Ryan Bridge: Tony Randle is the sort of brain needed around the council table

Tony Randle was the exactly the type of person, the sort of brain, you want sitting round a council table. 

Especially given the types who now seem to occupy many of the seats.

It's very sad to hear of his passing. My condolences to his family and those who knew him well. 

For those who didn't, Tony was a councillor in Wellington. He sat on the Northern ward. 

He was the guy you'd call when you wanted to know the facts of a case. 

When you wanted to know the numbers. 

Tony was the guy who found a wee mistake in the council's modelling when they were lowering speed limits. 

Not a single councillor, or a council officer, staff member, or council-paid boffin picked up on the mistake. 

But Tony did. It was out by a quarter of a billion bucks. 

He consistently complained that the council wasn't fully funding Wellington water's project, meaning the pipes weren't getting fixed.

He was analytical and not particularly partisan. 

Too often you hear of local and national politicians getting into office who probably shouldn't be there. They've no particular skills or background that justify it. 

They're elected by a margin of a few hundred, or even a few dozen votes, by a public that doesn't really pay attention to the details. 

As a result, you get politicians who also don't pay attention to the details. 

But Tony Randle did and that's what made him special. 

Voters deserve more analytical thinkers in local government who are across the facts and the numbers, rather than ticking a box on their way to Parliament or the UN, where you get the sense a lot of them wish they could be.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tony Randall was exactly the type of person, the sort
of brain that you wanted sitting around a council table.
Is specially given the types who now seem to occupy
many of the seats. It's very sad to hear of
his passing my condolences to his family and those knew
him well. For those who didn't, Tony was a counselor
and Wellington. He sat in the northern Ward. He was

(00:20):
the guy you would call when you wanted to know
the facts of a case, when you wanted to know
the numbers. Tony was the guy who found just a
wee mistake in the council's modeling when they were lowering
speed limits in the Capitol. Remember that not a single
counselor or council officer, staff member, council paid Boffin picked

(00:41):
up on the mistake. It was out by two hundred
and fifty million dollars. Tony did. He consistently complained that
the Council wasn't fully funding Wellington waters projects, meaning the
pipes weren't getting fixed. He was only there since twenty
twenty two. He was analytical and not particularly partisan. Too
often you hear of local and national politicians getting into

(01:03):
office who probably shouldn't be there. They've no particular skills
or background to justify it. They're elected by a margin
of a few hundred or even a few dozen votes
by a public that doesn't really pay close attention to
the details. As a result, you get politicians who also
don't pay attention to the details. Tony Randall did, and

(01:25):
that's what made him special. Voters deserve more analytical thinkers
in local government who are across the facts and the numbers,
rather than ticking a box on their way into Parliament
all the United Nations where you get the sense that
a lot of these guys really wish they could be
for more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to news talks that be from five am weekdays, or

(01:48):
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio