Alistair Boyce: Better Wellington group member says he will stand by Ray Chung after email backlash

A flurry of action has occurred over Wellington mayoral hopeful Ray Chung's campaign.

Three council candidates aligned with his ticket, Independent Together, have dropped out in just three days.

This follows criticism of an email Chung wrote, containing salacious rumours about the city's Mayor.

He's since apologised.

But Alistair Boyce from campaign group Better Wellington is standing by him.

He told Ryan Bridge he doesn't expect anyone else will leave, and they're all strong and ready for the fight.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Open homes when selling. We insist on the agency working
individual to Wellington. Now, two more candidates have ditched Ray
Shong's election ticket, Andrea Compton and Dan Millward, both announcing
last night that they will stand for Counselors independence rather
than as part of Ray's Independent Together group. Candidate Lily
Brown already said she was striking out on her own

(00:21):
on Wednesday. Alistair Boyce is from Better Wellington, which is
the group behind Independent Together the ticket, and he's with
me now, Alistair, Good evening, Good evening, fair to say
it's more independent than together at this point.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
We're all about independence. We're not too worried about the
guys striking out on their own. If they've got a
belief they can make it with their own networks and
their own campaign, then we're fully supportive of that. Are
they good candidates and they'll make good counselors, So.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
They're good candidates. They've got good morals, they've got you
know that you were all with them and they're saying
some of them that you know, good conscience can't continue
with the association, the tactics, all that sort of stuff.
I mean that doesn't reflect well on the tech, does it.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
Well. I think what they're saying is we did a
fourteen a fourteen events road show of zero rates increase,
and by the end of it, we were under so
much intense media scrutiny and public scrutiny. We were getting
up to two hundred at the end of the road shows,

(01:29):
and we had political activists and hecklers and the media scrutiny.
These guys aren't politicians. They are real people advocating real change.
And I think they found it very, very difficult in
that environment. But what that environment has given them as
a profile that they would never otherwise have.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
Do you think they regret the association with Ray Chung?
I mean, and let's not forget. Do you think the
media attention's unjustified? I mean, when you've got when you've
got a candidate who sent an email about the Meya
with pendulous breaths and tempestuous sex, this is the outcome,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:09):
No? This is a job, Ryan, you know how it
works and politics. Tory Fine admitted in the Post today
that she's bided at a time and put it out
in consultation with other political activists to damage Ray Chung's campaign.
The reality is Labor do their own internal polling, and
Ray Chung is way too close to Andrew Little and

(02:32):
they'll do anything to knock him out of the race.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
All right, Are you going to lose anyone else before
election day?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Well, if they feel as an independent that they can
get there better without our umbrella and without our support
and financial backing, then all power to them. We back
all these candidates, whether they're with us directly or out
on their own because we're not a political party.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
Yeah, fair enough. Are you aware of others that are
thinking about or have already left.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
No, I think they're all very tight and strong now.
They're totally into it and up for the fight.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
All right, it's the hearty remainers Alistair. Appreciate your time,
Elisa from Better Wellington. The group behind Independent Together, as
I said, I think probably more independent than Together at
this point.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
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