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Smith said he believed the council had to start somewhere to reduce the growing levels of booze-induced violence he was reading about in reports from Safe City Hosts. He wanted the policy to be a local response to local issues, rather than allowing national players to dictate the ground rules for the sale and supply of alcohol. Rachel Bowen was left as the only councillor who did not support adoption of the policy, a decision she said she had found difficult. “On one hand, I strongly disagree with this one element. “On the other, I wish we could have gone further.
They included former NZ First MP Darroch Ball, former National Party candidate William Wood, and return city council candidate and local government commentator Andy Asquith. As a relatively unknown newcomer, Mikalad said he had worked hard and spent a lot on quality brochures and social media to improve his visibility. Mikalad said he had been planning to stand for the council in 2022, and had been saving towards that goal for a while before this year’s opportunity arose when former deputy mayor Tangi Utikere resigned after being elected as the city’s Labour MP. “A lot of feedback I got was that I was visible and putting in the effort. I wanted it more than anyone, to be able to serve the community, while the others relied to an extent on name recognition.”
His induction began with a mihi and karakia from Rangitāne kaumatua Wiremu Te Awe Awe, who made special mention of “my Muslim brother”, Zulfiqar Butt, who was elected to the council in 2019. Te Awe Awe said Mikalad and his family, many of whom were in the public gallery for the ceremony, had chosen the best country in the world, and the best city in New Zealand to live. He praised Mikalad and his family for working hard to overcome challenges most New Zealanders had never experienced. “We are so spoiled in New Zealand, we take everything for granted.”
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