Wellington mayor Tory Whanau says attendance criticism is ‘gendered’

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has responded to the criticism around her attendance at meetings. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has labelled criticism of her leadership as “attempts at trying to attack my character”.

Whanau has faced scrutiny for her absence at civic events and meetings, including a meeting of the regional mayor’s forum.

But the mayor thinks the focus on her attendance is undue, and largely because people don’t like what she represents as a young Māori woman in council.

“Actually, I gave an apology to a couple of big meetings for quite serious reasons and now it’s turned into ‘absent Mayor’ when that is absolutely not the case,” she said in an interview with Newshub Nation.

In response to increased attention on her agenda, Whanau’s office confirmed she will release a list of the events and meetings she attended for the past year by June 9.

“[The criticism is] gendered. And I know that people are going to be uncomfortable with hearing that but let’s be real here.

“I’m a young wahine Māori. I’m progressive and unapologetically so.

“It’s a shame but it’s from a minority, and I’m still excited about the outpouring of support that I’ve received from the community.”

“I’m 40, I’m single, I love our hospitality scene and every couple of weeks I love to head out with my mates and hit a couple of bars and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that,” she told Newshub Nation.

“Saturday night should I be in the office? Well no, that’s just silly.

“I’m entitled to a private life. I’m entitled to have a little fun with my mates and there are some people who take issue with that,” she said.

Whanau recently said she was “heckled and booed” by about 100 people at a residents’ association meeting to the point she said “F**k that was rough” on her way out.

“They didn’t want to listen to me anymore because they didn’t like what I had to say,” Whanau told the Herald.

“That doesn’t mean I deserve disrespect and what it felt like to me is that like many other women, I was just being shouted down by a group of men.”

Whanau ended up telling the Oriental Bay Residents’ Association president: “I’ve had enough of this”.

Whanau posted on her Instagram story that she was heckled and booed after describing her vision for the future of the capital with affordable housing, cycleways and climate resilience.

“At one point the majority of them sort of yelled back at me in frustration and anger- that to me is heckling and that to me was disrespectful, so I do stand by how I characterised that part of the meeting.”

Many people in attendance were from an older generation, which Whanau is not, and her younger perspective on issues is what she thinks is irking some people.

“I’m here to represent the next generation of leaders, the next generation that I’m trying to set up the city for and our most vulnerable. So I can’t change who I am,” she said.

“I’m not going to change my values and I’m not going to change the policies that I campaigned on.”

Whanau has admitted it’s “not ideal” she has missed meetings recently and she “wouldn’t do that again.”

“I should have been there.”