Steve Baron: And 2018's best Whanganui district councillor is . . .

Josh Chandulal-Mackay . . . he's a natural.

It would be fair to say I have often been critical of some of our councillors over the years, but I believe it's important to keep the buggers on their toes.

Being a councillor is an important community role and Whanganui deserves to be represented by dedicated and committed ones.

As we know, that is not always the case; sometimes I think the community gets stiffed by some of those we elect.

Choosing good councillors is no easy task and, unfortunately, we often vote half-blind, not really knowing much about the candidates or what to really expect of them. Often, voters simply rely on name recognition or a limited perception of candidates.

However, on a more positive note, having been to just about every council and council committee meeting since our council was elected 20 months ago, and having watched these 12 councillors up close and personal over that time, I feel qualified to select my own "councillor of the year".

So my choice is Josh Chandulal-Mackay, who belies his youth with an intelligence and commitment well in advance of a man in his early 20s.

To start with, his attendance record has been the envy of all councillors. It is also obvious, from the comments he makes and the questions he asks around the council table, that he does his homework and actually reads his council papers — which not every councillor does.

Chandulal-Mackay has also made every attempt to understand the issues before him.
He talks with confidence, does his research and knows his stuff.

In addition, to see him chair a meeting was a breath of fresh air, and I doubt many of us would do it nearly as well.

I suspect Josh was born to the job — he seems such a natural.

No doubt his genuine interest in people and politics, along with his political studies at university, have prepared him well for the job.

He seems adept at accepting criticism but doesn't hold a grudge or sulk, and he has attacked his new role with passion and given his full commitment to the job. He actively seeks public engagement — he is "out there".

In his own words, he is proud of getting a commitment from ChargeNet to install an EV fast charger in Whanganui, ensuring the Town Centre Regeneration Strategy was well funded and he has been a strong voice for the retention of pensioner housing, along with the reinstatement of the swing at Mosquito Point.

His biggest disappointments have been "not being able to make headway in the introduction of the living wage within the council organisation", and not being able to "enact a meaningful local alcohol policy to minimise social harm, due to a number of ongoing appeals".

His frustration on becoming a councillor was "a plethora of new jargon to learn and process. I felt like I needed a glossary beside me just so that I could comprehend all the information thrown our way in those first few months".

It would be fair to say Chandulal-Mackay is a political animal and, if he continues to show his current maturity and does not let his political leanings or religious convictions get in the way of sensible decision-making, I think we will be lucky to keep him as a councillor.
He may eventually end up in Parliament at some stage, and I see similarities with a young man I knew many years ago who got elected to council in Auckland and now resides in Parliament — National Party MP for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross.

If he gets there, I hope he doesn't become disillusioned with how inconsequential a backbench MP actually is, but I'm sure some electorate will be all the better for having Josh Chandulal-Mackay representing it.

There are other Whanganui district councillors who have done a very admirable job, but Chandulal-Mackay has been the standout for me.

Well done, Josh. I take my hat off to you, and your award cheque is in the post.

Steve Baron is a Whanganui-based political commentator, author and founder of Better Democracy NZ. He holds degrees in economics and political science.