• I will make Christchurch a people’s city again.
• I will be open and available. I won’t make major decisions in secret. I want Councillors’ voting records published, so they are accountable.
• I will urge Councillors not to take Director’s Fees.
•  I will make the Council more financially responsible. I will break down bureaucracy.
• I will keep water in public control. I will work to keep our water fresh, clean and available to all the people of Christchurch.
• I will work with police to make Christchurch safer and to limit liquor outlets that contribute to violence.
• I will set up a special Inner City Re-Vitalisation Unit, develop affordable housing and bring people back to live in the city centre.
• I will work to create jobs by focusing on centres of excellence in areas where Christchurch has an advantage.
• I will be a People’s Mayor.
• Find out more at: http//jimanderton.org.nz

Top 5 Issues

1. Open, transparent, and accountable governance
2. Live within our means, instead of blowing the budget
3. Create jobs
4. Fresh, clean, and available water
5. Central city revitalisation

Personal Profile

Christchurch can be better. A better city to live, a better place for businesses to prosper and create jobs, a better place for families.

The current council has been wasting money on the wrong developments, closing social services, and refusing to listen.

With leadership, we can put it right: Christchurch can be a people’s city again.

 The doors of the City Council have been closed to people, processes have been rushed and poor, while deals have been done behind closed doors. Ratepayer money has been used to fund property developers, glamour projects of questionable value, and wasted on trips to study sandcastles.

All this while the inner city is dying. Local jobs have disappeared and buildings in the inner-city are empty.

It’s time to throw open the doors of council.

And it’s time to be transparent about what Council spends on behalf of the people. I want to set up a public forum where people can come and talk directly to council members and staff. I want councillors to be open about how much money they get from ratepayers, or ratepayer-owned companies. I can’t see why councillors who get appointed to boards of council-owned corporations should take directors fees when they’re already paid well, especially when council staff appointed to the same boards don’t take fees.

If we are open, transparent and inclusive, we can make Christchurch a better place for families and a thriving business centre. A city with wonderful gardens and parks, with an artistic and creative heart, famous throughout New Zealand.

A few weeks ago there was a cartoon in The Press which showed Australian rugby fans coming to Christchurch. They were walking through the empty seedy streets of the inner city, clutching each other and singing ‘Even though we walk through the valley of death we will not despair.’

What an image. I’m not prepared to stand by and let the lights in our city go out.

Last year employment in Christchurch fell by 12,000, including 2500 jobs lost in the manufacturing, IT and construction industries alone - all high skilled jobs. Over nine years when I was as Minister for Economic Development and Agriculture, over 80,000 new jobs were created in Canterbury. What Christchurch needs is a jobs machine that builds on our strengths.  Our city could become a global centre of excellence in areas like IT, food processing and tourism. These are things that we’re good at. The Council that I lead will make sure we play to our strengths.

I will stop the guerilla raids on our cultural and historic heritage, and lead moves to achieve World Heritage Status for the city’s unique gothic buildings.

I will set up a special ‘Inner-City Revitalisation Unit’ made up of architects, business people, designers and locals. Their job will be to come up with a plan to bring back affordable housing, thriving retail businesses and people of all ages and incomes to live in the centre of the city again.

I have served the people of the Wigram electorate faithfully, and I will do the same for the people of Christchurch.

I trust the people of Christchurch. That’s why I won’t allow major decisions affecting the city to be made in secret. I want Councillors' voting records made public and easily accessible. I will make sure that the people of Christchurch are consulted and part of making decisions that affect us all.

With the support of the people, I will work to make Christchurch the people’s city again.

Change is coming.