Councillor approached by Nats in April
National’s just-announced candidate for the Port Hills electorate, city councillor Catherine Chu, says she was approached by the party in April but did not take it seriously.
After she was elected as councillor for Riccarton and to the Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) in October, the conversations ‘‘became more serious’’ and she made the ‘‘very difficult decision’’ to put her name forward.
Chu, 23, said the opportunity came as a surprise but she felt she had made the right decision.
The National Party announced on Thursday night that Chu had been selected over four other contenders – David Stringer, Jason White, Lincoln Platt and Carsten Schousboe. If successful in the 2020 general election, Chu said she would resign as councillor, forcing a byelection for the Riccarton ward.
A council spokeswoman said a by-election would cost the council $65,000-$70,000.
Chu rejected suggestions her bids for the council and CDHB were not sincere. ‘‘I have always been very open and transparent about my alignment with National.
‘‘Residents always knew my passion lay beyond local politics.’’
She said many residents had left messages of support since learning of her selection, which was ‘‘heartwarming’’. Chu was confident she would be able to fulfil her role as councillor while running a political campaign.
‘‘I know there were a lot of concerns around whether I could be an effective councillor and campaign at the same time but I don’t think I would have made this decision to stand as a candidate for the Port Hills if I had a doubt in my mind about whether I could.’’
Running on an Independent Citizens ticket, Chu was elected as a first-time councillor on October 13 with 2438 votes and a huge majority over her closest rival, Anthony Rimmell for the People’s Choice, who got 965 votes.
Her fortunes changed when Vicki Buck announced she would be stepping down as councillor in June. After Chu was elected as councillor she was again approached for the Port Hills candidacy.
She said it was not uncommon for those in local government to pursue roles in central government.
The most recent example of this was former councillor Raf Manji who stood as an independent in the seat of Ilam in the 2017 election.
Chu said she would look to move into the Port Hills electorate in the new year. She will go up against Labour’s Tracey McClelland, who was recently confirmed as the party’s new candidate ahead of the retirement of long standing Port Hills MP Ruth Dyson.
McClelland, a New Zealand Nurses Organisation organiser and Labour’s senior vice-president, welcomed the selection of Chu and said she looked forward to a positive election contest.
She was not a Port Hills resident but would be looking to move into the electorate after boundary changes were announced in April.
Councillor Aaron Keown said he had long thought Chu was ‘‘MP material’’ and welcomed her selection for the Port Hills seat.
‘‘My expectation is that she would have always been going for Wellington.’’ Keown said Chu’s ambition to be an MP was the ‘‘best outcome for the city and our country’’. He was not concerned by the prospect, or cost, of a by-election saying it was ‘‘part of democracy’’.
Deputy mayor and councillor for Banks Peninsula Andrew Turner said he first learned of Chu’s bid for selection through media reports yesterday morning.
‘‘This is a matter for National and for Catherine. The part where I would start to have ... concerns is if Catherine being a candidate in the parliamentary election affected her work or attendance here at council, and her level of engagement with the work here at council.’’
Turner said it was well known that running a campaign was timeconsuming and mentally and physically demanding.
‘‘The Riccarton ward have just elected a brand new councillor. I think it would be disappointing if there were a need for a by-election as a result of this situation.’’
‘‘Residents always knew my passion lay beyond local politics.’’ Catherine Chu Christchurch city councillor, health board member, and National Party candidate