We can build on the great foundation Wellington already has—let’s unite and restore our civic pride.

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Manifesto

My campaign has three overlapping themes:

• growing our economy;
• cutting waste and keeping a lid on our rates;
• uniting Wellingtonians.

Each area has its own page.

As with 2010, your input is welcome as my campaign kicks off. The next mayoral administration is about participation and building the city you want.

You can download a PDF version of this manifesto here.

The manifesto, written in April 2013, missed some key issues, but you can find some of them covered here.

Growing our economy
• Wellington as a global hub for innovation.
• Working with property owners to revitalize inner-city areas for innovation.
• Identify and nurture our next export champions and employers.
• Encouraging the right investment into Wellington.
• Working on getting more international links into Wellington.
• Promote Wellington firms globally.
• A tech precinct for Wellington.
• Getting critical mass on research and development in our city, including working with our tertiary providers.
• Growing our technological infrastructure in an economically viable and sensible way.
• Getting the right investment for our city.
• Working cooperatively with regional mayors, Grow Wellington, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Cutting waste and keeping a lid on rates
• Greater transparency in council, including publishing our expenses.
• Supporting prudent management of WCC finances.
• Being tougher with cost overruns on public projects.
• Sorting out the earthquake strengthening issues and promoting smart technologies and engineering solutions. Wellington is the leader on these matters, and we need to recognize that the expertise is already here.
• End of favouritism for certain parties in business, and the introduction of a more meritorious approach toward real innovators and job creators.
• Using technologies to allow citizens to communicate more readily with council services.
• Smoothing and speeding up the process for earthquake strengthening and creating accountability to new firms that might want to come and help Wellington fix up its problems.
• Retaining our assets.
• Plain-English reporting at all levels, internally and externally—let’s cut the time-wasting jargon.
• Driving down debt and investing in arts, infrastructure and housing, especially as the population ages.

Uniting Wellingtonians
• One or two market weekends in the inner city each summer—just like during the movie premières, with no cars—to allow Wellingtonians to enjoy what we offer.
• Supporting youth with programmes including internships and apprenticeships.
• A city-branding project that involves a true cross-section of Wellingtonians, including young people.
• Promoting Wellington through social media—and allowing Wellingtonians from all walks of life to participate in this programme.
• Using technologies to help the homeless get jobs and assistance.
• Continue our investment into artificial turf and ensuring that we maintain a great work–life balance.
• Assisting older Wellingtonians, advocating for the retention of transportation privileges.
• Reaching out to minority communities so they are no longer left out—and making sure they feel as much part of our city as those communities that have been here for longer.

‘Worldwide, cross-media domination may seem like a lofty plan, but Yan is one of those annoying high achievers, a master-of-all-trades who could put many of us with scattered ambitions and time-management issues to shame. …
   ‘An “anti-establishment globalist” almost seems like a contradiction in terms but as Yan’s career and achievements have shown, paving your own unique way in this world can pay handsome dividends if you have the ambition, determination and conviction to integrate and practise what you preach.’

Maria Nguyen: ‘Laying hands on the media world’, B&T Marketing and Media, April 22, 2005