Porirua Wellington tensions

Andrea O’Neil at Stuff reports:

Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown has been a dysfunctional embarrassment during super-city talks, and her council is selfishly crippling the rest of the region, claims Porirua City councillor Ken Douglas. …

Ms Wade-Brown all but derailed this summer’s super-city working party, Mr Douglas said at a Porirua City Council meeting on Wednesday.

”The mayor is dysfunctional. I tell you she’s something to be marvelled at. It is a total embarrassment to me to work in a party where she continually changes her mind and throws up other options.”

Since January Mr Douglas has been chairman of an amalgamation working party comprising mayors and councillors from Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti and Greater Wellington councils.

Wellington City Council at first refused to engage in the working party, but since joining, Ms Wade-Brown has done little but frustrate the group’s progress, Mr Douglas said.

”As soon as she sat down she threw sand and sawdust all over the process.”

The mayor further enraged working party members by criticising its findings the day they were released, on March 8.

This is not a right vs left thing. Ken Douglas is the former head of the NZ Council of Trade Unions.

What will be interesting to see this year is who stands against Celia. Will Labour put up a candidate??