Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau is copping criticism from fellow councillors after a “confusing” TV interview where she muddled her message on selling airport shares - and whether she’d sold her car to help pay the bills.
Whanau, whose mayoral salary is $190,000, last week told Newstalk ZB she had recently sold her car to “kind of help pay the bills”.
“I walk to work again, my mortgage rates have doubled in the past few years – so I’m feeling the crunch as well, but I also recognise the privilege that I have.”
The mayor was challenged on that claim on TVNZ’s Q+A yesterday, with host Jack Tame asking her whether it was true she sold her car to cover her costs.
“No, I actually didn’t,” she said. “It’s a shame because it was taken out of context. It was an hour-long interview. You get a bit relaxed. The main reason, actually, was because it’s a walkable city. I don’t need a car living in the city centre.”
The story became more confused when Whanau’s office sent a further clarification after the Q+A interview finished.
In a statement to the state broadcaster, the mayor’s office said she did sell her car to help with her mortgage, as her weekly repayments had doubled.
“It also made sense to sell as it was no longer needed as she had moved into a townhouse near the city centre.”
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau speaking on Newstalk ZB’s Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills last Tuesday. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Later in the interview, Whanau was asked whether she had delivered political unity at the council table, to which she replied “it doesn’t look that way”.
“The majority of councillors that we have put Wellington first [...] there is a small few that, unfortunately, overshadow a lot of that good work because of their dysfunctional behaviour.
“I’d just encourage the public - don’t let that sort of political riff-raff take over the good work that the council is doing,” Whanau added.
Councillor Ray Chung, a vocal critic of many of the mayor’s positions, said the interview was “terrible”.
He said the story about her car being sold appeared “doubtful”.
“Tory [Whanau] was saying exactly the same as what she’s accusing the independent councillors of. So now we’re riff-raff councillors? There’s no fiscal responsibility and no one can afford to go out to support the restaurants and businesses now.”
Councillor Nicola Young said she might get the riff-raff slogan on a shirt as a “badge of honour”.
Councillor Diane Calvert accused Whanau of “pure flip-flopping”.
“If she can’t get the story right about her own car, how can she get the story right around the airport shares, the Long-Term Plan, which she was also discussing and seemed to be confused about?”
Calvert said “a lot of people” had contacted the council complaining of financial struggles amid a double-digit rates rise, and suggesting the city should cut back on “nice to haves”.
She said “alarm bells” would ring should the mayor have to use her casting vote to put the airport shares sale through.
Wellington City Councillor Diane Calvert. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
The council voted in favour of selling its 34% stake in Wellington Airport in late May while deliberating on its 10-year budget.
The issue has become contested, with several councillors pledging to change their mind. Another vote will be held on October 10, where councillors will discuss a notice of motion to halt sale plans.
The decision to sell the shares was also brought up in the Q+A interview - with Whanau having to correct herself when she “misunderstood” the question.
She initially said she did not expect to have enough support to sell the shares, which would mean the Long-Term Plan would not be progressed.
“We’ll know for sure on October 10, but I’m pretty confident [the Long-Term Plan] ... would become unviable,” she said. “I think it will be pretty devastating.”
Whanau said she would see that as a failure, and it would mean the council would have to consider cuts in other areas such as social housing and water infrastructure.
But she changed tack later in the interview, saying she had misunderstood the line of questioning.
“I think we will continue selling the shares and will continue having a solid Long-Term Plan.”
She said once councillors saw the impact of not selling shares, they would support her position.
When it was pointed out this was the exact opposite of what she earlier said, Whanau apologised: “That could have been quite scandalous.”
However, he supported her overall plan to sell them, saying Whanau was taking a “responsible approach” to the need for an insurance fund - something he deemed “critical”.
Brown added the city had spent millions on the city’s sludge minimisation facility, Town Hall, and library, and argued entities such as the Cable Car and Sky Stadium were “hugely” under-insured.
“If we can’t create the fund with the proceeds of asset sales, we need to find the money from other sources.”
Brown said he didn’t know if the LTP would pass, saying it looked very close.
”I certainly hope that a couple of those opposed put down their placards and do what is best for Wellington, rather than pushing their doctrines.”
Azaria Howell is a Wellington-based multimedia reporter with an eye across the region. She joined NZME in 2022 and has a keen interest in city council decisions, public service agency reform and transport.
