STATEMENT FROM LILY BROWN
CANDIDATE FOR ONSLOW-WESTERN WARD FOR INDEPENDENT TOGETHER
WELLINGTON
Wednesday 9 July, 2025
During a question session at a recent mayoral candidates’ debate (Thursday 26 June) hosted at Lulu Bar, I asked the candidates their view of party politics around the council table.
My question asked the mayoral candidates if they would sign a document that they would not consult with their political party over decisions made in the interests of Wellingtonians. Andrew Little unequivocally replied ‘no’, that he would not sign such a document. Out of the five mayoral candidates, he was the only one to answer in the negative.
I have since received an audio copy of that interaction.
Having had a chance to listen carefully to it, I now realise that my question and Andrew Little’s answer may not have been as simple as how I phrased it on social media.
Despite there being some wording differences, the essence of the question put to candidates and my post on social media are, in my opinion, clear in respect of party politics around the council table. It is generally understood that candidates who receive the endorsement of a Parliamentary political party commit to upholding the policies of that party by signing a pledge.
The Labour Party rules around Local Body Elections are outlined in the party’s 2024 constitution, and states that “any person accepting nomination as a Party candidate contesting a Local Body election must individually sign the pledge to abide by the Party Rules and Principles ….”
The Labour Party’s objectives for local government are “to elect men and women to … local bodies … for the purposes of giving effect to Party policy and principles.” Labour Party’s Principles and Objectives can be found here: https://www.labour.org.nz/party_info
In my considered opinion, there is a real appetite for party politics to stay out of our council. However, by pledging loyalty to a political party, ratepayers have witnessed over the years how Wellington city can play second fiddle to political party policies.
The question, as I put it, was more rhetorical than it should have been. However, the substance still remains: If we are to believe that Andrew Little will put Wellington first, then I think Wellingtonians would like to know how he plans to do that while being bound by the Labour Party’s rules and objectives as stated in the pledge he must sign as a Labour Party candidate.
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