Hawke’s Bay Regional Council distances itself from election advertising on buses

A Go Bus Go Bay service with s logo highlighting it's regional transport connection. Photo / NZME

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has moved to distance itself from general election politics after learning council transport manager Katie Nimon’s name and image could be emblazoning council-contracted buses in the National Party’s 2023 campaign.

In a Friday afternoon statement, council general manager policy and regulations Katrina Brunton said it had become aware bus contractor Go Bus had accepted political advertising from the National Party in Hawke’s Bay and other places.

Nimon, formerly general manager of long-standing bus operation and former council-contracted services provider Nimon and Sons, accepted the council job in September 2021 and in November was one of the first candidates named by the National Party for this year’s general election. She is set to challenge Labour Party MP and Minister of Tourism Stuart Nash.

Brunton says the council can’t prevent the advertising under its current contract, and its intention is that under a new contract in 2025 such political advertising on buses would not be possible.

“The regional council is not involved in the advertising process and we don’t benefit from it,” he said.

To avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest, all regional council messaging about transport is now going through Brunton’s office.

“All transport planning and funding decisions go through my office and the Regional Transport Committee,” she said.

A date for the General Election has not been announced, but pundits are expecting it will be decided at Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s first Cabinet meeting on January 25 and the vote will be in mid-late September.

Nimon was also National candidate in Napier in 2020, when Nash increased his party’s stronghold to a majority of 5856.