Labour MP for Rongotai Paul Eagle. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Labour MP for Rongotai Paul Eagle. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Opinion by Georgina Campbell
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
A mayoral candidate is notably missing from Labour's local body election line-up in Wellington City, which raises the question of just where Rongotai MP Paul Eagle has landed.
There is currently only one person officially running for the city's top job and that's independent candidate Tory Whanau, who announced her bid last year. Incumbent Andy Foster is yet to confirm he wants another term.
One gets the impression most people are waiting to see what Eagle will do. Despite him previously saying he doesn't intend to run for the mayoralty, many around the city expect him to.
Asked over the weekend what his current thinking was on a mayoral bid, Eagle said: "Wellingtonians are very concerned about the future of the city and many have asked me to run for mayor."
If Eagle does intend to run, the politics of doing so is pretty easy.
His speech would practically write itself. Eagle could acknowledge he has previously said he didn't intend on running, but felt in the end he didn't have a choice because the city he loves is in such dire need of strong leadership.
On Sunday Labour announced its ward candidates for Wellington City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
The fact the party is yet to make an announcement on a mayoral candidate shows there's some indecision behind the scenes.
This could be on several issues like whether Eagle is actually running, and if he is, would it be on a Labour ticket or just as a candidate endorsed by the party. Then there's the issue of a by-election for the Rongotai seat, or there could be someone else entirely in the mix.
It's impossible to know because this is all thrashed out behind closed doors.
The only candidate to confirm a bid for the city's top job is Tory Whanau. Photo / Mark Mitchell
When the nominations period for Wellington Labour candidates closed earlier this year, the party's General Secretary Rob Salmond would not say how many nominations had been received for the mayoralty, if any at all.
"Nominations for local government positions are held in confidence by the party until we've decided which candidate or candidates to support," Salmond told the Herald at the time.
"Our Wellington Local Body Committee will be considering nominations in coming weeks. As a result, I can't comment on any nominations we've received."
Asked why an announcement on any mayoral candidate was not also made yesterday, Salmond said the selection meeting only covered ward candidates.
"The New Zealand Council is making decisions around the process for the Wellington Mayoralty and we will have more to say in the near future."
In the previous local body election Labour announced its ward candidates with Justin Lester for mayor as the headline act.
Lester ran on the Labour ticket rather than as an endorsed candidate like Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.
By running on the ticket a candidate is more obviously Labour and enjoys the full force of the Labour machine behind their campaign.
A successful mayoral candidate can also rely on other successful Labour ward candidates as allies to help build a majority. In the past in Wellington, policy platforms have collectively been agreed on and announced.
But Eagle, or anyone else for that matter, would be wise to opt for a more arm's-length approach.
A strong narrative has grown in Wellington that party politics do not belong in local government and for that reason the Labour brand might be better off in the background of a mayoral campaign.
But back to what we do know- Labour hasn't announced a mayoral candidate yet and Eagle's language is softening in relation to the mayoralty.
