The first legally blind local body politician in New Zealand history has ceded his seat at Horowhenua District Council after just one term.
Robert Ketu, 62, was first elected to represent the Miranui Ward at Horowhenua District Council in 2019 with 331 votes. This time round he received 180 votes, and was rolled by newcomer Paul Olsen with 439 votes.
Following his election to council in 2019 Ketu said he did not see his visual impairment as affecting his ability to represent his community and iwi.
In fact, he had referred to his condition as a "special ability".
"I can hear things many sighted people can't. That's why I refer to my vision impairment as a special ability," he said at the time.
A degenerative eye condition has left Ketu with just 15 per cent vision. He began losing his sight in 2008, and the condition was compounded by a medical event in 2012.
He was believed to be the first blind person elected to council in New Zealand and walks with the aid of a stick that can be folded away. He can make out shadows, and can see light through a window.
"A whole new world opened up. I had to accept that I was blind. Everyone else knew except for me. I realised there were support systems out there for people like myself to reconnect," he said.
He attended all council meetings with the aid of a support person.
There has been a blind New Zealand politician before, but that was in central Government almost 100 years ago when Sir Clutha Nantes MacKenzie won an Auckland East by-election in 1921.
Sir Clutha was a son of former Prime Minister Sir Thomas Mackenzie who enlisted in the Army in World War I and was blinded at Gallipoli.
Speaking a few days after learning he had lost his seat, Ketu said in hindsight he knew it would be tough to retain his seat given the structure of the voting system, which he said took many of his supporters off the general roll and on to the Māori roll.
"I knew it would be a hard ask because those on the Māori roll couldn't vote in the general roll...a lot of Māori would have voted for me and simply couldn't - potentially 2500 people," he said.
Robert Ketu.
Ketu said in hindsight if had also run for Mayor he believed would have helped his chances.
"I said to the whanau that strategically I might have done things a bit different. But that's how the system works," he said.
Ketu said he was proud of the way he had represented his community and his iwi during his time at HDC, including fighting to have Miranui retained as a stand-alone ward during a representative review in 2021.
He was concerned that lumping Miranui in with the Kerekere Ward of Foxton would leave the communities of Ōpiki, Tokomaru and Shannon without a voice, and joined in protest action.
Horowhenua District Councillor Robert Ketu and his nephew Dave Ketu protesting in 2021 to have the Miranui Ward retained.
"That representation review came not long after some residents in the communities of Ōpiki and Tokomaru had tried to leave the Horowhenua and join the Palmerston North District because they felt they weren't being heard," he said.
"I was proud to help stop that go through. We owed it to those communities," he said.
Ketu said he worked hard to be the voice of those communities at council. As an environmentalist he said during his time at council he had strongly advocated for improvements to the region's wastewater networks.
He was also vocal in bringing attention to the plight of Shannon business during a recent bypass of the roadworks which had closed SH57 to northbound traffic for more than six months.
Ketu said he was also proud that during Covid-19 the community rallied to form a Kai Hub to help families without food, which had continued since the pandemic.
"That was something good to come out of the ashes of Covid-19, and once again it was a community effort, a community voice," he said.
Ketu said despite not being at the table he would continue to be a voice for his community in all civic matters, like the development of the Te Maire Park area in Shannon.
"Council aren't going to get rid of me that quickly," he said, and hadn't ruled out standing for the seat again in 2025.
Ketu said he enjoyed a good working relationship with Mayor Bernie Wanden and other councillors and felt he was able to contribute to some important issues during the triennium.
Horowhenua District Councillor Robert Ketu and Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden take a seat in an electric vehicle at the new charging station in Shannonin 2020.
"While we didn't always agree, I was able to build positive relationships with all of them," he said.
Ketu said he remembered receiving a message of advice from representatives of the Māori King Tūheitia shortly after his appointment in 2019, which served him well during his time at HDC.
"His advice was to speak to the right people, talk directly with the Mayor and CEO. That was the korero...stay at the table. I took that onboard," he said.
"I'm proud of the way I have represented my community."
