Mayoral runners reveal main donors – except the ‘transparency’ champions who won’t
Monday, 8 September 2025
Most of Wellington’s main mayoral candidates talk a big transparency game, but only two will reveal their major financial backers are before you cast your vote.
Andrew Little, Ray Chung, Diane Calvert, Karl Tiefenbacher and Alex Baker – the five candidates who, in that order, topped the only mayoral poll – were asked to reveal the donors who have give $1500 or more ahead of voting in the Wellington City Council elections opening Tuesday.
Candidates are legally obliged to reveal the identity of such donors, but not until 55 days after the declaration of results. The Post asked candidates to move this forward so voters know who the big money is behind their campaigns.
Only Little and Baker accepted the challenge.
Little is running on the Labour ticket and his, perhaps, most surprising donation is $2000 from former National MP and minister Chris Finlayson. Little has also been given $5000 a piece from the Dairy Workers, Maritime, Amalgamated Workers and E tū unions.
Property developer Ian Cassels gave $5000, while businessman Chris Parkin gave $2500. Former Labour Minister and Rongotai MP Annette King and husband Ray Lind gave $2500.
There were also sub-$1500 donations, with the “vast majority” between $25 and $100, Little said.
“I'm campaigning on a platform of greater transparency and accountability, so it’s important I model that in my own campaign.”
The campaign is still open to further donations.
Finlayson said he was backing Little after working with him in 2016 and 2017 on intelligence reforms. Finlayson was the National minister in charge of intelligence services at the time and Little was the Labour leader.
Little was above “petty partisan politics and put the nation first” then, said Finlayson, who believed he would take the same approach to council.
Baker, who said the council was already “very transparent”, has received $6250 from his parents and $2700 in small donations ‒ but he and his partner are largely self-funding the campaign.
Little should disclose the Labour Party as a major donor for the “in-kind” support it was providing, he believed.
A spokesperson for Little’s campaign said the only support he got from getting a Labour endorsement was access to the party’s volunteer network. The was no paid staff time or direct financial support from the party.
Calvert’s campaign website promises: “As your city councillor, I speak up for transparency and delivering value to all residents and businesses in our city.”
Of those who refused to release donor identities, she was the most transparent in saying had one $2000 donation. She would not reveal the donor’s identity until the statutory post-election deadline.
“I’m still running a ‘no frills’ camaign as I will with a council budget. However, I continue to welcome further donations either under or over $1500.”
Tiefenbacher – whose campaign website pledges he will govern with “transparency and integrity” – would not reveal donors before required as it was not for him to make a call about donors’ rights. He said he had no donations above $3000 and was self-funding most of his campaign.
Chung is running for the mayoralty in the group Independent Together, which promises a “stronger, smarter, and more accountable council”. He did not respond to a request for his big donations. but previously only promised to “comply with legal requirements”.
* Clarification: An earlier version of this story said Calvert had a $3500 donation. It was in fact $2000. Incorrect information was supplied. (Amended September 8, 2025 at 8.48am)