By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter
Departing councillor Jonathan Rosene spoke in support of retaining the Māori ward in his valedictory speech. Photo: LDR / Kira Carrington
Departing councillors have voiced their support for retaining the Māori ward in their valedictory speeches at the final Marlborough District Council meeting before the election.
Councillors Matt Flight, Jonathan Rosene, and Ben Minehan, who have chosen not to stand in the election, addressed the full council on Thursday about their highlights, struggles, and accomplishments from their time at the council table.
Rosene, a native Chicagoan who was elected in 2022 and teaches at Marlborough Girls' College, spoke passionately about retaining the Māori ward.
He said that to scrap it would bring the political atmosphere of Marlborough too close to that of his home country.
"If you think for a second that the Māori ward shouldn't be here, I just have to ask you why?" Rosene said.
"We've been put in a difficult position to have to decide once again whether it's valid.
"It follows the rhetoric of everything that we see going on in the United States right now. Do we want to follow in the shadow of that at the moment?"
Marlborough District Councillors at the last council meeting of the triennium. Photo: LDR / Kira Carrington
A total of 42 councils, including Marlborough District Council, are holding a poll at the same time as the local election on whether to retain their Māori ward.
Rosene described his role on council as being "highlight of my professional career so far". He praised the work of the other councillors, as well as council staff.
"The council staff, I mean, man, I feel like I'm riding on the shoulder of giants, you guys do an amazing job," he said.
"Obviously you do it because you love it, right? ... It's not easy and maybe it shouldn't be, you know, so some of it has to come from the heart."
Flight also voiced support for the Māori ward in his speech.
"The most rewarding [moment] was seeing the councillors all take individual personal views to say yes to the Māori ward. Ka pai," Flight said.
"You all had your say and you all agreed you'd like it to stay. Let's keep that ward."
Flight spoke about his struggles balancing his council responsibilities with his fledgling business, calling it "a failure of my own success".
"I didn't realise for one second that two things would slow me down, people not paying their accounts, and the business getting bigger than I ever thought it would."
Councillor Matt Flight with mayor Nadine Taylor. Flight said he struggled to balance council with his fledgling business. Photo: LDR / Kira Carrington
Flight also spoke about the weird and wonderful of his time on council.
"The most surprising thing I found was an issue, not too long ago, bird strike. The town cried as it was covered in calling cards from 1000 birds who swear [had] just been filled with laxative," he said to laughs throughout the room.
Flight also remarked on the opening of the new Marlborough library, Te Kahu o Waipuna, noting that social media commentators criticised the lack of English signage.
"The most amusing part was the new library in all its grandeur, then the new name confusing everyone that they didn't understand [when] just a little bit of looking would have quickly answered their cries.
"My answer was very simple, [and now] it says 'library' on Google Maps."
"These are just all some of the things I'll miss ... It was hard getting here, but every time I was here, I was engaged. Except for when a lot of numbers were thrown at us and during auditing and accounting, sorry chief it was just hard to stay awake there."
Flight said he would return to council at some point, whether as a councillor or in an advisory role. He did not rule out another bid for central government following his failed campaign with Labour in 2019.
Councillor Ben Minehan cheerfully accepts his councillor plaque from mayor Nadine Taylor. Photo: LDR / Kira Carrington
Minehan praised his fellow Marlborough Sounds councillors Barbara Faulls and Raylene Innes.
"I've been very lucky to work with two excellent councillors in my ward, Barbara and Raylene. We have worked as a team to ensure we can cover as many community meetings and community functions in the term as possible," Minehan said.
"I've loved every minute of being a Sounds ward councillor."
Minehan said his highlights were working with Marlborough landowners, his work in the environment and planning committee, helping implement the Marlborough Sounds Roads Recovery project, and chairing the Working For Nature subcommittee.
"I have no doubt that the incoming council management and staff under the watchful eye of the mayor, the one that actually turns up to candidate meetings, will run a very slick operation over the next three years," Minehan said with a wink at Taylor.
"If the rural ratepayers select me to represent them again ... I'll be back," he said, reaffirming his commitment to stand again in 2028.
Taylor presented each councillor with a plaque acknowledging their service to Marlborough.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
