We’ve pro­vid­ed a set of ques­tions for the may­oral and coun­cil­lor can­di­dates to answer. First 25 words to an answer get post­ed. Check our 2013 Elec­tion cov­er­age for all respons­es as they come in.

When we con­tact­ed can­di­dates with our ques­tions, we asked them to email a spe­cif­ic email address that all the ‘ista could access so that answers could be post­ed faster. This can­di­date did­n’t use that email address. Hence the late post­ing.

After the jump, Simon Marsh for East­ern Ward.

1.    What should be the city council’s role in help­ing home­less peo­ple and beg­gars?
We all have a respon­si­bil­i­ty to care for the vul­ner­a­ble. Coun­cil should con­tin­ue to sup­port spe­cial­ist agen­cies City Mis­sion, Sal­lies, Pres­by­ter­ian Sup­port

2.    What would you do to make Welling­ton more cycle and pedes­tri­an friend­ly?
Avoid cross hatch­ing in the cen­tre of streets, share exist­ing pedes­tri­an ways with bikes. In new road projects allow for sep­a­rate cycle/ pedes­tri­an ways.

3.    How do you think traf­fic flow to the hos­pi­tal and air­port should be improved?
A sec­ond Mount Vic­to­ria tun­nel, improved Goa street and Welling­ton road and Ruahine street inter­sec­tions, Sep­a­ra­tion of East/West and North/South basin reserve traf­fic.

4.    What are your views on the sug­ges­tion Welling­ton needs to be “more than just Weta and Gov­ern­ment” – what do you think are Wellington’s strengths?
Pub­lic ser­vice fluc­tu­ates in size depend­ing on the gov­ern­ment. Film is a frag­ile indus­try need­ing sus­tain­abil­i­ty. I see poten­tial in a dig­i­tal, IT, film edu­ca­tion­al hub

5.    What will YOU do to get more invest­ment, busi­ness­es, and busi­ness con­fi­dence in Welling­ton?
Focus on remov­ing or min­imis­ing the bar­ri­ers that pre­vent pro­duc­tive busi­ness­es set­ting up in Welling­ton (or the region).

6.    What does Welling­ton need more of, and what does Welling­ton need less of?
Cham­pi­ons that tell the world that this is a great city, more peo­ple with a pos­i­tive atti­tude, less peo­ple that want to stop almost every­thing.

7.    What would your city coun­cil pro­vide for chil­dren and young peo­ple?
A safe excit­ing city that has its chal­lenges and oppor­tu­ni­ties. Ulti­mate­ly coun­cil must encour­age busi­ness so the young will have a job.

8.    What steps would you take to encour­age civic engage­ment?
Per­son­al­ly I take the “Swampy Car­a­van”  into the com­mu­ni­ty to engage. In coun­cil we need to con­tin­ue the work to bring com­mu­ni­ca­tion and engage­ment togeth­er.

9.    Tell us about your per­son­al earth­quake plan / What’s unusu­al about your earth­quake kit?
The “Swampy” car­a­van” is our emer­gency shel­ter, our cars are equipped with emer­gency back­packs, our gar­den shed con­tains emer­gency sup­plies. Remem­ber your gar­den­ing gloves.

10. Why should we vote for you?
I can do the job! Dur­ing my first term I’ve learned plen­ty and achieved suc­cess­es. With a sec­ond term I can get on with it.

11. Where can we find out more about what you stand for?
simon@swampymarsh.co.nz or phone me I’m hap­py to talk with you 021–922-196