Labour has selected former Wellington City councillor Fleur Fitzsimons as its candidate for Rongotai, as the electorate’s current MP and unsuccessful mayoral candidate Paul Eagle bows out of politics.
Fitzsimons was uncontested during a selection meeting at the Kilbirnie Community Centre this afternoon.
It has long been speculated she would make a bid for the seat, should Eagle run for Wellington’s mayoralty.
Eagle announced he will be retiring at this year’s general election after losing the mayoral race to Tory Whanau.
It’s not the first time Fitzsimons has vied for a seat Eagle has vacated.
Fitzsimons was elected to Wellington City Council in 2017 as a Southern Ward councillor in a by-election triggered by Eagle becoming the MP for Rongotai.
Anger over the Island Bay cycleway (which still isn’t fixed) was prominent during the by-election campaign and things turned ugly when a Nazi-themed sign was placed on Fitzsimons’ fence.
Fitzsimons went on to become a key figure around the Wellington City Council table, particularly last term.
While former mayor Andy Foster struggled with new-found leadership responsibilities, Fitzsimons found her feet.
During her time on council, Fitzsimons said she helped prevent the demolition of the Newtown Workingmen’s Bowling Club, trebled funding to sexual violence prevention agencies, prevented the privatisation of the Central Library, and fixed leaking water pipes in Island Bay.
Fitzsimons has also spent a decade working as a union lawyer and is currently an assistant secretary at the New Zealand Public Service Association.
Fleur Fitzsimons will face Green Party list MP Julie Anne Genter in the race for the Rongotai seat. Photo / Marty Melville
She has known Prime Minister Chris Hipkins since their days together at Victoria University.
“I have seen up close his work ethic and his fundamental decency as a person. His focus on bread-and-butter issues like controlling the cost of living is exactly what we need right now,” Fitzsimons said.
While Fitzsimons is Labour “through and through”, she said she took the responsibility of local representation seriously.
“There have been attacks on our democracy in recent years, now more than ever, local representatives need to stand up for members of the community no matter what their political persuasion.”
Rongotai is considered a safe seat for Labour. Eagle secured the third-highest majority of any MP in the country in the 2020 election.
But following the success of Chlöe Swarbrick in Auckland Central, the Greens are ramping up campaign efforts in some Wellington electorates.
The Greens have selected current list MP Julie Anne Genter to run in Rongotai. Genter has made it clear she wants to win the seat and her bid is not just about bolstering the party vote.
Genter has promised a ground campaign at a scale the party hasn’t run in the electorate before. Speaking to the Herald earlier this week, she said the amount of money raised and the number of volunteers willing to help had already exceeded expectations.
Current Rongotai MP Paul Eagle is retiring at the election. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The condition of rental properties and public transport will be key areas of focus in Genter’s campaign.
Genter felt she had a good profile and track record from her time as Minister for Women and as Associate Minister of Transport and Health in the previous government.
Genter said she had helped close the gender pay gap in the public service, fought for primary maternity and midwives, and delivered the clean car discount.
“People have seen me be very credible as an MP and as a Minister, and the next step for the Greens as a political movement is winning seats.”
Asked whether she considered Genter to be a serious contender, Fitzsimons said the two knew each other well and their children were friends.
