Wed 13 Oct 2010 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
Kerry Prendergast After nine years in charge in the capital, Kerry Prendergast has been ousted as Wellington's mayor by just 176 votes. Celia Wade-Brown has won the mayoralty, which went down to special votes after preliminary results had Prendergast in front by just 40 votes on Saturday. Prendergast is regarded as gay-friendly and has been a big supporter of plans for the Wellington Outgames, which are being held next March. She says it has been a fantastic honour to be Mayor of Wellington for the past nine years. "It has been the best job in the world, and I will miss it," she says in a statement. "Congratulations to Celia Wade-Brown and to the Councillors elected. They have an enormously important task ahead of them as they seek to guide Wellington through some potentially very difficult times." Celia Wade-Brown Wade-Brown is a 54-year-old representative of the incredibly GLBT-friendly Green Party, who has been on Wellington City Council since 1994. Her policies include good transport choices, such as cleaner buses, light rail and active transport over costly flyovers and tunnels bringing more cars into the city, looking for parking. She is also in favour of renewable energy and community gardens. Wade-Brown does not support a city-wide liquor ban, opposed the construction of a Hilton Hotel on the "T" of Queen's Wharf, and states she fought for heritage protection on the waterfront, in the central city and in residential areas. "Our compact and beautiful capital is where we choose to live, work and play. Green hills and healthy oceans surround our cosmopolitan heart," she wrote in her pre-election profile. Another pro-environment politician has been given a seat of power in Auckland. Former Waitakere Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse has been chosen as Len Brown's deputy on the Auckland Council.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 13th October 2010 - 3:08pm