Council Asset Sales: Celeste Donovan Swings Tense Vote 8-7 This Morning Downing Mauger's Gear Shift

The Wigram speaks to councillor Celeste Donovan, whose vote seems to have vetoed Phil Mauger's asset gear shift. & with Mark Peters, Garry Moore, and captures crucial, heated moments in today debate.

Santa hats, councillors and a vocal opposition group trading blows, stirring speeches about upbringings, an underpaid call centre worker supporting a family, and a broadside from the mayor to councillors having no business nous culminated in a provocative, charged debate this morning on the fate of about half a billion dollars of council assets owned by Christchurch City Holdings.

Watch Mauger addressing the room amidst opposition outbursts.

All this commotion was quietly eclipsed by the vote of one city councillor Celeste Donovan. Her vote terminated Mayor Mauger’s plans to bring asset sales back onto the council agenda.

Mention of “Te Kaha” was a flashpoint for some councillors during this morning’s session.

Undecided voter: Celeste Donovan (Copyright: Celeste Donovan)

Backed by a vocal crowd stocking one half of the public seating, Living Wage Movement Aotearoa NZ’s Nathanial Herz-Edinger shot down the CCHL’s proposal for “active portfolio management”. During his appeal, he demanded transparency, more councillors on company boards and received a thunderous applause. Afterwards, activist John Minto was seen exiting the chamber.

Replete in a Santa hat Mark Peters shot back at the crowd. He challenged its ability to speak for the city populace who weren’t present.

Yani Johanson took the unusual step of standing up to speak and talked about life as an underpaid call centre worker supporting a young family and blamed the city’s financial woes on Te Kaha, even suggesting that the stadium be sold.

Watch Yani Johanson.

Then Aaron Keown struck back at Johanson’s ‘call-centre worker’ comments. Watch Aaron’s speech.

The vote went ahead and saw Mauger’s plans go down 7 votes to 8.

A pessimistic Mark Peters expressed doubts the ‘no’ vote group they wanted to pay more rates, a consequence he sees flowing from today’s erasure.

Take in Mark’s after-vote thoughts and on whether Te Kaha is a future city liability or asset.

Milling about in a crowd that included former Anglican city leader, Peter Beck, Garry Moore said that Donovan had changed her mind and that her ‘no’ vote clinched the decision.