am I'm truly independent. But I stood
(08:48):
in July. I decided in July, and I was encouraged
actually by my daughters to step up because we couldn't
have somebody like Ray representing our city. And Andrew's policies
have fallen flat. You know, he's promising stuff that's already
been delivered, Saya Paul Well, I've done the hard yards
(09:08):
on that, say, Bigonia House, that's been done, cap Transport
fares well. Greater Wellington passed the resolution to do exactly that,
build more affordable homes. That's what the council has agreed
to do, fifteen hundred of them. So look, it was
just promises that were already being delivered. There was nothing new,
and I had something to offer the city.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Where do you sit with social housing?
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I support social housing, but it's got to be more
effective and we've got to get back to the table
with government. We can't hand it back. Some people seem
to think that we could just say, hey, government, you
take come back, because we can't. We've got a deed
of grant and I've asked. I've talked to Chris Bishop.
He says we've got no money, so it's not going
to work. But what is what's going to work is
(09:54):
we stop building trust back up with the government. You know,
this council, the leadership of this council has got off
on continually got off on the wrong side of government.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
So you won't go to the government say, look, we've
got an issue. You've got kyng or we've got social housing.
We're competing against each other. Basically, why don't we actually
make it one and sort it out. I know, I
know there's a contract in place, but surely contracts are
made to be broken.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Absolutely. And look, I wrote about this two months ago.
I wanted to have a city deal about social housing.
And it's not just about council and caying Aura through government.
It's also about some of our other social housing providers.
Now we've had Duel Trust Trust coming out a few
days ago. They have they're facing similar issues with the government.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is a number
if you'd like to call and ask Diana question, what's
your big what's your big thing? What is the one
thing that you stand for that makes you different from
every other candidate? And what are you going to do first?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Because I am ready to start running at one hundred
percent come day one, because I know the people, I
know the politics I know the projects, I know all
the plans, so I know I've got the background to
do that. And that's what the first thing I will
do is get the counselors around the table and we'll
start building that relationship that we need to have to
(11:15):
take us through and then we're going to reset our
priorities and then through that, reset our projects and reset
our budget.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
What's your one promise that we can record today and
know that you're going to do as soon as you
get in for the next budget.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I'm going to cut expenditure by five percent. And I've
been quite clear because it.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Know, does that mean you're going to cut the rates
by five percent?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
No, I'm going to cut expenditure by five percent at
a minimum. And I've been quite clear. If you go
onto my websites, which is Dyncalvert, dot and Z, I
have a Wellington Plan. I haven't got a raft of
policies that you chuck into a draw. I've got a plan.
It will take us through the next two to three
years and there are clear actions in there that I
(11:57):
will deliver.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Current Wellington City councilor and merural candidate Diane Calvert is
in the studio and she will take your calls of
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty your questions, Diane. Come
election day and someone else apart from you, becomes mayor,
how will that affect you? How will you work with them?
Speaker 6 (12:17):
Well?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Look, I've been a three term counselor, so look.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I've not standing for counsel as well.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, yeah, because I've come into this race late. So look,
I will work with whoever's there. I've you know, I've
learned how to do that over the last three terms.
There's always a bit of a settling end period. But look,
I think on the on the debates that we've been
going through, it's generally been quite convivial. So everyone knows.
We don't know what the outcome will be. So and
(12:43):
we will be working some of us will be working together.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Will you work best with? Oh?
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Look, I I can't really pinpoint that.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Now, who are you going to vote number two for?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I'm not telling you Nick and I may. I probably
won't vote number two, to be honest, only for the
for the ward which I'm in, which has three don't.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
The people that are voting for you to put you
back on council know who you perfer? Heard or work
with or who you think is going to would be.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Okay, Look, I've worked with lots of people to get
things done. You know a lot of people said, you know,
Candala Pool's gone. You know, I got fifteen out of
eighteen votes for that.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Keep saying to us that you're not going to look
after the nice to have Candala swimming pools are nice
to have. I mean, that's not going to you know,
the Pagonia houses are nice to have. They're not suff
that changes welling Tonians doesn't get our rage.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Absolutely disagree. They're part of our community. Both of those
assets have hardly had any investment in them. Candaala Pool
hasn't had an upgrade for sixty years, you know. And
this is the problem with the city. We just put
things onto the scrap here because we get bored with them,
like the city to see Bridge. We can fix them up,
we can maintain them, and they can still be there
(13:53):
for what the community wants because they're the ones paying
the bills.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Okay, put your headphones on again. We've got another question, Kathy.
You have a question for Diane Calbot.
Speaker 6 (14:03):
It's difficult to put but I'll do it as this
I can Diane how will you deal with staff and
their advice to the elected council? I have noticed things like,
you know, the city to see bridge, et cetera, et cetera.
I would like to see the council actually take over
a bit of control over perceived How.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Would thanks, Kathy Well? I think that comes down to
the leadership of the mayor being quite clear about the
standard and the quality of the information coming to us.
It's got to be neutral, and it's got to be
evidence based, and I know I've got the skills to
require that. I also think we've got a new chief
executive who is also on the same page, so being
(14:48):
able to do that together we will make a difference.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Tell me, what's your relationship with Met Proter like the
new CEO. I mean, we've asked several times for him
to come on the show. He's pretended to be invisible
for us. What's your relationship like?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I find him really responsive to all elected members. We
treat him with respect, He treats us with respect, and
so far I've been really impressed by him.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Do you think he's going to make a difference for
us in mine?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Absolutely, because he is not only internally focused, he's also
externally focused. He understands the power of relationships and of
building back trust.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
You're the only counselor that voted against the farle in Malay.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Why because simply we haven't. We can't cherry peck which
we were going to put on our future money. I
wanted to make sure that when we become a new
council and we all sit around and we decide which
projects are going to go ahead and which ones aren't.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Okay, City, Deceibridge, where do you stand on that?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Absolutely back at and I reckon it's going to be saved.
I'll bet you a drink on that one, that Nick.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Is there any of course it's going to be saved.
Is there any truth in the rumor that the reason
they want to bring it down is because of a
double decker buses can't get under it and that's the
way that that's going to go with the double deck
of us or and the bike lanes down there.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Oh well, I can't answer that one. But what I
can tell you is it's a bit like the Begonia
House and Gondala Paul. It's been left to not have
the maintenance that it needs, and that maintenance is being
done now because they know Plan B has kicked in
and the bridge is going to be saved. So they've
got to get on and do that work.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Now, what's the biggest challenge that the new mayor of
Wellington is going to face? What's the one single biggest
challenge rebuilding trust? Trust with.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
The people of Wellington, with the businesses of Wellington, and
with government and with other regional partners.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
How can we secure that trust? How can you guys
show us that we can trust you.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Because we do what we say we're going to do,
and we not only listen to what people want, but
we also act on what we hear because too often
we've all I've heard candidates say, oh, I've been listening
to what the community. Yes, they've been listening, they just
haven't been acting on what the community's asked for.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
You've been on that council table for nine years, the
last three years, how does it compare to the first
six years you did?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I would say the last three years has been similar
to the previous three years in different ways, but the
outcome has been the same. We have the council's performance
has been trending downwards and we have not been a
cohesive new units and that's been down to the leadership.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Okay, I'm going to ask you some quick questions that
I don't want you to get into big, bigger, big
Answers for yes or no to the Golden Mile and.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Why note to the Golden Mile. Courtney Place needs a
little bit of tarting up, but we don't need to
put a cycle lane through it.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Can you fix Courtney plates?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
By when's the last time it sort of reasonably late
at night? Have you walked down Courtney Place?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Ah? I can't remember late at night, but I was
there just last week about eight o'clock.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Do you reckon any of the other people that are
running for me have actually been down and had to
look at the issues that it's facing.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I'm I'm sure they have. And I think it's different
times of the day for Courtney Place, but that that
place has got to be a day night time economy
and we've got to make it work.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Can you put your headphones on again? Sorry, Diane, I've
got a question here, Peter. Can you you've got a
question for Diane calvit I need to make it quick, please, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Absolutely. Look. One of the things that I think a
lot of welling Tony into framing for in amor right
now is a real focus on a school responsibility. How
are you going to get the rest of the council
to understand that things like eighty million dollar blowouts and
(18:59):
sewarge systems and this cost on Courtney Place and the
Golden Mile thinks that the city simply cannot afford.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Well, Partly that will be up to the voters to
make sure they vote for the best people on council
that have acknowledged that. But the other thing is working
closely with our chief executive. I think he's got a
soundhead on his shoulders in terms of being fiscally prudent,
and it's making sure that we have clear evidence to
(19:30):
show that we have to get the finances under control.
We've got to make the city more liveable and more affordable.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Thanks, Thanks Peter, Diane. How are you going to change things?
As far as the polls concerned, The polls are pretty
clear that we've got Andrew Little out by a country
mile and the other three of you don't really have
a chance.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Well, we have STV and those polls don't take into
account STV. So if and if you add up some
of the other main contenders. They're votes. The number ones
are equal to Andrews, depending which pole you'll and poles
are on your snapshot in time, and both those polls
had a high number of people who hadn't determined or
(20:12):
decided which way they were going to go. So look,
from my perspective, I'm in the top two and we
will because I talk to a lot of people around
the city from all different walks of life, and yeah,
we'll see. But look, we've had surprises for the last
two elections in particular, so anything can go.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Would you walk in on the first Monday as mayor
and say I've got to cut the council staff by
two hundred people. I've got to really cut this.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
We will cut the budgets. It's the chief executive who
organizes this staff to deliver what the Council determines. So
that's why it's going to be critical that the Council
gets around the table as soon as possible, resetses, plans
and priorities, which has a flow on effect to the
budgets available.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Last comment to the people of Wellington, Why should the
people of Wellington vote Diane Calvert for Meya?
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Because I'm independent? And I'll work across the room and
I'll be up and running day one straight away. I
don't need to learn what's going on. I know what's
going on, I know what's under the hood, and I
will I'm not giving up. I've been on council for
nine years and I'm ready to lead the city.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Diane Calvit, thank you very much for coming in all
the very very best. Appreciate you taking the time out
to come on the show. Good luck, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Nick.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
At b As promised, over the next four weeks, we'll
be talking to the contenders running for the Wellington Mayoralty.
We'll go one by one, one a week from now
until the election time. Today we have Diane Calvert in
the studio. Our phone lines are open, oh, eight hundred
and eighty ten eighty if you'd like to ask her
(00:33):
a question. That's what she's here for today. As I say,
we've been joined by three term counselor Dian Calvert, who
was first elected to the Wellington City Council in twenty sixteen.
This is Diane's second attempt for the mayoralty, after also
running in two thousand and nineteen. Good morning, Good morning, Nick,
(00:53):
How are you?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I'm great and I'm glad you got the best stuff?
Speaker 4 (00:56):
First?
Speaker 2 (00:57):
There you go. You'll be about to prove to us
that you are the best contender. Tell us about the debates.
Has been a whole lot of them, and then you've
been obviously both all four of you be very busy.
I saw the Q and A one on someday. I
found it reasonably boring. Are they all been boring.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
They've been pretty much Q and a's. The candidates get
a minute or a couple of minutes to say their pitch.
There's no real debate going on between the candidates, so
that's probably why most people have been finding them a
little bit boring. It's really it's a question of just
meeting people and answering their questions, but no spark between
(01:36):
the candidates.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Are all four contenders boring?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
Well, it depends what your class is boring. But I
think people are looking for a contest of ideas and
they're looking to say, well, somebody might present an idea,
but it's not being challenged by anybody else.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
So you haven't said yes or no. Do you feel
that we're a boring group. There's no one out there
that's going to really sort of get us going. The
said going, get it moving, get it happening, go to work.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Well, yes there is, because there's me there. But what
you are looking for and what some people are saying
it's boring because there's no great big vision. But we
don't need a great big vision at the moment. We
need to get things back under control. And that sounds
very boring to some, but that's the realities that we're
dealing with.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
But we are all doing it pretty tough. You know
how tough Wellingtonians are doing. I see your articles, I
see what you're commenting about. We're doing it tough. So
we need the Council to get going and get moving
and give us that energy and give us that support.
Don't we we do?
Speaker 3 (02:41):
But what that means is it means getting the finances
under control. It means making sure that the Council does
this business as well as it can do, and it
means helping businesses and being open for business. And we're
just not doing the basics well enough. And that's what
we've got to focus on.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
How are you going to do that well?
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's really about making sure that we cut down on
the priorities that we have, cut down on the big
prog some of those bigger projects that are nice to have,
and focus on our essentials and making sure that we
are supporting business at the moment. You know, we're not
competitive here in Wellington. We charge the highest commercial rates
around the country. You know, we've got to be there
(03:18):
helping supporting a business because if we support the businesses,
we get the jobs and we get the people back
in the city.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
Can you do anything to lower the rates?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yes, we can. So we can look at what the
number of projects we've got on. We can cut down
our priorities and with that we'll reduce our expenditure and
so yes we can do that, and it's with a
focus on it not but we won't do that if
we carry on the same trajectory that the council has
been on in time to keep bringing in new projects.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
My concern is with I mean, apart from Andrew Litle,
who is definitely labor green on that side of the fence,
the other three of you, if you become mayor, you're
going to have a really big issue because the council
Wellington's always going to vote a green labor counseling, isn't it.
So you're going to have all sorts of problems trying
to lead a group that don't have the same vision
(04:13):
as you.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
Well, the thing is, and on the campaign trail what
everyone's amissing now it is about rates, affordability and it
is about growing the sas.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
My question My question is how are you going to
try and convince people around a council or have a
different pace.
Speaker 3 (04:28):
But it is part of it is part of answering
your question, because what I'm saying is people are recognizing that,
candidates are recognizing that. So when I'm mayor and around
the table, we'll be working on making sure we're focused
on that. Now, yes, there will be some people elected
who are aligned to a particular party. It's no different
to what it's been. I say there'll be less this
time around, but I've served under three different mayors. I've
(04:51):
seen what works, I've seen what doesn't work. And what
we have to do is get more consensus around that table.
We won't get one hundred percent agreeing, but we've got
to get more, especially on those big deals.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
What are you going to do if you don't have
the consensus, because that's what concerns a lot of us.
What happens if you have a you know, the majority
of the council that actually don't share your vision for
the city. Where does that leave you? As much?
Speaker 3 (05:12):
My vision for the city is getting the finances under control.
Everybody wants that. Everybody wants us to be open for business.
So that is my vision. So that is quite simple,
it's quite basic, and I will get people around the
table doing that because that's what they also want. It's
not about what honesty to.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Sit here and tell me that the current council that
you're a member of wants to be open for business.
I mean, that's almost a laughable comment.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
No, it's not because I'm talking about the candies. I'm
talking about the candidates that are standing, and it will
change with new leadership. The leadership that's been there has
not driven that has not led that. When I become mayor,
I will be driving that and we will have a
new council. Last time, three years ago, half the council
(06:01):
was new that, including the mayor, didn't have a clue
what they were doing. I do.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Right, we've got a call. Can you put your headphones on.
We've got a call coming in, Charlie. You've got a
question for a council of Diane Calvert, who is running
from here.
Speaker 5 (06:15):
Yeah, Hi, Diane, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (06:17):
Thanks? Charlie.
Speaker 5 (06:19):
You've sort of started to actually talking about what I
was going to ask, which is about alignment to politics
political parties. But I think I can slightly change my
question to you. How are you going to get counselors
to partner politics at the door and make sure everyone
is talking about Wellington because for me, this seems to
be the biggest problem.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, you'll see by the people who get elected and
including me as mayor, is that we'll have a mandate.
We'll be able to say this is what the people want,
not what a particular political party wants. And it will
be working with the council. And I do know that
you have to spend half your time working with the council.
(07:01):
You can't be away from the council that much. You
have to focus on all the council and it's working
and it's doing the deals, it's doing the negotiations. That's
what's going to have to happen and it can be done.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Thanks Charlie. How do Wellington people trust you? What do
you say to the people of Wellington that are looking
at you and saying can we trust her? She's been
on that council for a long time. She's watched all
the cycle lanes happen, She's watched the overspending of the
town hall, she's watched the overspending of the library. I mean,
how do people trust that you can give them what
(07:38):
they want?
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Because people trust me now because they've seen that I
have stood up for them, and I've advocated strongly for them.
They've seen my voting record. You're not electing someone. You
have no idea what they'll do. They may say one
thing and go off and do another. You know, the
evidence is clearly there where I've advocated strongly for more
transparency around council, lower rates and trying to build that
(08:03):
trust back up with all our partners and with the public.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Can you ask me answer to this question, why did
you not run for mayoralty last time? And this time?
You really only put your name in the hat when
Ray Cheng got himself in a little bit of trouble.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
So what was no? It was it was more than
that because I put my hand up. I wasn't going
to because look.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
But you actually came out public instead, you're not going
to stand, And then you came.
Speaker 3 (08:26):
Out absolutely because I could see a lot of the
funding was being sucked out by people who thought that
Ray was the answer to their prayers. Andrew Little was standing.
He had a big party machine around him, and I thought, well,
there's not much point. I don't have a big party
machine because I am I'm truly independent. But I stood
(08:48):
in July. I decided in July, and I was encouraged
actually by my daughters to step up because we couldn't
have somebody like Ray representing our city. And Andrew's policies
have fallen flat. You know, he's promising stuff that's already
been delivered, Saya Paul Well, I've done the hard yards
(09:08):
on that, say, Bigonia House, that's been done, cap Transport
fares well. Greater Wellington passed the resolution to do exactly that,
build more affordable homes. That's what the council has agreed
to do, fifteen hundred of them. So look, it was
just promises that were already being delivered. There was nothing new,
and I had something to offer the city.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
Where do you sit with social housing?
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I support social housing, but it's got to be more
effective and we've got to get back to the table
with government. We can't hand it back. Some people seem
to think that we could just say, hey, government, you
take come back, because we can't. We've got a deed
of grant and I've asked. I've talked to Chris Bishop.
He says we've got no money, so it's not going
to work. But what is what's going to work is
(09:54):
we stop building trust back up with the government. You know,
this council, the leadership of this council has got off
on continually got off on the wrong side of government.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
So you won't go to the government say, look, we've
got an issue. You've got kyng or we've got social housing.
We're competing against each other. Basically, why don't we actually
make it one and sort it out. I know, I
know there's a contract in place, but surely contracts are
made to be broken.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Absolutely. And look, I wrote about this two months ago.
I wanted to have a city deal about social housing.
And it's not just about council and caying Aura through government.
It's also about some of our other social housing providers.
Now we've had Duel Trust Trust coming out a few
days ago. They have they're facing similar issues with the government.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is a number
if you'd like to call and ask Diana question, what's
your big what's your big thing? What is the one
thing that you stand for that makes you different from
every other candidate? And what are you going to do first?
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Because I am ready to start running at one hundred
percent come day one, because I know the people, I
know the politics I know the projects, I know all
the plans, so I know I've got the background to
do that. And that's what the first thing I will
do is get the counselors around the table and we'll
start building that relationship that we need to have to
(11:15):
take us through and then we're going to reset our
priorities and then through that, reset our projects and reset
our budget.
Speaker 2 (11:21):
What's your one promise that we can record today and
know that you're going to do as soon as you
get in for the next budget.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
I'm going to cut expenditure by five percent. And I've
been quite clear because it.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Know, does that mean you're going to cut the rates
by five percent?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
No, I'm going to cut expenditure by five percent at
a minimum. And I've been quite clear. If you go
onto my websites, which is Dyncalvert, dot and Z, I
have a Wellington Plan. I haven't got a raft of
policies that you chuck into a draw. I've got a plan.
It will take us through the next two to three
years and there are clear actions in there that I
(11:57):
will deliver.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Current Wellington City councilor and merural candidate Diane Calvert is
in the studio and she will take your calls of
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty your questions, Diane. Come
election day and someone else apart from you, becomes mayor,
how will that affect you? How will you work with them?
Speaker 6 (12:17):
Well?
Speaker 3 (12:17):
Look, I've been a three term counselor, so look.
Speaker 2 (12:20):
I've not standing for counsel as well.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, yeah, because I've come into this race late. So look,
I will work with whoever's there. I've you know, I've
learned how to do that over the last three terms.
There's always a bit of a settling end period. But look,
I think on the on the debates that we've been
going through, it's generally been quite convivial. So everyone knows.
We don't know what the outcome will be. So and
(12:43):
we will be working some of us will be working together.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Will you work best with? Oh?
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Look, I I can't really pinpoint that.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
Now, who are you going to vote number two for?
Speaker 3 (12:55):
I'm not telling you Nick and I may. I probably
won't vote number two, to be honest, only for the
for the ward which I'm in, which has three don't.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
The people that are voting for you to put you
back on council know who you perfer? Heard or work
with or who you think is going to would be.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Okay, Look, I've worked with lots of people to get
things done. You know a lot of people said, you know,
Candala Pool's gone. You know, I got fifteen out of
eighteen votes for that.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Keep saying to us that you're not going to look
after the nice to have Candala swimming pools are nice
to have. I mean, that's not going to you know,
the Pagonia houses are nice to have. They're not suff
that changes welling Tonians doesn't get our rage.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Absolutely disagree. They're part of our community. Both of those
assets have hardly had any investment in them. Candaala Pool
hasn't had an upgrade for sixty years, you know. And
this is the problem with the city. We just put
things onto the scrap here because we get bored with them,
like the city to see Bridge. We can fix them up,
we can maintain them, and they can still be there
(13:53):
for what the community wants because they're the ones paying
the bills.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Okay, put your headphones on again. We've got another question, Kathy.
You have a question for Diane Calbot.
Speaker 6 (14:03):
It's difficult to put but I'll do it as this
I can Diane how will you deal with staff and
their advice to the elected council? I have noticed things like,
you know, the city to see bridge, et cetera, et cetera.
I would like to see the council actually take over
a bit of control over perceived How.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Would thanks, Kathy Well? I think that comes down to
the leadership of the mayor being quite clear about the
standard and the quality of the information coming to us.
It's got to be neutral, and it's got to be
evidence based, and I know I've got the skills to
require that. I also think we've got a new chief
executive who is also on the same page, so being
(14:48):
able to do that together we will make a difference.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Tell me, what's your relationship with Met Proter like the
new CEO. I mean, we've asked several times for him
to come on the show. He's pretended to be invisible
for us. What's your relationship like?
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I find him really responsive to all elected members. We
treat him with respect, He treats us with respect, and
so far I've been really impressed by him.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Do you think he's going to make a difference for
us in mine?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Absolutely, because he is not only internally focused, he's also
externally focused. He understands the power of relationships and of
building back trust.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
You're the only counselor that voted against the farle in Malay.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Why because simply we haven't. We can't cherry peck which
we were going to put on our future money. I
wanted to make sure that when we become a new
council and we all sit around and we decide which
projects are going to go ahead and which ones aren't.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Okay, City, Deceibridge, where do you stand on that?
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Absolutely back at and I reckon it's going to be saved.
I'll bet you a drink on that one, that Nick.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
Is there any of course it's going to be saved.
Is there any truth in the rumor that the reason
they want to bring it down is because of a
double decker buses can't get under it and that's the
way that that's going to go with the double deck
of us or and the bike lanes down there.
Speaker 3 (16:11):
Oh well, I can't answer that one. But what I
can tell you is it's a bit like the Begonia
House and Gondala Paul. It's been left to not have
the maintenance that it needs, and that maintenance is being
done now because they know Plan B has kicked in
and the bridge is going to be saved. So they've
got to get on and do that work.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Now, what's the biggest challenge that the new mayor of
Wellington is going to face? What's the one single biggest
challenge rebuilding trust? Trust with.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
The people of Wellington, with the businesses of Wellington, and
with government and with other regional partners.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
How can we secure that trust? How can you guys
show us that we can trust you.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
Because we do what we say we're going to do,
and we not only listen to what people want, but
we also act on what we hear because too often
we've all I've heard candidates say, oh, I've been listening
to what the community. Yes, they've been listening, they just
haven't been acting on what the community's asked for.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
You've been on that council table for nine years, the
last three years, how does it compare to the first
six years you did?
Speaker 3 (17:19):
I would say the last three years has been similar
to the previous three years in different ways, but the
outcome has been the same. We have the council's performance
has been trending downwards and we have not been a
cohesive new units and that's been down to the leadership.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
Okay, I'm going to ask you some quick questions that
I don't want you to get into big, bigger, big
Answers for yes or no to the Golden Mile and.
Speaker 3 (17:47):
Why note to the Golden Mile. Courtney Place needs a
little bit of tarting up, but we don't need to
put a cycle lane through it.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
Can you fix Courtney plates?
Speaker 4 (17:58):
Yes?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (17:59):
By when's the last time it sort of reasonably late
at night? Have you walked down Courtney Place?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Ah? I can't remember late at night, but I was
there just last week about eight o'clock.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Do you reckon any of the other people that are
running for me have actually been down and had to
look at the issues that it's facing.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I'm I'm sure they have. And I think it's different
times of the day for Courtney Place, but that that
place has got to be a day night time economy
and we've got to make it work.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Can you put your headphones on again? Sorry, Diane, I've
got a question here, Peter. Can you you've got a
question for Diane calvit I need to make it quick, please, yeah.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
Absolutely. Look. One of the things that I think a
lot of welling Tony into framing for in amor right
now is a real focus on a school responsibility. How
are you going to get the rest of the council
to understand that things like eighty million dollar blowouts and
(18:59):
sewarge systems and this cost on Courtney Place and the
Golden Mile thinks that the city simply cannot afford.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
Well, Partly that will be up to the voters to
make sure they vote for the best people on council
that have acknowledged that. But the other thing is working
closely with our chief executive. I think he's got a
soundhead on his shoulders in terms of being fiscally prudent,
and it's making sure that we have clear evidence to
(19:30):
show that we have to get the finances under control.
We've got to make the city more liveable and more affordable.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Thanks, Thanks Peter, Diane. How are you going to change things?
As far as the polls concerned, The polls are pretty
clear that we've got Andrew Little out by a country
mile and the other three of you don't really have
a chance.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Well, we have STV and those polls don't take into
account STV. So if and if you add up some
of the other main contenders. They're votes. The number ones
are equal to Andrews, depending which pole you'll and poles
are on your snapshot in time, and both those polls
had a high number of people who hadn't determined or
(20:12):
decided which way they were going to go. So look,
from my perspective, I'm in the top two and we
will because I talk to a lot of people around
the city from all different walks of life, and yeah,
we'll see. But look, we've had surprises for the last
two elections in particular, so anything can go.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Would you walk in on the first Monday as mayor
and say I've got to cut the council staff by
two hundred people. I've got to really cut this.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
We will cut the budgets. It's the chief executive who
organizes this staff to deliver what the Council determines. So
that's why it's going to be critical that the Council
gets around the table as soon as possible, resetses, plans
and priorities, which has a flow on effect to the
budgets available.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Last comment to the people of Wellington, Why should the
people of Wellington vote Diane Calvert for Meya?
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Because I'm independent? And I'll work across the room and
I'll be up and running day one straight away. I
don't need to learn what's going on. I know what's
going on, I know what's under the hood, and I
will I'm not giving up. I've been on council for
nine years and I'm ready to lead the city.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Diane Calvit, thank you very much for coming in all
the very very best. Appreciate you taking the time out
to come on the show. Good luck, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (21:33):
Nick.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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