Pukerua Bay Council candidate Moira Lawler has criticised comments made by ACT’s Pāuatahanui Ward candidate Phill Houlihan during a recent “meet the candidates” event, calling for constructive dialogue instead of what she described as “cheap shots.”
The long-time Pukerua Bay resident responded to a controversial moment at the meeting, where Houlihan suggested scrapping kaumatua payments as a way to cut council costs. “Most candidates, when asked where savings could be made, focused on service levels, sticking to project budgets, or improving governance,” said Lawler. “But the ACT candidate’s only response was to cut kaumatua payments. The reaction in the room was visceral.”
Lawler, who has lived in the community for over 30 years, said the comment clashed with the inclusive values of Pukerua Bay. “It felt like a cheap shot, not just to the candidates on stage but to the whole audience,” she said.
While both candidates agree that rates are rising too fast, Porirua residents faced a 17.5% increase last year, Lawler argued that meaningful solutions need to involve central government. “If the coalition government really wants to help, it should reinstate funding for local infrastructure like the Access Kenepuru intersection and stop creating costly new rules, such as recent speed limit changes and emergency management standards, without providing financial support.”
Lawler cited the 2023 report He piki tūranga, he piki kōtuku – Review into the Future for Local Government as a pathway forward. “Councils must be efficient and accountable, no one argues with that. But they also need to be sustainable to meet their legal responsibilities and support their communities,” she said. “We need good faith conversations with government about realistic funding models that ensure local democracy works for future generations.”
Houlihan, who is standing on ACT’s “common sense” platform, has said he wants to cut waste, end race-based policies, and keep rates low by focusing on core services like roads and street maintenance. He is among ACT’s first wave of local government candidates, part of a national push to shake up councils ACT sees as bloated and ideologically driven.
But Lawler says Porirua residents want leadership that unites, not divides. “What people are looking for are real answers to the serious investment challenges facing councils, not slogans or wedge politics.”