Departing Wellington councillors (mostly) gracious in valedictories

Anyone who has watched Parliamentary valedictory speeches knows that they fall into twomain categories: differences are put aside and speakers are gracious, especially those on the other side (think John Key). Or politicians finally get the chance to settle a few scores and ramhome a few home truths (think LouisaWall). Rumours abounded that Thursday’sWellington City Council valedictory speeches might be in the latter category but they largely fitted into the first.

Mayor Andy Foster introduced the valedictories as being of ‘‘those who we know who are departing’’. Those who don’t know they are departing – which may or not include Andy himself – will return later.

Councillors Jill Day and Fleur Fitzsimons were gracious to both allies and opponents and both paid tribute to the leadership of the mayor. Sadly for Andy, it was the previous mayor, Justin Lester, they were raving about. In Day’s case, it was Lester who encouraged her to stand in 2016 after she advocated for a bike track at her local school. That she was the first ever wāhine Māori to gain a seat on the council does not put our city in a great light and partly explains why the council has been so keen to improve relations with the tangata whenua.

Fitzsimons told a story about saving a family from eviction from council housing and described her experience of the Wellington response to the terror attack on the Christchurch mosques – something we should be very proud of.

Fitzsimons gave an interesting take on the so-called dysfunction that has been seen on this council – especially in the first half of the triennium. She warned voters and her own executive team to not regard disagreement as dysfunction or to always seek unanimity. ‘‘We are not company directors ... but democratic representatives.’’ The important thing was to debate, but not just to debate, ‘‘decide, execute, implement and move on’’. I would argue that it’s that last part that this council could have done better.

The ‘‘most unpredictable’’ councillor – as Jill Day accurately described him – Sean Rush, is also standing down. He talked about howmuch he had enjoyed meeting new people and being outside his normal comfort zone of ‘‘rugby mates and energy lawyers’’. Nice. Rush, who has had tumultuous times both personally and politically, roused the rabble and let everyone know how excited he was about Wellington’s future. He quoted such diverse ‘‘achievements’’ as Tākina, Ed Sheeran coming, and Wellington winning the Ranfurly Shield.

After some of the bitterness and negativity that has been present at some public meetings this week, Rush’s unbridled positivity was actually very refreshing.

Simon Woolf ended his third term with tributes to fellow councillors and council officials, one of whom ‘‘was so wonderful she got restructured out’’. There is no doubt tensions exist between councillors and the executive team, although from the large number of council staff – some of whom were described by Woolf as ‘‘free and frank’’ – who were thanked by departing councillors, there is also support and friendship.

The valedictories weren’t entirely a lovefest, with Woolf nominating the Island Bay cycleway as the worst piece of council work he’d witnessed. It was also fascinating to learn how bad council wifi is and that the council room printer is about as reliable as the Wellington bus network.

So what next for our valedictorians? Gardening, golf and fond reflections of a life in politics? No way. Jill Day becomes the next president of the Labour Party, Fitzsimons returns to the union movement and should there be a Rongotai by-election she would be a highly favoured candidate. Simon Woolf is doing a David Lee and standing for a seat on the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Should he be successful, critics will be able to view the GWRC as a retirement home for WCC councillors rather than as a retirement home for ex-MPs. Sean Rush will be focusing on health and family, but is also intending to set up a public interest watchdog to investigate council policy.

Overall, it was easy to see that despite problems in the first half, many on this council get on and work well together. It’s also obvious that generational divisions exist. Thursday’smeeting also saw councillors unanimously support a grant to aWellington City Mission initiative to deal with homelessness but we tend to hear more about the squabbles than the amity.

Yet the fact that all the departing councillors are pursuing different political avenuesmay be a result of some of the tensions we’ve seen over the last three years. These are people who wish to continue to work in the political arena but perhaps not on the council.

My best wishes to the departing councillors. Perhaps the best advice I can give to incoming ones, judging by the goodnatured tone of Thursday’smeeting, is to by all means be true to your principles, but be nice to each other and have a bit of fun now and again. Life is too short for anything else.

Dave Armstrong is a playwright and satirist based in Wellington