John Bishop standing for Wellington City Council

Highbury resident John Bishop, who works as a communications and business advisor, has announced his candidacy for the Wellington City Council in the Lambton Ward.

“I am standing as a pro – growth, business friendly, keen on green, independent candidate.

“My core policies are to:
• Make Wellington more vibrant in order to keep our talented people here
• Support efficient value for money council services and to keep rates affordable
• Review our parking policies. I favour changing the wardens’ orders
• Get infrastructure like roads and ultrafast broadband built so we can go for growth.

“I want a review of the whole arrangement between the council and its parking enforcement contactor, Parkwise.

“Public input will enable the people of Wellington to tell their stories. Personally I believe a system that rewards Parkwise financially for every ticket successfully issued leads to some very mercenary behaviour.

“In my opinion that has to change, but it would be good for the council to hear from the people of Wellington on the matter.

“Overall, previous councils have done quite well in reshaping and growing the city, but there is now a danger of councillors running out of puff. The council needs some fresh faces with new experiences and renewed commitment and enthusiasm.

“Wellington is now a service city. Manufacturing has declined and head offices have moved away. We are now about creative and service industries like tourism, education, entertainment and retail.

“This is not to knock the other sectors, but what keeps the city vibrant and exciting is the influence of creative people, entrepreneurs, and the people who like to live and work with those types of people.

“When Wellington ceases to appeal to those people, they will leave. We will lose out as a city – economically as well as socially. I am standing to make sure the city council and other bodies do everything possible to keep the city exciting and relevant, progressive and growing economically.

“I am independent and unaligned to any political grouping. I am not a member of any political party and I never have been, but I have worked in and around government in its broadest sense for over thirty years.

“I worked as a journalist in radio and television, been a PR consultant and a business advisor, and been a public servant twice. I have often written about politics and economic development issues in the National Business Review, and occasionally in the DominionPost and elsewhere.

I am a passionate Wellingtonian – a Hurricanes supporter in good times and bad, a Phoenix fan, a rugby league administrator, a devoted coffee drinker, theatre goer, and a fierce advocate of the city’s many virtues.

“My wife and I have raised two children, and now as adults they are as passionate about the city as I am. I grew up in Wellington, and went to school here. I am now ready to work to ensure that this city grows and prospers, and is a happy and healthy place to life.

www.johnbishopforcouncil.co.nz

John Bishop is:
• A self employed communications consultant and business advisor, working in public relations, small business development, as a speech writer, trainer, facilitator and MC
• An enthusiastic Rotarian and is chair of the PR and Communications Group for District 9940 which covers Wellington and the lower half of the North Island
• An independent director of the Wellington Zone of the New Zealand Rugby League, (appointed by SPARC in 2009)
• A member of the Institute of Directors, the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand, and has held office in the National Speakers Association, Sales and Marketing Executives International and in the PSA.
• A graduate of the University of Canterbury and of Henley College in the UK
• A regular member of the Panel on Jim Mora’s show on Radio NZ National
• A regular blogger at wotzon.com
He has been
• An elected member of a high school board of trustees
• A director of several private companies
• Chief Parliamentary Reporter for Television New Zealand
• Wellington correspondent for the National Business Review

ENDS

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