Sir Tim Shadbolt admitted to hospital in Southland

Former Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt. Photo / Stephen Jaquiery, ODT

Sir Tim Shadbolt has been admitted to Calvary Hospital in Invercargill, although his long-time partner Asha Dutt says it’s only for “short respite care”.

Dutt confirmed in an email to The Southland Tribune that Shadbolt, 76, was currently staying at Calvary Hospital.

“Tim has been admitted to Calvary for short respite care following a recent hospital stay. He is only receiving care there for a few days.”

“Tim is otherwise well and dictating book anecdotes while he has some downtime.”

Calvary Hospital in Invercargill is a 67-bed hospital which provides ‘rest home care, geriatric and medical’ services.

Shadbolt is a high-profile New Zealander firstly as an activist in his youth who was famously arrested 33 times during political protests.

Following that he made his name in politics which included spending all but three years as Invercargill’s mayor from 1993 through to October 2022.

During his last term as mayor there were questions raised about the now 76-year-old’s ability in the role.

An independent report in 2020 stated that Shadbolt appeared to be struggling to follow agendas without assistance.

Although a couple of interviewees for the report indicated it was more a situational issue rather than cognitive difficulties.

Shadbolt himself also pushed back at the time around suggestions of health issues and challenged his councillors to a fitness challenge.

Shadbolt stood again for both the mayoralty and as a councillor at October’s election but missed out on both.

With 847 votes he polled fifth out of 10 mayoral candidates and with 2928 votes was 25th in a field of 33 councillor candidates.

In November he told Stuff he was finding life away from his long-term role in local politics challenging.

He said that he missed no longer having a daily schedule to reach for.

* This story was first published by Logan Savory on his Southland Tribune site and is republished with permission