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Wellington's new mayor: Peter Jackson's support won't shape term

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 Oct 2019, 9:43AM
Wellington's mayor Andy Foster with Sir Peter Jackson. (Photo / New Zealand Herald)

Wellington's new mayor: Peter Jackson's support won't shape term

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 Oct 2019, 9:43AM

Two of the country's newest mayors are preparing to begin their new jobs. 

Andy Foster has come out on top after a Wellington mayoral election cliffhanger, narrowly winning against incumbent mayor Justin Lester by a 503 vote margin.

A first-term mayor hasn't been rolled in the capital since 1983.

Foster told Mike Hosking he was getting a clear message that people weren't satisfied with the way the city was heading.

"Feeling that the big decisions weren't being made, so yes there is a lot of expectation, and I intend to hit the ground running."

He received a big boost after being publicly backed by Sir Peter Jackson and received financial support from them. Foster says he won't let it shape his term, though he is grateful for the support from Sir Peter and wife Dame Fran Walsh.

"Obviously there are a couple of things that they are going to be conflicted on in terms of progress that they're involved in, but I am looking forward to working with them and working with all Wellingtonians."

In Dunedin, two-term councillor and Green Party candidate Aaron Hawkins, has fought off 13 other candidates to take the mayoral chains.

He told Mike Hosking continuing to build community support is a priority.

"We've seen not just in the outcome fop the mayoral election but also the council election is that community is largely happy that both the city and the council are heading and we need to build on that work that we've done over the last six years."

Dunedin is among a number of councils which used the ranking system, rather than the traditional First Past the Post.

Hawkins says the single transferable vote works well.

"I think what it does is it gives people the opportunity to, even if it's not they're first preference, to vote for someone they say 'they're ok'."

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