Celia Wade-Brown answers the questions
Yay, we have our first response! Thanks to Celia Wade-Brown for her answers to our questions.
1. You have 30 seconds to convince someone to come to Wellington. What’s your pitch?
Wild nature close to cosmopolitan centre! Kayak with dolphins, buy eco-fashion, eat fresh seafood, drink Fairtrade coffee and see brilliant exhibitions and inspiring theatre.
2. How do you think traffic flow to the hospital and airport could be improved?
Light rail (modern trams), flexible office hours, travel plan for hospital day shift, safer cycling, bus priority lanes, tradespeople parking permits, downtown airport check-in.
3. Where do you stand on the issue of opening up government data?
Share GIS layers between Councils, DoC, NIWA and make public. Most Council decisions and data must be open while also respecting individual privacy.
4. What plans have do you have to improve recycling/composting facilities?
Recycling wheeli-bins for plastic, paper and tins. Green bins for glass. More NZ recycling. Home compost bins, Bokashi for apartments and Kai2Compost for cafes.
5. What is your policy on street alcoholics?
Support wet house, DHB investment in treatment facilities. Look at root causes for people feeling despair, violence and alienation. Limited liquor ban not city-wide.
6. Do you support pedestrianisation of the Golden Mile? Why/Why not?
Public transport essential for workers and shoppers. Car-free peak hour bus priority then light rail. Bikes, pedestrians, street trees coexisting with good public transport.
7. What’s the last local market you went to? What did you buy?
Johnsonville Playcentre gala – yummy cupcakes and a second-hand wooden toy for Iona’s toddler. I love Hill St, Newtown, Victoria St, Tawa and Harbourside Markets.
8. Describe your bicycle, or your favourite bus route?
Scott with enough gears for going up-hill, Kevlar tyres and bright lights. Most scenic bus route is no 23 Mairangi to Houghton Bay.
9. When did you last use the library, a community centre, or a council-run sports facility?
30/8 Library on-line tonight – search of scientific journal,
30/8 Kilbirnie pool today for son’s rehabilitation.
22/8 Brooklyn Community Centre for orchard planting.
10. Would you welcome a central government driven “super-city” amalgamation of local authorities? If not, why not?
No, would Hutt or Porirua politicians be passionate about Wellington City’s ambience, arts, reserves, heritage or infrastructure? Prefer cooperation, shared services and local democracy.
11. Do you think the council has a role in fostering community websites? If so, how?
Improve WCC Community Directory. Help community groups use cycberspace. Support modest grant for Wellignton Community Net. Need Northern Network Centre for elders and disadvantaged.
12. Where do you stand on water privitisation, and why?
I’m against both water privatisation compulsory metering. UK and French examples – high prices, poor quality. Council can help schools, households and businesses reduce leaks and wastage.
13. What city overseas inspires your vision for Wellington? How?
Online and physical inspirations: Bogota – leadership, New York – greening Broadway , London – housing associations, Copenhagen – cycling, Zurich – medium density housing and public transport.
14. Is the concept of democratic representation important to you? How so?
Yes – participatory democracy, not “elect us and leave it to us”. Quality and quantity of input is important. Complex issues need community wisdom.
15. What do you think about commuunity gardens on public land?
I love them. WCC now has supportive operational policy. I’ve planted homegrown grapevines on Council, church and school land. Public gardens grow friendships.
As a supporter of the 350.org campaign, does Mrs Wade-Brown support the views expressed in the recent 10–10 campaign where a video was made depicting the murder of schoolchildren who did not agree with the need to cut carbon emissions? (This video received widespread condemnation and withdrawal of major sponsors in the UK) This video was produced by “Love Actually” director Richard Curtis.
Does Mrs Wade-Brown support advocacy groups such as Greenpeace and WWF that make propaganda videos specifically aimed to frighten children?
Does Ms Wade-Brown agree with the notion that, in order to reduce the level of CO2 in the atmosphere to 350ppm, the only practical way to do this in any foreseeable timescale is the extermination of most of the worlds population? If not, then can she provide some verifiable mathematics on how this may be achieved?
Is Mrs Wade-Brown aware that a large part of the country is becoming extremely sceptical about the science behind climate change, that it is becoming very educated on the topic, and that the dogmatic refusal of the media and politicians to accept this fact is doing them a lot of damage?
Has Mrs Wade-Brown read and understood the climategate emails, the whitewash enquiries, and the damage to the credibility of the scientists and the media and political claque that supports them?
No pressure…