Nikau Wi Neera: Wellington Councillor on the divided response to selling the airport shares

There's a rift in Wellington City Council's left-wing bloc over selling its airport shares.

The council today voted to approve the long term plan, with nine in favour, and seven opposed.

It included selling the 34 percent stake in Wellington Airport, with discussions on the process later this year.

Mayor Tory Whanau copped criticism from fellow left-leaning councillors for supporting the sale.

Councillor Nikau Wi Neera says the transaction is wrong.

"It's throwing away one of the very few revenue streams we actually have at council that isn't just 'your rates', for example. Local Government is pretty constrained in ways to actually do stuff."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Together due to see Ellen, Wellington City Council has dodged
government intervention in the shape of commissioners because they managed
to pass their long term plan today, which included selling
the council's shares in Wellington Airport. Now that wasn't without
some pretty hefty opposition. A Green councilor, Nico we Nearer
tried to force a second vote on the airport sale yesterday.
He wasn't successful. Labor councilor Ben McNulty had another go

(00:22):
at that today the Mayor overruled him.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
I am going to rule out this amendment out of
order understanding Order twenty one point ten f as it
would negate a motion carried at a committee meeting under
its delegated authority. Are the decision that we made yesterday.
If I could ask counselors to calm yourselves. This is
my writer's chair.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Nico wh Near is with us. Now, hey, Nico, how
are you? I'm very well, thank you. How are you feeling?
You must be disappointed?

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yeah, look, it's a bit of a kick in mcgut say,
but you know you've got to turn up to the
office in the morning, so what can you do?

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Were you happy to take the long term plan. Was
that the aim to tank the long term plan in
order to stop the sale of the airport chairs.

Speaker 3 (01:06):
No, And in fact there was a vote that I
took with some pretty great reluctance because there is actually
some solid stuff and the rest of the plan it's
just unfortunately predicated on one ginormous transaction which I feel
to be really really wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:19):
What's wrong with it?

Speaker 3 (01:21):
Well, first of all, it's throwing away one of the
very few revenue streams we actually have it Council, that
isn't just your rates for example. You know, local government
is pretty constrained in ways to actually get money to
do stuff, and the airport is one of the very
few angles we have to do that. But even more
than that, on a general principle, we shouldn't be selling
public assets, particularly ones that are natural monopolies in the

(01:44):
sense that there's only one airport and it also provides
a pretty good return.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Now, it's notable that you were in the Green Party
and the Green Party agrees with your position, which is
not to sell the airport shares. The mayor is in
the Green Party and did the opposite. Is the Green
Party angry at her? Well?

Speaker 3 (02:02):
I think the first thing that we're saying is we're
in a slightly different position because there's there's what's called
a big G and a little G. So I've gone
through a formal endorsement process and currently hold a Green
endorsement as part of my role as counselor, whereas the
mayor is not in that position. So we're subject to
slightly different positions there. But yeah, I would say, yeah,

(02:24):
that's right. So there's there's quite there's quite an active
discussion amongst us greeneers at the moment as to what
the situation is.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Is that active discussion including a possibility of blocking all
of the counselors who are aligned with the Green Party
who voted for the airport shares sale from ever standing
on a Green Party ticket.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
Again. Look, I mean, I got you know, I go
to work with these people in my colleagues. So I
won't speculate on you to speculate.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Just tell us what's happening.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Well, I'm not aware of anything like that.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
I'll come on, Ico, don't you read the papers. It
was in the paper for two days ago, if not yesterday,
saying that the Green Party was talking about possibly blocking
standing on the ticket again.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
I actually, I genuinely have not seen that. But what
I will say is that's a process we take at
election time every year. We don't tend to mess with
people in the middle of terms. So I'm not aware
of anything like that. Haven't seen the paper today. I've
been in meetings.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
So yeah, okay, what about Jordie Rodgers and Lori Foon,
both of whom are greenees as well, who voted for it?
Are I going to be in trouble?

Speaker 3 (03:31):
So? Jordy voted with me on the thirtieth of May,
messing he's against the sale of the airport. My Foon
felt differently. She has her own reasons and she's entitled
to exercise them. Ultimately, it's top time members a do.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
You think it's time to call in the commissioners or
a Crown observer.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
I'll say two things on that, so I guess the
first thing is that it's a pretty high bar. You
basically have to be non functional as a counsel for
the government to take that step. I think it's also
worth saying that the Minister has not really made any
noises about that until he was prompted by quite keen
interviewers the other thing I would say is, you know,
if you get rid of your democratic accountability, you're still

(04:13):
left with basically the exact same people running the council,
except you just plunk in some unlketed bureaucrats to run
the show. I don't think that's good for anyone. I
think you basically need democratic accountability of some kind and
I think most people run the table would agree that
our job is to keep an eye on how the
council is run and make sure everything's you know, doing well,
and to the account to the public.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
Who are these keen interviews you're talking about.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
I can't remember it was. I think the mail was
on No, I thought some of them was on. Oh,
I can't remember whichat like a couple weeks ago.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Stopt me he was on this show. If give me
the credit for god like jeez, not reading the papers,
not listening to the news, to the radio. I don't
know what to do with you, Nico, Thank you. I
really appreciate time. As always, mate, that's Niko. We near
a Wellington City Councilor

Speaker 2 (05:01):
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