Council and mayoral candidates debate at the Lychgate Funeral Homes in Aro Valley, Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Kirsty Frame
Death of democracy or death and democracy? Wellington's infamous council candidate forum got even more unconventional last night wagen it was hosted in a funeral home.
A lively crowd in Aro Valley who were more than happy to tell council hopeful's what's what, and if it was measured by applause and booing - the Green party candidates won.
It wasn't a usual night, even for the suburb where for years the infamous grilling has taken place.
The local community centre is undergoing renovation so instead Lychgate Funeral Homes were happy to host.
Death jokes were aplenty. Even Councillor Nicola Young, who is running again, reminisced the last time she was inside the building was to put makeup on her late mother.
Around 100 people came for the action - but the usual water pistols weren't allowed this time so instead, candidates talking overtime were cut off by a cow bell, and then the sweet sound of the funeral organ.
Unsurprisingly, both got a lot of play last night.
Hot topics for the night were housing density, pipes, whether or not 16 year olds should be able to vote, and cycleways.
The crowd were more than happy to shout their two cents into what council hopefuls were saying or erupt in booing when they didn't like it.
Nicola Young at one point, struggling to get a word in after stating she's against 16-18 year olds voting, made a remark about manners.
Topics which received the most booing were mostly around cycleways, or rather some candidates objections to them.
But they cheered for current councillor Tamatha Paul's defence of the spending on cycleways.
"$200 million dollars into cycleways is a drop in the bucket in how much we spend on roads every single year," she said.
Tamatha Paul, who was recently Green Party endorsed, got the most roars of the night - but it's contrast from a debate earlier this week in Oriental Bay where Nicola Young was a clear favourite.
The three Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward candidates Nīkau Wi Neera, Ali Hamlin-Paenga, and Matthew Reweti were among the debate.
Candidates talking overtime were cut off by a cow bell, and the sound of the funeral organ. Photo: RNZ / Kirsty Frame
All council and Mayoral candidates were asked for their vaccination status.
Mayoral Candidate Barbara Mckenzie said she is, but immediately questioned trust in some of the vaccination brands.
Lambton ward candidate Nicholas Hancox didn't answer, but brought up sexually transmitted infections instead.
"I'll just say I'm not asking anyone when they had a STD test last so..." he told the crowd last night.
Mayor Andy Foster, and his front runners Paul Eagle and Tory Whanau were late to the evening.
The three were at a private mayoral debate, co-hosted by New Zealand Herald and the Wellington Chamber of Commerce.
But the other candidates didn't want to wait and had a brief squabble with the Aro Valley MC, Bryan Crump.
Crump then got the crowd to take a vote for whether they'd wait and continue grilling the councillor candidates.
The crowd decided to wait.
The Mayoral debate was significantly shorter - likely because the evening was already nearing 10pm.
Tory Whanau, who has never sat on the council, told the crowd she was what Wellington needed.
"I have the hugest respect for our Mayor, I have the hugest respect for my competitors, but the reality is we need a change, and I am the change that Wellington needs," she said.
If the cheers from the Aro Valley crowd last night were anything to go by, the Mayoral race will be a close run thing between Tory Whanau and Paul Eagle.
