Wellington mayor Justin Lester isn't ruling out another run for Wellington's top job.
The former mayor, who failed to win reelection after one term in 2019, says it's not his intention to run but he may stand depending on the other candidates.
Asked by Nick Mills if he was running, Lester said he has "zero intention" of running for the mayoralty, saying the job would take him away from his family.
But when asked if he was ruling it out, Lester replied "never say never".
"If Wellington got to a state where things got so bad and there were no good candidates and my family came to me and said we want you to do something, I might do it. I might consider it."
"If things got so bad I think I could help, who knows."
He confirmed he had been approached by the Labour Party to consider a run.
"I've told them exactly what I'm telling you".
Lester joined Mills to discuss his new Wellington Alive project, a Facebook page to celebrate Wellington and share community news.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talk SIB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right. We did say at the beginning part of the
show that we've got a special guest just unless the
former mayor coming into the studio to have a bit
of a chat. He's got this plan. Well, I think
it's a plan. We'll find out. We'll let him speak
about it. To have this Facebook page where he wants
to be positive about one of the on he wants
to put positive stories. Now he's got a lot of following,
(00:34):
over eleven thousand people, so the idea could work. Good
morning morning, Mack, So tell you tell the story, not me.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah. Look I had last year a whole lot of
people approached me saying, oh look, can we do something
a bit more positive about Wellington. Look, it's just getting
us down the constant negativity. There was a series I
think in the local media on capital crisis. Everything was closing,
but then we had all these cool local businesses. For
everyone that closed, another one opened. And I know it's
(01:03):
a tough time out there and I don't want to
step away from some of the issues have faced Wellington
and a soft market with a whole lot of public
sendence losing their jobs. But there's some great stories to
be told, some great local heroes. So I'm gonna help
tell them.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Right, is it something more going on here? Because I
mean we read I've got to ask the question. We
read in the paper pre Christmas that Labor's going to
go hell bent and find the right person to put
up as mayor and do everything. You know, You've got
eleven thousand followers, You're very well respected in the community.
People liked you as a mayor. You probably didn't get
(01:36):
the opportunity for people to turn you to love you
as Meyre because you only had one term. So have
to ask the question.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Look, then, though there's nothing more to it than a
community move and engaging Wellingtonian's really I have no intentions,
zero intention of running for the mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Teach, so you rule it out completely, You've got no nothing.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
You never say never on anything like this. But for me,
this is around timing, right. I've got two kids. I
love my kids stealing and I'm sure you do any
other parent in Wellington. I've got one daughter who's got
four more years at school, four more years potentially living
at home. Why would I go out and take a
job at selfish consumes all of my time to miss
them growing up.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Because you did it before and you probably I mean
everybody would say, you know about themselves. I'm not saying
about you. You probably didn't fulfill what you wanted to
fulfill in that period of time. So there's some there
is definitely some little things there that would make you
think twice about.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Oh look then and if there were if Wellington got
to a stay where things were so bad there are
no good candidates. And my family came to me and said, Dad, look,
we really want you to do something.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I might do it.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I consider it. That is not my plan zeronating currently every.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
You know what, that excites me a little bit because
you haven't ruled it out. So that for me is
a Wellingtonian excites me a little bit. I mean, I
must make I've got a bit tingly you know. It's
because there's a small chance that if nothing good happens,
that we could have somebody that we know in respect
could do the job.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And look, I think the counsel is trying their very best,
but look, things aren't perfect. Wellington has had a trying time.
But it's not my intention to run. But if things
got so bad, I think I could help. Who knows
has Labor contacted you?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, they have a whole lot of people have, and
I've told them exactly what I'm telling you. Yeah, I
think a bit really selfish move. When I did it,
my kids were much younger in some respects, and I
missed it. I missed them. I felt that, particularly this timmy.
You go on holiday and come back. I resented having
to go back and to do that job because it
took me away from them so much. And so I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You're one year older. Now, you're smarter, you're wiser. One
hundred and eighty ten eighty. By the way, if anyone
wants to ask justin a question, we're going to take
calls on it because you know, this whole positivity and
the whole idea. But I think you're older and wiser.
I think that would make it better. I'm not trying
to sit here and sell you the job, which I am,
but I think you're older and wiser, and I think
(03:55):
your kids would appreciate you actually being the dad that
they think you could be and could want to be. Yeah,
there there's my little sales. But but back to the
why would you call it Wellington Alive? Knowing that there's
another not so positive site that's closely named you Well.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
The funny thing about that is when I went out
and said, hey, I'm thinking about doing this, what do
people think? And everyone one hundred percent said, this is brilliant.
We want to celebrate the local heroes, hyper local stories.
We want to hear the positive and good news it's
coming out of Wellington. And then one guy came out
and credit to him. I won't mention his name here
(04:37):
because I haven't let him know. He said, how about
Wellington Alive? And I'd been thinking about that name. But
you know what the actual catalyst was. It goes back
to twenty thirteen, and it goes back to John Key
saying Wellington was dying and we don't know how to
turn it around. And I've constantly said since then, Wellington's
alive and kicking. And that's where it actually came from.
Wellington's alive. It's great. There are economic swings, you know.
(05:00):
Twenty thirteen was a downtur In twenty sixteen things got better.
You know, we had a labor government in play, and
we all know anyone who owns a business knows that
when you've got a sort of center left government, they
tend to spend a bit more. We see public servants increasing,
and so Wellington goes through a bit of a boom,
and then we have a change of government and the
opposite happens. These things are just traditional cycles. History doesn't repeat,
(05:24):
but it rhymes, and so Wellington will bounce back. But
that's the real reason. So not Wellington is dying. Wellington's
a live and kicking and so there is some similarity
with another Facebook page. It's got nothing to do with it.
It's just that was the name that I wanted. What
about vision for Wellington? What do you think? What are
your thoughts on that? Good on them? It's awesome, it's great.
You've got a respected group of Wellingtonians, many of whom
(05:46):
I know get on well with and respect coming together
around Wellington. This is a bit more organic for me,
and a bit more community focus. This is about all
of Wellington. I mean, I see some criticisms level of
vision for Wellington. That's a sort of small and select
group and I just wanted to make sure that. Look,
I just want to get in there an act, you know,
rather than talking about things just do.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
It sound like a freaking men to me? And I
tell you, I think you'd cross all barriers. We've been
enjoyed by x mayor just unless who's got a Facebook
page Wellington Alive Alive and he's doing wonderful things with it.
Just text came in said, Hi, Nick, I've voted National
all my life, but I vote for just the less
that we stood. What a great idea, that's the issue
(06:30):
we've got. You would make a great meal, right, tell
us why you've told us, why you set this Facebook
page up? How are you going to get more content,
how are you going to keep it current? And how
are you going to know what the hell's going on?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Look?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
The great thing about having a public life that I had,
you're really in touch with a lot of people, and
you meet some wonderful Wellingtonians and it helps us to
keep a pulse on what's happening in the city. People
are always reaching out to you. You walk down the
street and you bump into a whole lot of friendly faces.
And so I've had dozens of contributors already reach out.
(07:02):
I want to write content for the Arts of the Environment.
Guys used to book under the Puppet Press he's a
photographer and he's interested in Wellington's nature, it's bi diversity
and how it's all bouncing back. So he wants to
contribute as well, and so inundated with contributors. So the
great thing about this, I'll set this up be a
bit of an ambassador for it, but it all right itself.
(07:24):
And these are well respected Wellingtonians. They'll have a stake
and some of some of them have businesses and that
you know, some of the content will help promote their
businesses or will help promote events that they're involved in.
But that's great because we can tell that hyper local news.
And look, it's been a bit of a shame the
last decade. We've lost the Cook Straight News. The Independent
Heralds are going, which is great. The Valingtonian, which used
(07:45):
to be hyper local and tell local stories, that's gone.
The Post is still going, but it's harder for them
now they have fewer journalists. They can't tell those real and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
They don't do the local stories as much. No, I
mean I can't even remember them when they did a
story on the Saints, you know, a local basketball team.
Just can't even used to.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Be back page cricket. I used to love cricket growing.
I still love cricket. We used to go to Shell
Cup matches. You know, I remember that great final. I
think it was at the base and we Gavin Larsen
had a bat left handed with one hand because he
was injured, and you know, it was packed out. The
whole country was watching. Now I don't even get it.
I can't even read content about the fire. But is
that a game? Here? And yesterday yesterday here and Wellington
had no idea they lost apparently a bit of a
(08:22):
shame because they've been going okay. But I mess all
of that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We all do.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So I think there's a we get that back. Well,
we can because we can get contributors, you know, talk
to the likes of a Joseph Romanos. Shout out to Joseph,
one of the New Zealand's best sports writers, just gone
into retirement recently. Hopefully Joseph is going to come and
write some sport content for me. Oh yeah. So we've
got all these people. Eventually, at the moments of Facebook page,
(08:48):
we'll get you on Insta and TikTok and then we'll
eventually transition to some sort of digital form as well.
There's no reason why we can't be a Wellington news
channel right, And.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
There's no reason why you couldn't wait a little while,
talk to your family, sat around, talk about it and
then run for here.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Just focus on Oneington Live. I've got a day job too,
very busy managing water polo teams. Mckids love that sport
actually be out to night and I Paul on a
week in great Pool by the way, cam Will Barry
hopefully come and give me a bit of a tour,
but you know, just exploring the region. I'm having a
great life here and Wellington and what a week we're
(09:24):
having weatherwise.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
To absolutely yesterday afternoon at five o'clock I had to
go inside because I was getting burnt from sitting having
a cup of tea outside. I was burning at five o'clock.
Never heard of it before. Just a lissen. Thank you
for coming in and having a chat to us on
the show. Really appreciate the time that we do have
a little chat now and again on other forums on
the show. Appreciate your time and all the very very
best with Wellington Alive. We'll put the content on our
(09:48):
Facebook page so you can catch on and catch on
and I'm sure you'll be able to get hold of
Justin through that.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Thank you, appreciate you, thank you, Nick and all the best.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
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 Talk SIB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Right. We did say at the beginning part of the
show that we've got a special guest just unless the
former mayor coming into the studio to have a bit
of a chat. He's got this plan. Well, I think
it's a plan. We'll find out. We'll let him speak
about it. To have this Facebook page where he wants
to be positive about one of the on he wants
to put positive stories. Now he's got a lot of following,
(00:34):
over eleven thousand people, so the idea could work. Good
morning morning, Mack, So tell you tell the story, not me.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Yeah. Look I had last year a whole lot of
people approached me saying, oh look, can we do something
a bit more positive about Wellington. Look, it's just getting
us down the constant negativity. There was a series I
think in the local media on capital crisis. Everything was closing,
but then we had all these cool local businesses. For
everyone that closed, another one opened. And I know it's
(01:03):
a tough time out there and I don't want to
step away from some of the issues have faced Wellington
and a soft market with a whole lot of public
sendence losing their jobs. But there's some great stories to
be told, some great local heroes. So I'm gonna help
tell them.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Right, is it something more going on here? Because I
mean we read I've got to ask the question. We
read in the paper pre Christmas that Labor's going to
go hell bent and find the right person to put
up as mayor and do everything. You know, You've got
eleven thousand followers, You're very well respected in the community.
People liked you as a mayor. You probably didn't get
(01:36):
the opportunity for people to turn you to love you
as Meyre because you only had one term. So have
to ask the question.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Look, then, though there's nothing more to it than a
community move and engaging Wellingtonian's really I have no intentions,
zero intention of running for the mayor.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Teach, so you rule it out completely, You've got no nothing.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
You never say never on anything like this. But for me,
this is around timing, right. I've got two kids. I
love my kids stealing and I'm sure you do any
other parent in Wellington. I've got one daughter who's got
four more years at school, four more years potentially living
at home. Why would I go out and take a
job at selfish consumes all of my time to miss
them growing up.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
Because you did it before and you probably I mean
everybody would say, you know about themselves. I'm not saying
about you. You probably didn't fulfill what you wanted to
fulfill in that period of time. So there's some there
is definitely some little things there that would make you
think twice about.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Oh look then and if there were if Wellington got
to a stay where things were so bad there are
no good candidates. And my family came to me and said, Dad, look,
we really want you to do something.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I might do it.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
I consider it. That is not my plan zeronating currently every.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
You know what, that excites me a little bit because
you haven't ruled it out. So that for me is
a Wellingtonian excites me a little bit. I mean, I
must make I've got a bit tingly you know. It's
because there's a small chance that if nothing good happens,
that we could have somebody that we know in respect
could do the job.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
And look, I think the counsel is trying their very best,
but look, things aren't perfect. Wellington has had a trying time.
But it's not my intention to run. But if things
got so bad, I think I could help. Who knows
has Labor contacted you?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, they have a whole lot of people have, and
I've told them exactly what I'm telling you. Yeah, I
think a bit really selfish move. When I did it,
my kids were much younger in some respects, and I
missed it. I missed them. I felt that, particularly this timmy.
You go on holiday and come back. I resented having
to go back and to do that job because it
took me away from them so much. And so I mean.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
You're one year older. Now, you're smarter, you're wiser. One
hundred and eighty ten eighty. By the way, if anyone
wants to ask justin a question, we're going to take
calls on it because you know, this whole positivity and
the whole idea. But I think you're older and wiser.
I think that would make it better. I'm not trying
to sit here and sell you the job, which I am,
but I think you're older and wiser, and I think
(03:55):
your kids would appreciate you actually being the dad that
they think you could be and could want to be. Yeah,
there there's my little sales. But but back to the
why would you call it Wellington Alive? Knowing that there's
another not so positive site that's closely named you Well.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
The funny thing about that is when I went out
and said, hey, I'm thinking about doing this, what do
people think? And everyone one hundred percent said, this is brilliant.
We want to celebrate the local heroes, hyper local stories.
We want to hear the positive and good news it's
coming out of Wellington. And then one guy came out
and credit to him. I won't mention his name here
(04:37):
because I haven't let him know. He said, how about
Wellington Alive? And I'd been thinking about that name. But
you know what the actual catalyst was. It goes back
to twenty thirteen, and it goes back to John Key
saying Wellington was dying and we don't know how to
turn it around. And I've constantly said since then, Wellington's
alive and kicking. And that's where it actually came from.
Wellington's alive. It's great. There are economic swings, you know.
(05:00):
Twenty thirteen was a downtur In twenty sixteen things got better.
You know, we had a labor government in play, and
we all know anyone who owns a business knows that
when you've got a sort of center left government, they
tend to spend a bit more. We see public servants increasing,
and so Wellington goes through a bit of a boom,
and then we have a change of government and the
opposite happens. These things are just traditional cycles. History doesn't repeat,
(05:24):
but it rhymes, and so Wellington will bounce back. But
that's the real reason. So not Wellington is dying. Wellington's
a live and kicking and so there is some similarity
with another Facebook page. It's got nothing to do with it.
It's just that was the name that I wanted. What
about vision for Wellington? What do you think? What are
your thoughts on that? Good on them? It's awesome, it's great.
You've got a respected group of Wellingtonians, many of whom
(05:46):
I know get on well with and respect coming together
around Wellington. This is a bit more organic for me,
and a bit more community focus. This is about all
of Wellington. I mean, I see some criticisms level of
vision for Wellington. That's a sort of small and select
group and I just wanted to make sure that. Look,
I just want to get in there an act, you know,
rather than talking about things just do.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
It sound like a freaking men to me? And I
tell you, I think you'd cross all barriers. We've been
enjoyed by x mayor just unless who's got a Facebook
page Wellington Alive Alive and he's doing wonderful things with it.
Just text came in said, Hi, Nick, I've voted National
all my life, but I vote for just the less
that we stood. What a great idea, that's the issue
(06:30):
we've got. You would make a great meal, right, tell
us why you've told us, why you set this Facebook
page up? How are you going to get more content,
how are you going to keep it current? And how
are you going to know what the hell's going on?
Speaker 1 (06:42):
Look?
Speaker 3 (06:42):
The great thing about having a public life that I had,
you're really in touch with a lot of people, and
you meet some wonderful Wellingtonians and it helps us to
keep a pulse on what's happening in the city. People
are always reaching out to you. You walk down the
street and you bump into a whole lot of friendly faces.
And so I've had dozens of contributors already reach out.
(07:02):
I want to write content for the Arts of the Environment.
Guys used to book under the Puppet Press he's a
photographer and he's interested in Wellington's nature, it's bi diversity
and how it's all bouncing back. So he wants to
contribute as well, and so inundated with contributors. So the
great thing about this, I'll set this up be a
bit of an ambassador for it, but it all right itself.
(07:24):
And these are well respected Wellingtonians. They'll have a stake
and some of some of them have businesses and that
you know, some of the content will help promote their
businesses or will help promote events that they're involved in.
But that's great because we can tell that hyper local news.
And look, it's been a bit of a shame the
last decade. We've lost the Cook Straight News. The Independent
Heralds are going, which is great. The Valingtonian, which used
(07:45):
to be hyper local and tell local stories, that's gone.
The Post is still going, but it's harder for them
now they have fewer journalists. They can't tell those real and.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
They don't do the local stories as much. No, I
mean I can't even remember them when they did a
story on the Saints, you know, a local basketball team.
Just can't even used to.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
Be back page cricket. I used to love cricket growing.
I still love cricket. We used to go to Shell
Cup matches. You know, I remember that great final. I
think it was at the base and we Gavin Larsen
had a bat left handed with one hand because he
was injured, and you know, it was packed out. The
whole country was watching. Now I don't even get it.
I can't even read content about the fire. But is
that a game? Here? And yesterday yesterday here and Wellington
had no idea they lost apparently a bit of a
(08:22):
shame because they've been going okay. But I mess all
of that.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
We all do.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
So I think there's a we get that back. Well,
we can because we can get contributors, you know, talk
to the likes of a Joseph Romanos. Shout out to Joseph,
one of the New Zealand's best sports writers, just gone
into retirement recently. Hopefully Joseph is going to come and
write some sport content for me. Oh yeah. So we've
got all these people. Eventually, at the moments of Facebook page,
(08:48):
we'll get you on Insta and TikTok and then we'll
eventually transition to some sort of digital form as well.
There's no reason why we can't be a Wellington news
channel right, And.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
There's no reason why you couldn't wait a little while,
talk to your family, sat around, talk about it and
then run for here.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
Just focus on Oneington Live. I've got a day job too,
very busy managing water polo teams. Mckids love that sport
actually be out to night and I Paul on a
week in great Pool by the way, cam Will Barry
hopefully come and give me a bit of a tour,
but you know, just exploring the region. I'm having a
great life here and Wellington and what a week we're
(09:24):
having weatherwise.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
To absolutely yesterday afternoon at five o'clock I had to
go inside because I was getting burnt from sitting having
a cup of tea outside. I was burning at five o'clock.
Never heard of it before. Just a lissen. Thank you
for coming in and having a chat to us on
the show. Really appreciate the time that we do have
a little chat now and again on other forums on
the show. Appreciate your time and all the very very
best with Wellington Alive. We'll put the content on our
(09:48):
Facebook page so you can catch on and catch on
and I'm sure you'll be able to get hold of
Justin through that.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Thank you, appreciate you, thank you, Nick and all the best.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
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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