Candidates share their concerns
Candidates set their top priorities as voting opens for two vacant seats on the Hastings District Council
Candidates in the Hastings District Council byelection have shared their biggest concerns and priorities as voting opens up for two seats across two wards. A byelection was announced in February with the resignation of two sitting councillors, Heretaunga ward member Ann Redstone and Renata Nepe, one of three Takitimu members chosen in the district’s first Ma¯ori ward election in 2022.
Nepe has obtained a fulltime teaching employment in a kura kaupapa Ma¯ori (te reo Ma¯ori immersion school), and, according to a mayoral statement, he said that would impact his council responsibilities.
Redstone resigned following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Several notable locals have put themselves forward as candidates, including the founder of Napier’s annual IronMa¯ori triathlon and former Te Pa¯ti Ma¯ori candidate Heather Te Au-Skipworth, Destiny Church pastor Michael Ngahuka and Jason Whaitiri, brother of former IkaroaRa¯whiti MP Meka Whaitiri.
Distribution of voting papers to households began on May 2 and the voting period will last until midday on May 24. Official results will be declared on May 27.
Hawke’s Bay Today asked each candidate two questions:
1.
“What is the biggest issue facing your ward?” 2. “What is the first action you would like to take if elected?” Takitimu Ma¯ ori ward candidates
Heather Te Au-Skipworth: Did not respond in time for publication, extracts from public campaign statements made through social media are below.
“Our Te Ma¯tau a¯ Ma¯ui [Hawke’s Bay] people know I’m a hard worker, that I know how to be a voice for the people and I am well versed in politics and governance.”
“One great thing I would like to share about myself with you all is that I am out in our community often, listening, sharing and advocating for our people. I also try my best to attend as many kaupapa [matters for discussion] as I can, because being amongst our people keeps you connected. I know our people trust me and I love that they feel safe to share their struggles and their successes with me. I don’t just pop up during an election, I’m out here with our people all the time because that’s just who I am, my mum was a great role model.”
“I am a very confident speaker and have no problem challenging where challenge is needed. I actually love advocating for our people and I am very comfortable in doing so. I am diligent, consistent and a very hard worker.”
Michael Ngahuka: 1. “It’s a combination of things. You’ve seen what the Government is doing, they want to make changes to Ma¯ori wards. So
I suppose on the face of it, that would be an issue, will they continue or not? But when I think about the people of the ward, there are many issues. You are talking about their finances, cost of living, their health, their wellbeing, their culture and their identity.”
2. “My first action would be to focus on leadership and teamwork at the council level to really voice and put the heart of the people on the table at every decision.”
Jason Whaitiri: 1. “With the new Government and some of their policies concerning Ma¯ori, which are quite important to me, especially just around Ma¯ori wards. They’ve put forward a referendum. We’ve already had a couple of meetings and people
have asked us [about Ma¯ori wards] and obviously I’d like to see them stay.”
2. “What I am standing on is our Ma¯tauranga Ma¯ori, our Ma¯ori view and knowledge, sits alongside the council in whatever they do in terms of partnership. Just having a Ma¯ori voice at the table that not only represents our community but also our hapu¯ and our marae because we have about 20 marae that sit in Heretaunga and you would have seen during the cyclone, some of our marae really stepped up.”
Heretaunga general ward candidates
Hana Montaperto-Hendry: 1.
”[It’s] grossly unfair to choose one issue as the biggest in the ward. Every community has individual unique challenges. If elected I want to engage, listen and understand the community’s perspectives and concerns to address their needs effectively.”
“Unarguably, cyclone recovery and resilience, particularly the need for immediate implementation of robust monitoring and alarm systems and rates hikes, painful to many, (a ratepayer is everybody in the communities) are remarkable issues.”
2. “Listen, learn and peel back band-aids, educate myself everywhere so I wholly understand everything in council, meaning I can then be a force, question everything and contribute to empowering positive change.”
Brendan Grant: 1. “Half of our electorate would be out at Cape Coast and one of their big issues is coastal erosion, inundation and flooding. Also, in the greenbelt around Hastings like Pa¯ko¯whai and all that, there has been flooding as well so I think flooding and coastal erosion is a big one for our