Wellington council votes against sale of Wellington Airport stake
Thursday, 10 October 2024
The Wellington City Council has agreed to not proceed with the sale of its shares in Wellington Airport.
Thursday’s vote comes after months of back-room politics, public spats, an ideological war of words based around Māori participation in local democracy, the good and bad of public asset sales, and how much power political parties should have in local councils.
Adding to the mire, which has further divided a fractured council, was the widespread belief that it is a vote that will make or break Tory Whanau’s mayoralty.
Councillors ended up on Thursday voting nine to seven against the sale.
In the end it came down to this: councillors Ben McNulty, Nureddin Abdurahman, Diane Calvert, Ray Chung, Tony Randle, Nicola Young, Iona Pannett, Teri O’Neill and Nīkau Wi Neera voted against the sale.
Mayor Tory Whanau, deputy mayor Laurie Foon, and councillors Rebecca Matthews, Sarah Free, John Apanowicz, Tim Brown and Geordie Rogers voted for it.
Wi Neera, whose crucial vote could have tipped the scales, voted against the sale, after pleading with the council to back down from the Notice of Motion.
“It is not too late to do the right thing … let us win, but let us win in the right way,” he said.