Another of our long-standing politicians is stepping down from his role as a Local Board Member this election. After 12 years serving the Auckland community, Waitemata Local Board Member, Christopher Dempsey is calling it a day. With a keen interest in languages, Dempsey says while he is yet to decide what he will go next, in the interim he will be undertaking a Cambridge ESOL certificate course. “I will continue to have some involvement in local government but from a public viewpoint, rather than as an elected representative,” he says. He says that from his time in local government, he is most proud “That I was an out gay man holding local government public office. “It’s a lonely job at times,” he says “and I was ever so pleased when Simon Randall was elected, as well as Richard Hills. Of all the programs and capital works I’ve been involved in, I’m probably proud that consistently I’ve supported and championed projects that contributed towards building the world’s most liveable city – whether through supporting construction of cycle lanes, or the construction of community infrastructure such as the rebuild of the Sandringham Kindergarten.” Randall has announced he, too, will not be standing for re-election. As Auckland is on the verge of electing a new Mayor and it continues to undergo expansion, Dempsey says “The future of Auckland is much brighter I feel than what we had before the super city. “For all its problems, undoubtedly the super-city has been a great success. We have much more identity as Aucklanders, and we have more ability to create a much more liveable city than before. However, the election of Len Brown has been critical to this success. He has consistently undertaken his Mayoral duties on behalf of *all* Aucklanders, from the north to the south. In that he is to be acknowledged.”
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Monday, 12th September 2016 - 11:57am