Paul Eagle officially launched his mayoral campaign at the weekend. Photo / Supplied
Paul Eagle officially launched his mayoral campaign at the weekend. Photo / Supplied
ANALYSIS:
It's mildly depressing that Wellington's mayoral race has been reduced to "parks, pools, pipes, and potholes", but at least it has a bit of a ring to it.
Rongotai MP Paul Eagle formally launched his mayoral campaign at an event in the city over the weekend. He is standingas an independent candidate, endorsed by Labour.
He is pitching stability after a term of in-fighting, exploding pipes, and plummeting confidence in the council's decision making.
Eagle wants to run a ruler over council spending to reprioritise funding and get back to basics (parks, pools, pipes, and potholes).
He wants to create a new City Development Authority and a world-class arts precinct.
Policies to one side, the more interesting thing revealed at his campaign launch was the broad church in attendance. Eagle has clearly been doing the groundwork for months.
Former Wellington Airport chairman Tim Brown was there.
Brown was first appointed as a director of the airport in 1999 and oversaw almost its entire journey from part-privatisation in 1997.
He said he was about 90 per cent sure he was going to run for a seat representing the city's Eastern Ward.
He's one of several prospective independent candidates who Eagle has been talking to in recent months.
Brown said Eagle's mayoral bid was very influential in him being more inclined to run.
He said he wouldn't consider putting his hat in the ring if he thought he was going to waste the next three years in a big argument under a mayor who couldn't bring people together.
Vocal bar owner Matt McLaughlin. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Vocal bar owner Matt McLaughlin couldn't attend Eagle's launch as he was ill, but watched it online.
McLaughlin confirmed he has also been in talks with Eagle about his campaign to be an Onslow-Western Ward councillor.
He described the group of prospective candidates who have been talking to Eagle as "a pragmatic bunch of people who are not going to in-fight like the current lot".
They were not aligned with any political parties and just wanted what was best for Wellington, McLaughlin said.
Eagle stressed he was by no means their leader, but rather he had encouraged these individual candidates to collaborate during his canvassing of the city.
The mayoral hopeful wants to have pre-existing relationships with people across the political spectrum, so he's not starting from scratch if successfully elected.
"I need to build relationships with others to form the magic number."
The magic number being the all-important working majority, which current mayor Andy Foster has struggled to wrangle from day one.
There was a strong showing from incumbent leaders in the region including Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry, Porirua mayor Anita Baker, and regional council chairman Daran Ponter.
Right-leaning Wellington City councillor Nicola Young showed up as well as councillor Diane Calvert, who has already publicly endorsed Eagle's mayoral bid.
Former National Party board member and current regional councillor Glenda Hughes was also there.
Representatives from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce were there. The chamber is attending launches it's invited to, as well as offering to brief any candidates interested in discussing business policy for the city.
And then, of course, there was Labour.
Current Wellington City councillor and the next president of the Labour Party Jill Day was there.
Labour MPs also showed up, including Hutt South MP Ginny Andersen.
Wellington Central MP and Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson gave a speech ahead of Eagle's.
He later posted a picture from the launch on Instagram, along with some words which were very much on message.
"It was an extraordinary turnout of Wellingtonians from all walks of life and political persuasions," Robertson said.
"That speaks to the strong desire of people in our city for leadership that will unite and get things done."
