Promising strong, positive leadership
Marcus Lush
Age: 57 Occupation: Broadcaster Marital status: Partner with two children
What sets you apart from the other mayoral candidates?
My positivity for this city, and my ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal. I have lived here for 20 years and have a vision to make Invercargill the most welcoming city in New Zealand. We can make Invercargill the best city in New Zealand for people to move to and raise families — attracting muchneeded professionals and fostering new businesses. I have the profile, the communication skills and the stickability to lead the council and make this happen.
How would you promote function and unity within the council governance team?
I will provide strong leadership that creates a positive culture around the council table — taking on board the lessons learned last term, with more community engagement and increased understanding of the issues affecting our communities. I listen for a living, and will value the people around the council table, and use their skills, to ensure a highly functioning council which is responsive to city residents.
What are your personal views on the Three Waters reforms?
As mayor my view is not the most important thing — the important thing is to achieve strong consensus on the best way forward, and negotiate the best deal we can for the city. Strong and stable leadership will allow us to leverage the city’s strong Three Waters position by working proactively with central government to deliver the best value and services to ratepayers — while also ensuring Invercargill is futureproofed for climate change.
How would you promote Invercargill as a place to live and work?
I’ve been continuously promoting Invercargill and Bluff to the rest of New Zealand for the past 20 years. We need to sell Invercargill to the rest of New Zealand and the world as the most welcoming city — let’s be known for our thriving communities, worldclass facilities (including a massive children’s playground tied into the new museum in Queens Park), innercity vibrancy and clean energy opportunities. I will develop Bluff’s full potential by listening to residents and developing a communityled approach that builds on existing strengths from where tourism opportunities will follow.
What do you believe the problems are with the existing Local Government Act and how would you fix it?
The Local Government Act is not the problem — it’s how councils are using it. There is a huge amount of room to improve community engagement in Invercargill, and we should not accept the bare minimum being done. When it comes to the Local Electoral Act, I believe a change to single transferable vote (STV) would result in more communityminded people getting elected to councils. It just seems fairer, as it means people have to think harder about who they vote for as they rank candidates — rather than just going with name recognition.