Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau opens up on Havana Bar incident leading to decision to quit alcohol

Wednesday, 6 December 2023

Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has spoken about the incident at Havana Bar which led to the public announcement that she would quit drinking.    

Whanau acknowledged that there were serious rumours surrounding her actions at Havana Bar that had emerged since she publicly announced she had a problem with alcohol.  

'There’s a lot of speculation but all I can say is I was out, I was intoxicated, and I shortly admitted to a drinking problem,' Whanau told NZ Herald.   

The mayor wouldn't be drawn into discussing the specifics of the rumours nor what had happened on the night in question.  

There were a number of unverified reports of a video of Whanau at Havana Bar on November 18, but evidence is yet to emerge and the rumours remain unsubstantiated.    

In a statement last week, Whanau said: 'After an incident where I was drunk in public, which to my great embarrassment and shame seems to have been recorded, I sought counsel from my friends, family and colleagues and have since sought professional help.'   

During the interview, Whanau confirmed she had not seen a video from the night in question: 'There wasn’t like an incident that I was embarrassed about, it was more that my personal journey has been made public and that in itself was quite challenging for me'.   

She would not disclose what had happened at the bar, who she was with, or why she was there.    

Though she is now seeking help, she said her drinking problem has not impacted her professional dealings with people or her attendance at meetings and appointments.   

Several Wellington City Councillors have called for her resignation since the announcement, with Councillor Nicola Young saying the mayor's admission isn't a surprise and she needs to 'walk away' and focus on her health.     

Whanau told the Herald she has not considered resigning in recent weeks and wants to serve the full three terms as mayor if she is re-elected. 

She believed that the spotlight on the controversy has made her more resilient and stronger.    

She also disagreed that her alcohol problem had eroded trust in herself and the council.   

While she wouldn't go into details about the nature of her relationship with alcohol or the type of help she would be getting, she said that admitting it was a problem had been a huge weight off her shoulders.   

'It’s similar to the experience of others who go through this, once they can admit something like that to themselves, and get professional help, and then letting others in to support you, it’s a very lifting experience.'