September 11, 2025 • 7 mins
The ACT Party is looking to roll out some new policies as the local elections draw closer.
One key proposal involves scrapping voting rights for unelected council members - impacting mana whenua appointees and youth councillor positions.
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom has been quick to weigh in on these changes, and suggests the Government has bigger things to worry about.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now the Acts Party is rolling out policies ahead of
their first shot at local elections, and one of their
proposals is to scrap voting rights for unelected council members.
We're talking about man A Fenawa appointees, youth councilor positions
and so on. Neil Holdham is the mayor of New
Plymouth and with us.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hey, Neil, get a, Heather, how you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm very well, thank you. Did you guys have do
you have unelected positions on your council?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah? Absolutely, yeah, we've got well look they've been elected
by their own people. But yeah, we have a committee
that's got five councilors and a representative of each of
our five EWI and you know they make decisions. They
do things like road naming, allocating funds to MURRAI, they
make recommendations on a whole range of council issues and
(00:44):
it's been we've been doing it for eight years. Works
really well. And I mean I look at this whole thing.
You know, you've got these political parties in Wellington and
they're laying awake at night. You know, we've got cost
of living issues, the inability to build infrastructure. People haven't
got homes to live in, and this is the stuff
that's keeping them up at night. You know it's a joke,
(01:07):
And I mean you know that they don't the.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Cost of living for you. I mean, like it is possible,
isn't it, Because how much.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Can they can you give us an example of one
example where having an EI representative on a council committee
has caused a problem for somebody or somebody's messed out. Well,
hold on a good policy.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Didn't you just say the act Party and people in
central government should be focused on the cost of living?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah? Absolutely, okay?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So who so how many you've got five of these
mane offeneral positions?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Have you? Yes? Correct?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And who pays the wages of these man of feneral positions?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Well? Look, yeah, we pay them an hourly rate for sure,
and if we if we didn't, I think it's I
think it's about eighty or one hundred dollars an.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Hour neil eighty or one hundred eighty or one hundred
dollars an hour. That's like twice what you pay for
a senior builder. What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, I don't know. I mean, didn't we pay forty
four thousand dollars to fly a couple of prime ministers
to the top of them.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
It doesn't mean you're just as somebody else is making
a stupid decision. So anyway, point, so we're paying, we're
paying possibly up to five hundred dollars for these people
who are unelected to sit there around the council and
give their vibes on things that pushes up your rates.
Do you go cost of No, I think that.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I think what you're saying is if we if we,
if they weren't there, that we wouldn't have people in
those sets because we would be prank counselors.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So are you telling me that you have just taken
five enough positions away to put uneliketed Literally just asked
me the question Neil before you said, who are these
people taking things from? And I can tell you it's
elected positions now because you're just been.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Talking about such a minuscule amount of money on the
on the bigger picture, you know this is not going
to materially change the cost of living. Ye council people up,
you know when we pick up your rubbish, how often
we mow the lawns. Know we were replacing pipes down
the street and you've got these micro managers in Wellington
(03:05):
that now want to determine what the committee structures are
we have, What was your structures?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
What was your rating? What was your rating?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Average rate increased for newponments District Council this year was
about seven point five percent.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
That's not bad. At seven point five percent.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And what was it last year?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I was about twelve?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, okay, but but I think you know, if you're
if you're a hold on, but if you're trying to
draw a connection between you know, EWE representatives on council
and those numbers, you know, you know, I could tear
that argument to pieces here that it's an absolute nonsense.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Government have been putting non elected members on things like,
I mean, district health boards. The acting National Party were
quite happy to support those for years and guess who
they put on their non elected members? Government appointed and
they were making decisions about money. This is actually about
Mary bashing. This is about climbing over the fence and saying.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yes it is.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It's about climbing over the fence and saying we're doing
such a good job in Wellington of getting the economy going,
getting the housing built, getting the cost of living down
that we've got time to climb over into that eight
percent that counsels manage and tell them how to do it.
I'm waiting for that policy on what days we have
to mow the lawns. But we need to be told
(04:24):
trouble well, what don't we need to We get to
be told every three years the same as them by
our electorate. But they micro managers, Neil. And the reality
is if they were doing a kick ass job down there,
and then then I'd say, yep, okay, look, you know
I've got a lot to learn from you, because you
guys are smoking it. You know you're doing amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I think you make a fair point. I think you
make a fair point. But hear me out on this. Okay.
So what you're saying is it's Mardi bashing, and I
really object to that.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's not because they're used it in their example.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Well, hold on a tack. But they also use the
youth councils, didn't they the youth council say that?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
But it's I'm nearily focused because I think one.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Example, Neil, because you're you're very compelling and very likable
until you start cherry picking stuff and then I start
losing patience.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, you start cherry picking stuff. My daughters were saying
they were looking forward to the.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Sum Okay, so do you remember when Hawks Bay did
that thing, one of the Hawk's Bay counselors and they
had that you we went like we rained hell fire
on them for the youth counselor's thing. So to say
it's just Mardi bashing is not fair because when other
examples crop up, like the youth counselors, they get just
as much grief for it. And also, what I would
say to you is, I know that you you think
(05:33):
that that you can't really draw a line necessarily between
this and what happens with rates. But I would put
to you that it's an attitude problem that we have
at local council where if it's not you pay these
guys over the going rate for things and then necessary.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
People to stay aligns with government's fees. You know, they've
got a fee schedule for all of the boards that
they allocate people, and our fees are well in line
with them, so so our in terms of what we're paying,
it's consistent. But but I mean, I'll just oh, you know,
in the big picture of things, we're working really well
with Marty and it's delivering results for our people. We're
(06:12):
getting projects done, we're cutting through a lot of the
rebound you makings. Well, no, no, because what it is
is about a group of people in Wellington that you know. Well,
I'll let you know. The public decide how efficient central
government is that they're so confident in their own abilities
that they're micro know what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
You're doing that annoying thing that kids do to parents, Now, Johnny,
wasn't that good either. Well, I just want better from
both of you, Neil. I want you guys at local
government to do a better job band Central.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So are you're saying it's better not to have you
don't believe that we should be able to bring in
the people that we feel will add value.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
To our unelected positions. Get rid of all of them.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Really?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Okay, thank you for asking me, Neil.
It's lovely to chat to you. Neil hold him, but
he regrets that now I got the lone and that's
not what his daughters wanted. A mayor of New Plymouth.
For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive listen live to
news talks at B from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
Now the Acts Party is rolling out policies ahead of
their first shot at local elections, and one of their
proposals is to scrap voting rights for unelected council members.
We're talking about man A Fenawa appointees, youth councilor positions
and so on. Neil Holdham is the mayor of New
Plymouth and with us.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
Hey, Neil, get a, Heather, how you doing.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
I'm very well, thank you. Did you guys have do
you have unelected positions on your council?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Yeah? Absolutely, yeah, we've got well look they've been elected
by their own people. But yeah, we have a committee
that's got five councilors and a representative of each of
our five EWI and you know they make decisions. They
do things like road naming, allocating funds to MURRAI, they
make recommendations on a whole range of council issues and
(00:44):
it's been we've been doing it for eight years. Works
really well. And I mean I look at this whole thing.
You know, you've got these political parties in Wellington and
they're laying awake at night. You know, we've got cost
of living issues, the inability to build infrastructure. People haven't
got homes to live in, and this is the stuff
that's keeping them up at night. You know it's a joke,
(01:07):
And I mean you know that they don't the.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Cost of living for you. I mean, like it is possible,
isn't it, Because how much.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Can they can you give us an example of one
example where having an EI representative on a council committee
has caused a problem for somebody or somebody's messed out. Well,
hold on a good policy.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
Didn't you just say the act Party and people in
central government should be focused on the cost of living?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah? Absolutely, okay?
Speaker 1 (01:35):
So who so how many you've got five of these
mane offeneral positions?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Have you? Yes? Correct?
Speaker 1 (01:39):
And who pays the wages of these man of feneral positions?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Well? Look, yeah, we pay them an hourly rate for sure,
and if we if we didn't, I think it's I
think it's about eighty or one hundred dollars an.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Hour neil eighty or one hundred eighty or one hundred
dollars an hour. That's like twice what you pay for
a senior builder. What are you doing?
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, I don't know. I mean, didn't we pay forty
four thousand dollars to fly a couple of prime ministers
to the top of them.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
It doesn't mean you're just as somebody else is making
a stupid decision. So anyway, point, so we're paying, we're
paying possibly up to five hundred dollars for these people
who are unelected to sit there around the council and
give their vibes on things that pushes up your rates.
Do you go cost of No, I think that.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
I think what you're saying is if we if we,
if they weren't there, that we wouldn't have people in
those sets because we would be prank counselors.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
So are you telling me that you have just taken
five enough positions away to put uneliketed Literally just asked
me the question Neil before you said, who are these
people taking things from? And I can tell you it's
elected positions now because you're just been.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Talking about such a minuscule amount of money on the
on the bigger picture, you know this is not going
to materially change the cost of living. Ye council people up,
you know when we pick up your rubbish, how often
we mow the lawns. Know we were replacing pipes down
the street and you've got these micro managers in Wellington
(03:05):
that now want to determine what the committee structures are
we have, What was your structures?
Speaker 1 (03:11):
What was your rating? What was your rating?
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Average rate increased for newponments District Council this year was
about seven point five percent.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
That's not bad. At seven point five percent.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
That's correct.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And what was it last year?
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I was about twelve?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Yeah, okay, but but I think you know, if you're
if you're a hold on, but if you're trying to
draw a connection between you know, EWE representatives on council
and those numbers, you know, you know, I could tear
that argument to pieces here that it's an absolute nonsense.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Government have been putting non elected members on things like,
I mean, district health boards. The acting National Party were
quite happy to support those for years and guess who
they put on their non elected members? Government appointed and
they were making decisions about money. This is actually about
Mary bashing. This is about climbing over the fence and saying.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yes it is.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
It's about climbing over the fence and saying we're doing
such a good job in Wellington of getting the economy going,
getting the housing built, getting the cost of living down
that we've got time to climb over into that eight
percent that counsels manage and tell them how to do it.
I'm waiting for that policy on what days we have
to mow the lawns. But we need to be told
(04:24):
trouble well, what don't we need to We get to
be told every three years the same as them by
our electorate. But they micro managers, Neil. And the reality
is if they were doing a kick ass job down there,
and then then I'd say, yep, okay, look, you know
I've got a lot to learn from you, because you
guys are smoking it. You know you're doing amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I think you make a fair point. I think you
make a fair point. But hear me out on this. Okay.
So what you're saying is it's Mardi bashing, and I
really object to that.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
It's not because they're used it in their example.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Well, hold on a tack. But they also use the
youth councils, didn't they the youth council say that?
Speaker 2 (04:59):
But it's I'm nearily focused because I think one.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Example, Neil, because you're you're very compelling and very likable
until you start cherry picking stuff and then I start
losing patience.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Well, you start cherry picking stuff. My daughters were saying
they were looking forward to the.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Sum Okay, so do you remember when Hawks Bay did
that thing, one of the Hawk's Bay counselors and they
had that you we went like we rained hell fire
on them for the youth counselor's thing. So to say
it's just Mardi bashing is not fair because when other
examples crop up, like the youth counselors, they get just
as much grief for it. And also, what I would
say to you is, I know that you you think
(05:33):
that that you can't really draw a line necessarily between
this and what happens with rates. But I would put
to you that it's an attitude problem that we have
at local council where if it's not you pay these
guys over the going rate for things and then necessary.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
People to stay aligns with government's fees. You know, they've
got a fee schedule for all of the boards that
they allocate people, and our fees are well in line
with them, so so our in terms of what we're paying,
it's consistent. But but I mean, I'll just oh, you know,
in the big picture of things, we're working really well
with Marty and it's delivering results for our people. We're
(06:12):
getting projects done, we're cutting through a lot of the
rebound you makings. Well, no, no, because what it is
is about a group of people in Wellington that you know. Well,
I'll let you know. The public decide how efficient central
government is that they're so confident in their own abilities
that they're micro know what you're doing.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
You're doing that annoying thing that kids do to parents, Now, Johnny,
wasn't that good either. Well, I just want better from
both of you, Neil. I want you guys at local
government to do a better job band Central.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
So are you're saying it's better not to have you
don't believe that we should be able to bring in
the people that we feel will add value.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
To our unelected positions. Get rid of all of them.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Really?
Speaker 1 (06:53):
Yeah, one hundred percent. Okay, thank you for asking me, Neil.
It's lovely to chat to you. Neil hold him, but
he regrets that now I got the lone and that's
not what his daughters wanted. A mayor of New Plymouth.
For more from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive listen live to
news talks at B from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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