News from PSA
Almost two million dollars will have been taken out of the Wellington City Council’s libraries budget over the past three years if another round of cuts goes ahead, according to the Public Service Association. Read more »

Wellington.Scoop
City councillor John Morrison has decided to stand against Celia Wade-Brown for the Wellington mayoralty, according to a DomPost report this morning. Read more »

Press Release – Local Government Commission
The Local Government Commission has received an application to reorganise the three Wairarapa local authorities into a single council. It has also spelled out the process that must now be followed. Read more »

by David Underwood
John Key was wrong again. Wellington is not dying. It may be resting on its laurels but it’s certainly not dying. Read more »

Press Release – Working Party on Local Govt Reform – Wellington
Almost 2000 submissions have been received by the four Wellington councils consulting on possible change to the region’s local government, demonstrating support for change. Read more »

Joint media release
Hutt Valley’s two city councils will ask residents for their views on the future of regional governance in a combined consultation beginning on Tuesday 28 May. Read more »

Media release from J&Y Media
Wellington mayoral candidate Jack Yan has welcomed Prime Minister John Key’s caution that Wellington is being put under sustained pressure, and is calling on incumbent Celia Wade-Brown to hold a public debate about her plans for leading a revival of the city’s prospects. Read more »

Media release from JY&A Media
Wellington mayoral candidate Jack Yan has responded to Prime Minister John Key’s earlier comments about the city ‘dying’. While he acknowledges that the Prime Minister has since quickly backtracked on his comments, he believes that Wellington has the right ingredients to be an economic and cultural leader. Read more »

by Lindsay Shelton
A brief news release about local body candidates has attracted a surprising amount of attention. Most of the comments have focused on Leonie Gill, a Rongotai resident who’s been a city councillor for 15 years and is hoping to be re-elected. Read more »

Report by Alan Tristram from Kapiti Independent News
The best-kept secret on the Kapiti Coast is outed today — Councillor K Gurunathan, popularly known as Guru, has apparently thrown his hat in the ring for the Kapiti mayoralty. But he has still made no direct statement. Read more »

News release from Nicola Young
I will be standing for Lambton Ward in this year’s local body elections, because I’m concerned Wellington is languishing behind Auckland and Christchurch, with the danger of turning into another Canberra – with businesses leaving, and the risk the city will become totally dependent on government departments. Read more »

News from NZ Labour Party
The Labour Party last week announced five outstanding candidates to contest this year’s Wellington local body elections with a focus on putting democracy back into local government. Read more »

News from NZ National Party
Career diplomat Paul Foster-Bell is set to return from overseas next month to become the National Party’s newest parliamentarian. Read more »

Wellington.Scoop
Fran Wilde and her supporters are ramping up their campaign for the Wellington region to merge into one super city. But her fierce powers of persuasion have not been able to silence the voices of dissent. Read more »

Media statement from Paul Quinn
With the resignation of my former colleague Dr Jackie Blue I am the next eligible member of the National Party list to fill the vacancy her resignation has created. Read more »

Press Release – Roy Morgan Research
Today’s New Zealand Roy Morgan Poll shows a substantial fall in support for Prime Minister John Key’s National Party to 40.5% (down 3.5% since March 11-24, 2013). Support for Key’s Coalition partners shows the Maori Party 2% (down 0.5%), ACT NZ 0.5% (unchanged) and United Future 0.5% (down 0.5%). Support for Labour is 35.5% (up 1%); Greens are 13.5% (up 0.5%), New Zealand First 5% (up 2%), Mana Party 0.5% (unchanged), Conservative Party of NZ 1.5% (up 0.5%) and Others 0.5% (up 0.5%).

If a National Election were held today this poll shows that the Labour Party with minor party support would win an election if held now. Read more »

News from JY&A Media
Wellington businessman Jack Yan has announced his bid for the city’s mayoralty. He says he’s declaring his candidacy now to put a fresh option for change to Wellingtonians well before the final polling day on 12 October (just 25 weeks away). Read more »

Press Release – Jackie Elliott
Kapiti Council candidate Jackie Elliott is disappointed at the low public turnout at last night’s initial public consultation on Local government Reform options meeting held in Otaki. Read more »