Oh baby, 'councillor' still wet behind ears

Greg and Annette Brosnan, with little Daniel. Photo / Supplied

He's not yet 6 weeks old but he's already making a mark in local body politics.

That's Daniel Thomas Brosnan, first child of first-year Napier city councillor Annette Brosnan and husband Greg.

"Danny" has already attended a council committee meeting and one full council meeting a fortnight ago, charming other councillors with his decorum and polite observance of standing orders, while he sleeps.

"We start them young," said Mrs Brosnan. She has 18 months' leave from her Hawke's Bay Regional Council job but has managed to fit the new role of motherhood around her city council role. She was elected as an Onekawa Tamatea Ward representative last October.

She is not 100 per cent sure of her son's political inclinations, although she reckons he was definitely against amalgamation.

He was in the thick of it, joining councillors at Mayor Bill Dalton's home after the public vote against local bodies' amalgamation was revealed on September 15, and was at his first full council meeting when the city's annual plan was adopted the next day.

Mrs Brosnan, who turns 28 next month, has even had to yield to the ambitious baby, who has been the youngest at the table.

Tony Jeffery, in his 13th year on the council, told Hawke's Bay Today: "We're quite excited. We've adopted him. He's the 13th councillor.

"He's more than welcome," Mr Jeffery said. "He's quieter than a lot of the councillors. It was great."

Baby Daniel is the first grandchild for the parents of Annette and Greg. The couple met when she was 15.

"So, he's being very spoiled," she said of her son.

Among the shower of gifts has been a rubber duck, effectively another Daniel, in black and wearing No10.