Unplanned political dynasty emerges
As political dynasties go, the Watson family from Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast are not particularly calculating or contrived. On October 8, John Watson was re-elected as an Auckland councillor from the Albany Ward and his 18-year-old daughter Caitlin was elected to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board.
From John’s perspective, his daughter’s decision to run for local politics was not due to any prodding from him.
‘‘She’s taken a bit of an interest in the discussions that I enforce on the family and that’s, really to be honest, why she stood. It wasn’t at my bequest, I was a little reluctant,’’ John says.
‘‘I guess it’s like a lot of things, if one of the parents is doing something, it’s their job or it’s their sport, there’s a chance that it rubs off a bit on the children and this is what certainly happened with Caitlin.’’
Despite being only 18, Caitlin says the decision to run for a seat on the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board was not made on a whim.
‘‘I have had the idea over the last few years and, as my Dad says, I’ve seen what he’s done, and, not meaning to sound cheesy, but he has been my inspiration just seeing how he’s truly represented the people has got me interested,’’ Caitlin says.
‘‘It took him a while to warm up to the idea initially but here we are.’’
With Caitlin living at home, the dynamic of having two politicians in such close quarters is also something both are now speculating about.
‘‘I think there should be good communication between our Local Board and the Albany Ward councillors,’’ Caitlin laughs.
‘‘We’ve had some meaty discussions over the last few months.’’
John says whatever turn the political discourse may take he’s not entirely confident he will have the upper hand:
‘‘I have to say it’s not always discussions of agreement. There’s often contrary views getting put up to my own. So, if anything, I try to shy away a bit because I tend to get a bit of a battering actually.’’