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Celia Wade-Brown and her off-grid cottage in the Tararua Ranges (Photos: Supplied; image design: Archi Banal)
Celia Wade-Brown and her off-grid cottage in the Tararua Ranges (Photos: Supplied; image design: Archi Banal)

PoliticsJanuary 16, 2024

Who is Celia Wade-Brown, the former Wellington mayor set to replace Golriz Ghahraman in parliament?

Celia Wade-Brown and her off-grid cottage in the Tararua Ranges (Photos: Supplied; image design: Archi Banal)
Celia Wade-Brown and her off-grid cottage in the Tararua Ranges (Photos: Supplied; image design: Archi Banal)

Former Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown will enter parliament at 15th on the Green Party list, replacing Golriz Ghahraman after her resignation. It’s a remarkable return for someone who, after handing over the mayoral chains in 2016, ran as far away from politics as she could get.

This story was first published on September 20, 2023. 

Celia Wade-Brown’s off-grid tiny house in the Tararua Ranges feels as far away from parliament as you could possibly imagine. 

She seems free and calm out here in the bush, like she’s left all the worries and stress of politics behind her. It’s a rustic existence. There’s a wood-fired stove, an outdoor bath, and chickens roaming the lawn.

Brown was the mayor of Wellington from 2010-2016. She was just the second Green Party mayor of a major New Zealand city, although she officially ran as an independent. 

Celia Wade-Brown and her trusty bike, with former Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons, in Civic Square in 2010, soon after she was elected mayor (Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

While reflecting on her departure from politics, she revealed the truth of a rumour that floated around council circles for years: that she struck a deal several years in advance for Justin Lester to run as her successor.

After the 2013 election, she appointed Lester as her deputy mayor. “I said look: I want you to be my deputy. And I don’t want you going off to central government. If you’re going to be my deputy, do all three years and then if you want to run for mayor, I’ll stand aside.”

The pair kept the plan quiet for the entire term, even after Lester announced his campaign. Wade-Brown pulled out of the race two months before election day and threw her support behind Lester

“If Justin hadn’t wanted to stand, I would have been delighted to have gone for a third term,” she says. “But I’d made my plans and was ready to move on.

“When a mayor doesn’t have a succession plan, all of the projects that you’re passionate about, all the things that you think are good for the city, are at risk.”

As mayor, Wade-Brown is best remembered for opposing the Basin Reserve flyover and for her support of cycling – she notably biked to the airport to meet US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, and had her bike included in her official mayoral portrait. 

Wellington now has another Green Party mayor, Tory Whanau. Wade-Brown is an admirer, and is especially happy to see the Paneke Pōneke bike network start to come together. 

“I think it is just fantastic having a young wahine Māori leading the capital city,” she says. But she thinks Whanau has a tougher job than her in one significant way: “I had a really fantastic partner. He kept in the background as much as he could, but it was great to come home to him. I think it’s pretty tough being a single mayor, male or female. But I think she’s very competent and enthusiastic and is a great ambassador for Wellington.”

Celia Wade-Brown’s house in the bush; and Wade-Brown on the Te Araroa trail (Photos: Supplied)

When her term as mayor ended, Wade-Brown wanted a change. “One of the things with the job of being mayor is that you don’t get to do anything for a long time. Your days are like salami sliced into small pieces. So I wanted to do a really big thing.”

That big thing was Te Araroa, the 3,000km tramping route from Cape Reinga to Bluff. “I call that my political detox,” she laughs. “What was so wonderful about Te Araroa was that if you put in step after step, you actually get somewhere by your own efforts. Whereas in politics sometimes you can try and try and try but if you don’t have the numbers around the table or someone changes their mind at the last minute, you don’t get there.”

She followed that up with Tour Aotearoa, the bike trail from Cape Reinga to Bluff, and the 1,500km Sounds to Sounds ride from Ship Cove in Queen Charlotte Sound to Milford Sound. She’s also taken up river kayaking. “I’m probably the oldest Green candidate, but I still feel fit in body and mind,” she says. 

She qualified as an Esol teacher, spent two months teaching in China and has been working with refugees in Masterton, as well as holding various board positions – Predator Free Wellington, the Outdoor Access Commission, the Biophilic Cities Network, and the Wairarapa Walking Festival. 

In 2020, she slowly dipped her toes back into politics, standing as the Green candidate in Wairarapa in an effort to boost party vote, though she did not stand on the party list. “I wasn’t ready to jump back into politics. I still thought the Greens ought to be there, but I didn’t think I should be one of them.”

“Now I’m ready, if I can, to add that experience. I stood on the list this time because I think I’ve got something to offer. I’ve worked with people from lots of different backgrounds and policy views, and I think I can contribute.”

Celia Wade-Brown on the campaign trail (Photo: Supplied)

 Wairarapa isn’t an electorate that the party will ever see as winnable, but she hopes the Greens can grow their party vote in these rural seats. 

“Nobody wants to be drinking water with too many nitrates in it, and people can see the changes to the river. But I think it’s also important that we showcase the farmers and the rural workers that are doing the right thing.”

“We’ve worked really hard to get more trains coming here, that’ll make a big difference. And our support for the Wairarapa Five Towns Trail for walking and cycling, that will be a new way of earning money for people. I think economic diversification is important.”

The Green Party secured 11.6% of the party vote in the 2023 election, enough to win 15 seats in parliament. However, due to Tamatha Paul winning Wellington Central as a non-list candidate, Wade-Brown, ranked 15th, fell one spot short of securing a seat in parliament. 

After Golriz Ghahraman announced her resignation from parliament today, Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson confirmed Wade-Brown would fill her seat. Wade-Brown did not respond to immediate requests for comment. 

‘Hutt Valley, Kāpiti, down to the south coast. Our Wellington coverage is powered by members.’
Joel MacManus
— Wellington editor
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Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman (Photo by Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images)
Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman (Photo by Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images)

PoliticsJanuary 16, 2024

‘Really sad it’s gotten to this point’: Green co-leaders on Ghahraman resignation

Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman (Photo by Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images)
Former Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman (Photo by Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images)

James Shaw and Marama Davidson have provided further details about the circumstances leading to the resignation of Golriz Ghahraman, who is facing three allegations of shoplifting.

Updated

Green Party co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson have told media that outgoing MP Golriz Ghahraman, who has quit parliament after a third allegation of shoplifting emerged last night, was subject to “pretty much continuous threats” during her time in parliament.

In a statement earlier today, the MP said her mental health had been “badly affected” by stresses related to her work, which had led her to “act in ways that are completely out of character”.

During a press conference this afternoon, Shaw said: “Obviously parliament is a stressful place for anybody, but Golriz herself has been subject to pretty much continuous threats of sexual violence, physical violence and death threats, and that has added a higher level of stress.

“There have been police investigations into those threats almost the entire time she has been in parliament. If you’re living with that level of threat in what is already quite a stressful situation there are going to be consequences of that. I have a lot of empathy.

“Obviously it’s really sad that it’s gotten to this point.”

Davidson referenced the “particular treatment” that women with public profiles, and women of colour with public profiles in particular, received, and said it was “incumbent on all political parties” to support their MPs.

“The Greens have always taken that seriously, to make sure that there are avenues for MPs feeling that stress to be able to communicate and seek that help.”

In her statement, Ghahraman said, “I am not trying to excuse my actions, but I do want to explain them.

“People should, rightly, expect the highest standards of behaviour from their elected representatives. I fell short. I’m sorry. It’s not a behaviour I can explain because it’s not rational in any way, and after medical evaluation, I understand I’m not well.

“The mental health professional I see says my recent behaviour is consistent with recent events giving rise to extreme stress response, and relating to previously unrecognised trauma.”

Ghahraman said she did not want to “hide behind” her mental health problems and took full responsibility for her actions.

“I have let down a lot of people and I am very sorry,” she said. “The best thing for my mental health is to resign as a member of parliament and to focus on my recovery and to find other ways to work for positive change in the world.”

The allegations against Ghahraman were first reported last week while she was out of the country on a pre-arranged trip, and she stood aside from her portfolios. Later, a second allegation came to light, followed yesterday by a third.

Police have confirmed they began investigating reports of an incident at Scotties Boutique in Ponsonby, Auckland, on December 23, with the Green Party confirming it was made aware of this claim on December 27. Another incident involving Ghahraman at the same store, which was said to have occurred in the weeks prior, was later reported.

Last night, it emerged that Cre8iveworx in Wellington had emailed other businesses in the capital earlier that day about an alleged incident involving Ghahraman on October 26. “A police spokesperson confirmed they received a shoplifting report from Cre8iveworx,” reported Stuff. The spokesperson added that “enquiries into the matter are ongoing”.

During today’s press conference, Shaw and Davidson said they met with Ghahraman when she returned to the country on Saturday. They had learnt of the second allegation of shoplifting at Scotties on January 5, and learnt of the third allegation only yesterday, when it was reported in the media, but had earlier been advised “there might be further allegations”. The pair said Ghahraman’s resignation was her own decision.

When asked why they had not been made aware of the October incident until this week, Shaw said it was due to the police investigation. “We would not expect privileged access to that,” he said.

The Green co-leaders address media on January 16 (Photo: Stewart Sowman-Lund)

Ghahraman’s resignation takes effect immediately, a move that opens the door for former Wellington mayor Celia Wade-Brown to move into parliament, as she was next on the Greens’ election list. Wade-Brown has been approached by The Spinoff for comment.

Shaw confirmed he had spoken to Wade-Brown but the details of when she would enter parliament had not yet been confirmed. “We welcome her,” said Davidson. “She’s an amazing and experienced politician and we regret the sad circumstances she’s coming into the big house in.”

Davidson said Ghahraman’s resignation was “a sad day”. “I’m losing a friend and a colleague who I have been close to and have worked with for six years.” She was getting “a lot of support from her colleagues in the Green caucus, and from members and so on,” Shaw added. Ghahraman had been a a “lone voice” on many of her portfolio interests in parliament, said Davidson.

In the earlier statement the co-leaders acknowledged Ghahraman’s “significant” political achievements. “Golriz Ghahraman has been the leading voice in parliament for human rights, truly independent foreign policy, and electoral reform for six years,” they said.

Ghahraman’s statement this afternoon does not specifically admit the allegations of shoplifting made against her, though she thanked Scotties Boutique for “the kindness and empathy they have shown me”. During the press conference, Davidson also thanked Scotties for their “generous communication”.

The outgoing MP said she would not be commenting further. “I now ask for people to give me the space and privacy I need to get better,” she said.

Ghahraman, a former United Nations lawyer, became the country’s first MP from a refugee background after being elected to parliament in 2017. In 2019, Stuff reported that Ghahraman was being accompanied by a security escort following a series of death threats. In recent months, she has been a vocal opponent of the conflict in Gaza.

Other parties in parliament have so far not commented on Ghahraman’s resignation. A Labour spokesperson told The Spinoff that this was “a matter for the Green Party”.

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