Wellington Mayor Andrew Little’s financial backers revealed, electoral officer queries Ray Chung’s funding

Andrew Little (main) won the Wellington mayoralty with the financial backing of a range of high-profile supporters, including, clockwise from top left, Chris Finlayson, Dame Annette King, Justin Lester and Ian Cassels.

The financial backers of Wellington’s new mayor and councillors have been revealed, showing a line-up of some of the capital’s wealthiest and most influential figures.

Electoral returns made public today show winning mayoral candidate Andrew Little was bankrolled by former Labour and National Party politicians, as well as a rich-list property developer, art collector and a number of unions from across the country.

Meanwhile, failed mayoral candidate Ray Chung’s campaign group Independent Together has been queried by the electoral officer over how it grouped and disclosed its donors.

What did Little get?

Former National minister Chris Finlayson gave Little $2000, former Labour Party minister and diplomat Dame Annette King and her husband gave $2500, multimillionaire developer Ian Cassels of the Wellington Company gave $5000, and Chris Parkin, a former city councillor and art patron, donated $2500.

The Maritime Union, Amalgamated Workers Union, E Tū Union, and Dairy Workers Union each gave Little $5000 towards his campaign.

Little also received $2075 from a 20-person fundraising dinner hosted by former mayor Justin Lester and $1634.15 from a 145-person Labour Party fundraiser.

The mayor spent just short of the threshold at $58,990.26, largely on signs around the city, Facebook advertising and flyers.

Mayoral candidates in the capital are allowed to spend a maximum of $60,000 on their campaigns during the three months leading up to local body elections.

All other donations he received were below the $1500 threshold for public declaration.

Little won the mayoralty in a landslide victory, beating business owner Karl Tiefenbacher and councillors Chung and Diane Calvert.

Chung’s donations

Chung, who ran a controversial campaign, earlier said he had received between $150,000 and $200,000 in donations through his campaign group Independent Together.

Chung received $10,000 from heritage advocate Felicity Wong and $5000 from investment management company The Thorndon Group, which is owned by businessman Wayne Coffey.

Some $27,542.17 was given to Chung from Better Wellington, Independent Together’s parent organisation, but was paid back to the group for advertising, website and event costs.

The Better Wellington funding has prompted questions after it was listed as a “grouped donation” rather than stating who donated to the organisation, which was set up to run candidates.

The Local Electoral Act states donors who give more than $1500 cannot be hidden by grouping them with other donations.

All candidates on the Independent Together ticket declared a grouped donation from Better Wellington.

The returns have caught the attention of Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp, who said he has queried them with Better Wellington and the group has assured him it will file a list of donors who gave more than $1500 in the coming days.

Donations received by Wellington City councillor Ray Chung for his mayoral campaign are under scrutiny. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Chung previously said he received about $20,000 from wealthy philanthropist backer Sir Mark Dunajtschik, but lost his support after the release of an email the councillor wrote about Tory Whanau, spreading a salacious sex and drugs rumour about the former mayor.

Dunajtschik condemned Chung’s “dirty politics” that led to a number of candidates tied to Chung quitting the Independent Together ticket.

Other candidates’ donations

Tiefenbacher, who placed second for the mayoralty but won a council seat, spent $50,617 on his campaign.

He was backed by Aaron Leech, the general manager of the late Sir Bob Jones’ property business Robt. Jones Holdings, to the tune of $2980.

Local grocer Moore Wilsons also gave Tiefenbacher $2000.

Diane Calvert, who was re-elected in the Wharangi Onslow-Western ward but came fifth in the mayoralty race, spent just over $16,000 on her campaign.

Her only donation above the $1500 threshold came from Paul Robinson of The Woolstore shopping centre on Thorndon Quay, who gave $2000.

Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.