The resolution to introduce Māori wards this week was led by deputy mayor Aleisha Rutherford, who fronted the campaign last time, and Cr Lorna Johnson. Rutherford said she had been proud of earlier efforts to create wards and stand against “the out-of-town rent a crowd” that had circulated the petition that forced the poll. She was referring to visits to Palmerston North by Hobson’s Choice leader Don Brash. She said the decision to create Māori wards honoured the council’s commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, reflected the partnership with tangata whenua, and respected the wishes of mana whenua.
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Councillors entering the chambers were given a message about the proposed increases. The larger increase was brought down through a motion from councillor Lorna Johnson, supported by housing portfolio colleague and councillor Susan Baty. Johnson said the point of the council having social housing was to provide warm, safe and affordable homes for people on low incomes. It was not doing it to make a profit and could not justify increases of nearly 25 per cent when people would not be getting more value for their money at the end of a difficult year. “It is squeezing money out of the most disadvantaged people,” Johnson said.
“None of us voted ‘independent’ in the recent general election.” The success of former deputy mayor Tangi Utikere in winning the Palmerston North parliamentary seat for Labour and his resignation from the council had sparked the need for a councillor by-election. Asquith said he would be recycling the same election signs he used last time, because he could not afford to buy new ones each time he contested an election. He said his chosen label was fine with the electoral officer Warwick Lampp of Electionz.com, so was fine with him. He was surprised the Labour Party would not be endorsing a candidate.