A bit of inspiring news from beautiful New Zealand:
Celia Wade-Brown has become New Zealand’s first Green mayor – a moment being described as a “watershed” by the party leader.
Green Party members flocked to congratulate Ms Wade-Brown when her narrow victory over incumbent Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast was announced yesterday, with co-leader Russel Norman, former leader Jeanette Fitzsimons and MP Sue Kedgley among them.
Although Ms Wade-Brown stood as an independent, she has been a member of the Greens for more than 15 years, and becomes the first party member elected to a mayoral office.
Dame Sukhinder “Sukhi” Turner, mayor of Dunedin from 1994 to 2005, was affiliated with the Greens, but was not a member.
Dr Norman said getting a member into the capital city’s top job was a coup.
“It’s a bit of a watershed for the party. Having a Green mayor in the capital city is a bit of a breakthrough for the city.”
Getting Greens into local government was a strategy of the party, because so many important decisions were made at local and regional level, he said.