An RNZ journalist asked some people in the Wellington CBD what they thought of the situation with the city's council and the airport sale saga. File picture. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
What do Wellingtonians think about the government's possible threat to intervene in council business over the airport saga?
Despite Wellington city's left-leaning votership and council - some residents told RNZ today they think 'something' needs to be done about their city council.
What that is remains to be seen.
Former Green Party staffer Tory Whanau was endorsed by the party when she won the mayoralty in 2022, and the council has a left-leaning majority.
Green Party MPs were voted to represent the city and Rongotai electorates, with Labour's Grant Robertson having previously held the city seat for more than a decade.
On Tuesday, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown said he was seeking advice from officials on the options available to him and thresholds to intervene in the city council.
It came after the council voted last Thursday to stop the sale of its 34 percent stake in Wellington Airport.
Wellington City councillors are holding an urgent meeting on Wednesday afternoon after Brown's comments.
So what do Wellingtonians think about this latest development in the city council saga?
The majority of people who spoke to RNZ said they were disappointed in the city council and its leadership.
A woman walking her dog said it was a difficult situation and while she did not totally agree with intervention, she conceded it might be the only solution to the council's roadblocks.
"[There's] a bit of a stalemate going on with some of the big decisions. It's difficult."
Her husband said he was worried about overreach, saying people needed to trust those elected and in positions of authority, to make the right decisions.
He said while interest from central government was a positive development, it diminished the council's power.
"It seems to give them less teeth, less authority, less impact ... if someone is just going to wade in over the top of them."
Hustling down Victoria Street, one woman expressed disillusionment with both central and local politics.
"Well, I'm not a fan of the current [coalition] government for a start, but I'm also not a fan of the council leadership that we've got at the moment either.
"I think it's a little bit too late for the council now, and if the only option is for the government bailing them out ... maybe that's the way to go ... but it might go against my values."
Another man said the council had been "weird for some time, and it's not getting any less strange".
"I don't think they should appoint a commissioner, but an observer may be a compromise."
A man on Bond Street said there was bound to be conflict when there was a right wing government and a left wing council but he thought some intervention would be good.
On Featherston Street one woman said a commissioner was probably a good idea, "because everyone seems to be unhappy with what the council is doing".
"We don't seem to be making much progress forward, just lots of steps backwards, lots of hiccups along the way.
"So, it wouldn't be great if they [the government] had to [intervene] ... but I can understand why they are."
Others said they did not know enough to comment, while a couple on Manners Street said there was another option available.
"People can get out and vote."
The flip-flop on the sale of the airport shares
On Thursday's council vote to stop the sale of its 34 percent stake in Wellington airport, people were split.
"It's quite a fraught issue, but I think it would be a good idea to have money from those shares for disaster planning," one person said.
Another said it was crazy to have pulled the plug now.
"To get that far down the track I think they probably should have continued because they spent a lot of money getting to that point. As a ratepayer, that's my money."
Others were vehemently against any asset sales - "absolutely not" - with some recalling the mass divestment of public assets in the 80s and 90s.
"I'm not a fan, although an insurance fund would be good if that's what the money ended up being used for.
"But this council is very chaotic, they change their minds a lot, it's hard to know what would end up happening."
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