PM Luxon is ‘punching down on Wellington’, mayor says

Wednesday, 28 May 2025

In a wide-ranging interview with The Post, Tory Whanau discusses the abuse she suffered, the council unity she failed to achieve and how she should have had a term on council before diving into the mayoralty.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made some comments about local government, and Wellington in particular, which its mayor Tory Whanau has rejected.

Speaking to Newtalk ZB, Luxon said there was “way too much ideology and party politics” in local government. “Wellington should be more than just a public service town. We’ve just gone and invested $500 million in film rebates in this country.”

He said there was ambition and aspiration in Wellington, but there needed to be a council that did the basics well, such as managing water, adding Wellington Water was a “total basket case”.

Christopher Luxon said there was 'way too much ideology and party politics' in local government.

Luxon also called on Wellingtonians to vote at the October local body elections in a speech at an ANZ Bank post-Budget breakfast in Wellington.

“The good people of Wellington have to vote,” he said. “And when you look at voter turnout in local body elections running at 35% sometimes you get what you deserve.”

Tory Whanau said the PM’s comments were 'once again a blatant punching down on Wellington'.

In fact, turnout in Wellington’s last local government election was 45.4%, higher than the national turnout of 42%. It was in Auckland’s last local government election where turnout was 35.4%.

Luxon wouldn’t be drawn on who he thought should be the capital’s next mayor, instead saying “whoever is the next mayor needs to have a vision where it’s going to, they need to get the finances under control”.

Whanau, who in April said she would not run for a second term, took issue with the comments which she said were “once again a blatant punching down on Wellington”. She pointed out “groundbreaking, transformative projects are under way”.

“Just last week, we successfully passed our Long-Term Plan 2024-34 and progressed our water reforms. Perhaps he should look at his own policy choices – like the recent decision to slash pay for women on low incomes and the disastrous school lunch programme,” she said.

“We need solutions and collaboration from the prime minister, not rhetoric designed to distract from his own failings. We’re doing just fine in Wellington, and the prime minister should focus on his chaotic coalition instead.”