We offered to pub­lish the answers from any can­did­ates in the loc­al body elec­tions and John Bish­op who is stand­ing in Lamb­ton Ward has stepped up.

1. You have 30 seconds to con­vince someone to come to Wel­ling­ton. What’s your pitch?

A raft of won­der­ful enter­tain­ment and recre­ation in a com­pact city – good for mind, body and soul

2. How do you think traffic flow to the hos­pit­al and air­port could be improved?

Wider roads, more buses and more space for cyc­lists. Per­haps light rail too depend­ing on cost

3. Where do you stand on the issue of open­ing up gov­ern­ment data?

Shine the light.

4. What plans have do you have to improve recycling/composting facil­it­ies?

Lids on bins to reduce rub­bish blow­ing about. Sup­port council’s new plan for kerb­side sort­ing

5. What is your policy on street alco­hol­ics?

Wet houses wherever we can sens­ibly put them. More treat­ment facil­it­ies.

6. Do you sup­port ped­es­tri­an­isa­tion of the Golden Mile? Why/Why not?

Not if that means no buses, ser­vice vehicles or tax­is. Sick and old people still need access by car.

7. What’s the last loc­al mar­ket you went to? What did you buy?

Blen­heim and chest­nuts. Hill Street and fish

8. Describe your bicycle, or your favour­ite bus route?

Cour­tenay Place to Island Bay. I don’t cycle, but I sup­port oth­ers doing that.

9. When did you last use the lib­rary, a com­munity centre, or a coun­cil-run sports facil­ity?

Last week

10. Would you wel­come a cent­ral gov­ern­ment driv­en “super-city” amal­gam­a­tion of loc­al author­it­ies?  If not, why not?

No to any cent­rally driv­en plan. Sup­port more region­al co- oper­a­tion by sec­tor. Why not region­al man­age­ment of sports grounds.

11. Do you think the coun­cil has a role in fos­ter­ing com­munity web­sites? If so, how? 

Yes as part of a free broad­band plan for the city

12. Where do you stand on water privat­isa­tion, and why?

No sale of com­munity assets. I have signed the PSA pledge on that.

13. What city over­seas inspires your vis­ion for Wel­ling­ton? How?

Mel­bourne for its spa­cious lay­out, gar­dens, and sports facil­it­ies. New York for vibrancy and diversity.

San Ant­o­nio for unique charm

14. Is the concept of demo­crat­ic rep­res­ent­a­tion import­ant to you?  How so?

Of course. Elec­ted rep­res­ent­at­ives must make the import­ant decisions, because they, not offi­cials, are polit­ic­ally account­able.

15. What do you think about com­munity gar­dens on pub­lic land?

It might work, depend­ing on where and how it is done.