Thanks both 💜💜

Read it ... goodness that was excellent from @richardhills.bsky.social. Just brilliant comms from him: factual, intelligent, empathetic, and compassion.

Populist agendas rarely make long-term change. And most people want good progressive policies, projects, and ideas to win, even if they take time.

Here’s to another three years. I love our community and our city, no matter what people say about it - we just have to keep pushing to make it better.

I don’t get funds/direction from any political party, any donations I get for my campaign are from friends, whānau, & people who like what I do.

I encourage anyone who wants to, to stand for election. You can make a difference if you’re willing to put in the time. Negative people don’t always win.

Our council isn’t split into political teams, we approach things issue by issue. In my experience, it’s the councillors who want to work hard, collaborate, and find compromise who get the outcomes, compared to those who don’t. Which sounds straightforward, but it isn’t always easy.

investing in environment, public transport, & ensuring the next generation has access to housing.

They don’t need to be left/right issues. I think often, people try to force us into boxes, when they should be addressed by making the best decision for as many people as possible, backed by evidence.

People ask me why our community often votes more conservatively in govt elections, yet votes for me - when I clearly have progressive views on things like climate change, affordable public services, being a good Treaty partner, standing up for minority groups, celebrating diversity and inclusion,

It proves to me that sometimes hard work does pay off. Sticking strong to my values and being authentic is important. Listening to the community is crucial. People appreciate honesty especially about what we can’t do, and what we need to do to deal with the challenges we face.

I realise it’s not the Kiwi way to pat ourselves on the back or celebrate our achievements too loudly, but a lot of people have worked hard to oppose me in the past, and I feel proud of the work I’ve done over the years to get here, with the support of many, especially my family.

- I received the highest number of votes of any councillor in the city - 4,500 higher than the next.
- The margin between winning and missing out was 8,700 - highest margin in the city.
- Even with the low turnout, I received the highest vote ever for Shore councillor & doubled my margin from 2022.