Anne is running for a seat on the Waitematā Local Board in Auckland on the Communities & Residents (C&R) ticket. Photo / Kellie Blizard
Anne Batley-Burton has had many titles in her life: the Champagne Lady, the Cat Lady and even a Real Housewife. With the local elections on the horizon, she’s looking to add a new moniker to her collection – politician.
Anne is running for a seat on the Waitematā Local Board in Auckland on the Communities & Residents (C&R) ticket. Though she never had political aspirations, she grew tired of sitting around talking about how bad things were and was inspired to take action.
“I’ve been asked a few times to put my hand up and run for the local board, but I’m always so busy,” says Anne, chatting to the Weekly at her Auckland home. “But I feel like, particularly since Covid, everything has gone downhill so badly and everywhere you go, people are moaning about it.
“I thought, ‘I’m going to do something – I’m going to put my hand up this time.’”
The business mogul is particularly passionate about tackling crime in the CBD and making the desexing and microchipping of cats free.
After decades in business, Anne is confident that her people skills will be one of her greatest assets if elected.
“My father always used to say I should be an ambassador’s wife, and I would say, ‘Why not the ambassador?’” she laughs. “I think that’s important if you’re going into politics. It’s not just about you and the issues you want to push, it’s about hearing what other people want and what their needs are.”
Another reason Anne has decided to toss her hat into the ring is that, after years of running the New Zealand Cat Foundation almost entirely on her own, she finally has a solid team of staff and volunteers to help keep the sanctuary running.
She knows that if voters choose her to help make the city a better place, her beloved rescue cats will be in good hands.
“We have somebody who handles the fostering and adoption, we have someone who organises the volunteers and gives them an orientation when they arrive, and I have a really good manager,” she enthuses. “We even have someone who looks after our TikTok. It’s been invaluable because everything isn’t falling on my shoulders all the time any more.”
Her excitement for the future has been important for Anne in the past few months after breaking her shoulder in a scary accident.
Anne and her husband Richard were about to set off for a weekend away when she noticed the neighbour’s cat exploring their driveway. She went to return it to the neighbours, afraid it would wander behind the car and get hit.
As she was walking back, Richard decided to be chivalrous and reverse down the driveway to pick her up. But the cat suddenly reappeared behind the vehicle. Anne raced to rescue it, but Richard did not see her and the car’s sensors didn’t activate, so he hit her with the large SUV.
“I’m facing the road, trying to move the cat, when suddenly ... Boom!” Anne recalls. “I’m lucky I’m alive because it hurled me. My knees were black and blue, I smashed down on my hands and my shoulder went straight into the ground.”
Anne says she usually avoids taking painkillers, but she was in so much agony, she gladly accepted medication from her helpful neighbour while they waited for the ambulance.
At the hospital, doctors confirmed she had broken her shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn’t displaced, so she didn’t need surgery. However, it had to be taped up and she couldn’t move it for eight weeks so the bone could properly set.
Even now, Anne is only allowed minimal movement and it could take up to six months to heal completely.
Luckily, Richard, whom she affectionately calls Cuddly, has been more than happy to help.
“He has had to do everything for me,” she shares. “When my knees were still sore, I couldn’t even bend down to put the cat food on the ground. He helps me get my arm through my dressing gown and pulls up my stockings. I even have to get him to backcomb my hair!
“He was getting a bit stressed because he’s busy, but I said, ‘It’s not my fault. If you hadn’t hit me, I’d be okay,’” Anne laughs.
With the campaign now on, Anne is focused on her mission. And while she has big plans for Auckland, her main hope is that people engage with their local elections.
“There’s no point complaining about how bad things are if you’re not going to vote,” she says.