title: The role of the mayor in New Zealand

authors: Evans, Margaret

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: This study is about local leadership and the contemporary role of mayors in New Zealand.  In particular, the focus is the implications of the legally undefined role of the mayor for the exercise of local leadership, especially as mayors are elected on the assumption that they will lead their councils – and their communities.  The research project set out to determine common factors that inhibit and enhance leadership and governance. The purpose was to analyse whether functional clarification for mayors would provide an effective foundation to counter disharmony and political disturbance and enable mayors to provide more effective local leadership and enhance local governance, today and for tomorrow.


The emphasis was the 1990s - coinciding with the author’s personal experience as the elected three-term Mayor of Hamilton (1989-1998), and following the major 1989 local government legislative reforms. ‘Troubles’ within the City Halls of the nation, and the impact discord was having on local governance and community expectations, were of increasing concern. Significantly in 2000 the Minister of Local Government sacked the dysfunctional Rodney District Council. This report reviews this event and its influence on the development of the new Local Government Act - enacted in December 2002 – together with the emerging expectations that the role of elected members would be an issue.   

The methodology included an extensive questionnaire to all incumbent mayors of 1998-2001, the three-year term of office that immediately followed the author’s retirement. A 60 per cent response rate was achieved. The tradition and convention associated with the leadership position of the mayor is fragile and at risk of obstruction and denial in the council leaders’ tug of war. The functioning of the mayoral office in the primus inter pares council environment is dependent on a set of interlaced and interactive factors, and in particular on relationships with councillors and the CEO.  

The origins of the mayoral office and its traditional role and authority were reviewed, along with the development of local government in New Zealand.  Literature on leadership was mined, to determine whether contemporary discourse had relevance to the local leader focus.  There is a paucity of writings on the mayoral position.
In the study, local leadership as it relates to the office of the mayor and the functions of the position, is defined as an intertwining of the community role (representation), the council political executive role (as presiding member), and the policy role (relating to council decision-making).  The report concludes that a combination of rational-legal protections – a sound basis in law and in tandem with the provisions for CEOs – could provide a stable everyday authority foundation for leadership to ‘rise to the occasion’, enabling effective governance. A draft clause prescribing the role and functions of the mayoralty is presented.

text: The role of the mayor in New Zealand This study is about local leadership and the contemporary role of mayors in New Zealand.  In particular, the focus is the implications of the legally undefined role of the mayor for the exercise of local leadership, especially as mayors are elected on the assumption that they will lead their councils – and their communities.  The research project set out to determine common factors that inhibit and enhance leadership and governance. The purpose was to analyse whether functional clarification for mayors would provide an effective foundation to counter disharmony and political disturbance and enable mayors to provide more effective local leadership and enhance local governance, today and for tomorrow.


The emphasis was the 1990s - coinciding with the author’s personal experience as the elected three-term Mayor of Hamilton (1989-1998), and following the major 1989 local government legislative reforms. ‘Troubles’ within the City Halls of the nation, and the impact discord was having on local governance and community expectations, were of increasing concern. Significantly in 2000 the Minister of Local Government sacked the dysfunctional Rodney District Council. This report reviews this event and its influence on the development of the new Local Government Act - enacted in December 2002 – together with the emerging expectations that the role of elected members would be an issue.   

The methodology included an extensive questionnaire to all incumbent mayors of 1998-2001, the three-year term of office that immediately followed the author’s retirement. A 60 per cent response rate was achieved. The tradition and convention associated with the leadership position of the mayor is fragile and at risk of obstruction and denial in the council leaders’ tug of war. The functioning of the mayoral office in the primus inter pares council environment is dependent on a set of interlaced and interactive factors, and in particular on relationships with councillors and the CEO.  

The origins of the mayoral office and its traditional role and authority were reviewed, along with the development of local government in New Zealand.  Literature on leadership was mined, to determine whether contemporary discourse had relevance to the local leader focus.  There is a paucity of writings on the mayoral position.
In the study, local leadership as it relates to the office of the mayor and the functions of the position, is defined as an intertwining of the community role (representation), the council political executive role (as presiding member), and the policy role (relating to council decision-making).  The report concludes that a combination of rational-legal protections – a sound basis in law and in tandem with the provisions for CEOs – could provide a stable everyday authority foundation for leadership to ‘rise to the occasion’, enabling effective governance. A draft clause prescribing the role and functions of the mayoralty is presented.

year: 2003

title: Does the pre-sentence report carry weight in the sentencing process and does it uphold the principles of the rule of law?

authors: Gould, Helen

subjects: Pre-sentence report

abstract: Applying the rule of law at every stage of the criminal justice process is fundamental to our criminal justice system and to our social contract. There are indications that the rule of law may be being forgotten, ignored or breached within the criminal justice system, producing what appear to be unfair outcomes which further marginalise particular sectors of society. An examination of Pre-Sentence Reports, as one small but important part of the criminal justice process, and the sentencing process in particular, will assist in testing and establishing whether assumptions about inequality in the sentencing process are justified.

text: Does the pre-sentence report carry weight in the sentencing process and does it uphold the principles of the rule of law? Applying the rule of law at every stage of the criminal justice process is fundamental to our criminal justice system and to our social contract. There are indications that the rule of law may be being forgotten, ignored or breached within the criminal justice system, producing what appear to be unfair outcomes which further marginalise particular sectors of society. An examination of Pre-Sentence Reports, as one small but important part of the criminal justice process, and the sentencing process in particular, will assist in testing and establishing whether assumptions about inequality in the sentencing process are justified.

year: 2021

title: He whakaemi kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine

authors: Manuirirangi, Hōri

abstract: Ko te whāinga o tēnei tuhingaroa, hei whakaemi kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine. I whāia e au te āhua o te tipu o te rākau hei hanga i aku kōhinga kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine. Ko te ūpoko tuatahi, ko ngā pakiaka, arā te tīmatatanga o Ngā Ruahine. I konei ka tirohia ngā kōrero mō ngā waka tawhito mete whakapapa hoki o ngā tūpuna tāngatawhenua o Ngā Ruahine. Whai muri i tēnā, he wāhanga e pā ana ki te haeretanga mai o Aotea waka, ā, ka tirohia hoki tētehi kōrero tawhito mō te wehenga o ngā iwi o Aotea.
Mai i ngā pakiaka ka piki ake ki te tinana o te rākau. Koinei te wāhanga e pā ana ki ngā korero whenua o Ngā Ruahine. Kei te ūpoko tuarua nei, ka āta tirohia ngā kōrero mō ngā tongi o te rohe o Ngā Ruahine, me ngā take kōrero e whakawhanaunga ana i te tangata ki te whenua. Kei te ūpoko tuarua anō hoki ētehi whakaaturanga whenua mō te rohe o Ngā Ruahine, hei āwhina i te kaipānui.  
Mai i te tinana, ka aro atu ki ngā peka o te rākau i raro i te ūpoko tuatoru. Koinei te wāhanga nui o tēnei tuhingaroa, nā te tokomaha o ngā toronga o ngā peka nei. I roto i te ūpoko tuatoru, ka tirohia ētehi kōrero mō ia hapū o Ngā Ruahine. Mai i ngā kōrero mō ngā rohe whenua o ia hapū, ki ngā kōrero mō ngā marae me ngā pā tawhito o ērā hapū, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā tūpuna rongonui me ā rātou mahi whakaari.  
Hei te mutunga, ka herea katoatia ngā kōrero o te tuhinga nei i raro i te ūpoko tuawhā, kia kite ai , he aha ngā hua e pūawai ai i tēnei tuhinga. Koinei te whakamutunga o ngā kōrero, arā ko te whakakapīnga o ngā kōrero.  
Ko tēnei tuhingaroa, he whakaemi kōrero mai i ngā kaumātua o Ngā Ruahine, ā, he mea tango mai hoki ētehi kōrero i ngā pukapuka, ko ēnei kōrero kua whakatakotoria i roto i tēnei tuhingaroa hei whakawhāriki iho ki te aroaro o te tini. Ko te tūmanako, he tuhinga rangahau tēnei hei āwhina i ngā rangatahi o Ngā Ruahine, kia rongo ai rātou i ngā kōrero kāore i te tino rangona i ēnei rā, kia mau hoki ngā kōrero a ngā kaumātua o Ngā Ruahine, kei ngaro. Erangi, he whakamōhio tēnei, he tīmatanga anahe tēnei tuhingaroa mō te kaupapa nei. Ko te tūmanako, he hua anō ka puta i tēnei rangahau, hei whāngai i ngā manu hiakai o Ngā Ruahine.

text: He whakaemi kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine Ko te whāinga o tēnei tuhingaroa, hei whakaemi kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine. I whāia e au te āhua o te tipu o te rākau hei hanga i aku kōhinga kōrero mō Ngā Ruahine. Ko te ūpoko tuatahi, ko ngā pakiaka, arā te tīmatatanga o Ngā Ruahine. I konei ka tirohia ngā kōrero mō ngā waka tawhito mete whakapapa hoki o ngā tūpuna tāngatawhenua o Ngā Ruahine. Whai muri i tēnā, he wāhanga e pā ana ki te haeretanga mai o Aotea waka, ā, ka tirohia hoki tētehi kōrero tawhito mō te wehenga o ngā iwi o Aotea.
Mai i ngā pakiaka ka piki ake ki te tinana o te rākau. Koinei te wāhanga e pā ana ki ngā korero whenua o Ngā Ruahine. Kei te ūpoko tuarua nei, ka āta tirohia ngā kōrero mō ngā tongi o te rohe o Ngā Ruahine, me ngā take kōrero e whakawhanaunga ana i te tangata ki te whenua. Kei te ūpoko tuarua anō hoki ētehi whakaaturanga whenua mō te rohe o Ngā Ruahine, hei āwhina i te kaipānui.  
Mai i te tinana, ka aro atu ki ngā peka o te rākau i raro i te ūpoko tuatoru. Koinei te wāhanga nui o tēnei tuhingaroa, nā te tokomaha o ngā toronga o ngā peka nei. I roto i te ūpoko tuatoru, ka tirohia ētehi kōrero mō ia hapū o Ngā Ruahine. Mai i ngā kōrero mō ngā rohe whenua o ia hapū, ki ngā kōrero mō ngā marae me ngā pā tawhito o ērā hapū, ā, tae atu hoki ki ngā tūpuna rongonui me ā rātou mahi whakaari.  
Hei te mutunga, ka herea katoatia ngā kōrero o te tuhinga nei i raro i te ūpoko tuawhā, kia kite ai , he aha ngā hua e pūawai ai i tēnei tuhinga. Koinei te whakamutunga o ngā kōrero, arā ko te whakakapīnga o ngā kōrero.  
Ko tēnei tuhingaroa, he whakaemi kōrero mai i ngā kaumātua o Ngā Ruahine, ā, he mea tango mai hoki ētehi kōrero i ngā pukapuka, ko ēnei kōrero kua whakatakotoria i roto i tēnei tuhingaroa hei whakawhāriki iho ki te aroaro o te tini. Ko te tūmanako, he tuhinga rangahau tēnei hei āwhina i ngā rangatahi o Ngā Ruahine, kia rongo ai rātou i ngā kōrero kāore i te tino rangona i ēnei rā, kia mau hoki ngā kōrero a ngā kaumātua o Ngā Ruahine, kei ngaro. Erangi, he whakamōhio tēnei, he tīmatanga anahe tēnei tuhingaroa mō te kaupapa nei. Ko te tūmanako, he hua anō ka puta i tēnei rangahau, hei whāngai i ngā manu hiakai o Ngā Ruahine.

year: 1998