Candidate Woke Watch

Candidate Woke Watch - How Councillors Have Voted

How WOKE Agendas Hijack Councils
- Not Core Services?

Across New Zealand, WOKE ideologies are infiltrating local councils, shifting focus away from essential services like roads, water, and sewage. Instead of prioritising ratepayer needs, many councillors push climate-driven agendas, social equity programs, and Smart City schemes aligned with global organisations like the UN and WEF. This top-down approach erodes local democracy and sidelines the voices of the very residents they are meant to represent.

Are Skyrocketing Rates Funding Ideologies
- Not Infrastructure

These WOKE policies come at a high cost. Councils borrow heavily through the LGFA to fund ideological projects, while core infrastructure deteriorates. Ratepayers are left footing the bill, with skyrocketing rates and mounting debt guaranteeing investor profits but delivering little benefit to local communities. Transparency is often lost in the process, with key decisions made behind closed doors or forced through without proper consultation.

Does Big Government Crush Local Democracy
– Not Serving Ratepayers Needs?

See The Problem Below:

The True Cost of WOKE Governance in Whangarei: Couper & McKenzie's 2025 Voting Record Exposed

“17.2% Rates Rise. $10M Vanity Projects. No Consultation. Thank Cr Couper & Cr McKenzie”
- "No Public Say”

Whangarei residents are facing a growing financial burden, and two councillors are at the center of it: Cr Ken Couper and Cr Scott McKenzie. Their 2025 voting records reveal a consistent pattern of support for policies that raise rates, prioritise ideology over infrastructure, and ignore the voices of everyday ratepayers.

These councillors are not just aligned with WOKE agendas—they are leading the charge.
From voting FOR a 17.2% rates increase in 2025 and a 10.9% increase in 2024, to backing millions in unbudgeted spending on "urban design" and heritage building renovations, Couper and McKenzie have shown a clear willingness to spend big while Whangarei families struggle with the cost of living. They both voted to spend $7.43 million renovating the Old Town Hall, $10 million on urban design, and to financially support Oruku Landing — a move questioned by many for its long-term benefit to ratepayers. (was this to secure backing from the developer for a mayoral campaign?)

“They Ignored 87% of Ratepayers. Backed Co-Governance. And Funded the Arts While Services Crumbled”
"They Helped Drain Your Wallet"

“No Consultation. No Consent. Couper & McKenzie Voted to Silence Your Voice”
– No Consultation

The most concerning part is the lack of public input. Both councillors voted FOR changing the voting system to STV without public consultation, reducing local voice and democratic oversight. Time and again, they've supported top down centralised control and ideological alignment over grassroots needs.
Whangārei doesn't need councillors who vote for slogans. It needs leadership rooted in fiscal responsibility, practical infrastructure investment, and respect for public voice. Ratepayers must take note: Couper and McKenzie's records speak louder than their campaigns.

See The Problem Below:

“WOKE of the Week: Flying the Flag for Top-Down Control”

“Ken Couper WOKE Wrapped in Word Salad: The Empty Promises of Another High-Rates Candidate”

Politicians are known to use language that sounds great but means nothing or even worse hypocritical or deceptive. So with that in mind let’s take a look at Ken Couper’s reasons for being a mayoral candidate:

A. Meaningless Buzzwords Without Substance

"Strong, fair leadership... bringing decision-makers together... being present... listening... guiding staff..."

• Analysis: These are classic empty campaign phrases that sound appealing but provide no measurable commitments. They’re vague, subjective, and could mean anything. There is no mention of specific policies, cost control, or outcomes.
• These lines project competence without accountability — there's nothing here that ties him to practical actions like council going back to basics like infrastructure repair, rate reduction, or fiscal discipline.

B. WOKE Phrasing and Hidden Top-Down Intentions

"Working with central government in Wellington..."
"Guide the council staff..."

• Analysis: This language suggests alignment with centralised control and top-down governance—red flags for anyone concerned about local autonomy or creeping WOKE agendas.
• Pledging to “work with central government” can be code for rubber-stamping mandates like co-governance, climate spending, managed retreat or smart city restrictions — often without true community input.

C. Control Over Council Narrative

"It will be my job as mayor to bring the council together to focus our strategy on what is important for ratepayers."

• Analysis: While this sounds supportive of ratepayers, the vagueness allows for reinterpretation of what “important” means — and if history is any guide, this often leads to funding outrageous spending on urban design fighting invisible enemies like climate change and vanity projects.
• He doesn’t define “important” — likely because his track record shows he thinks it means ideological priorities over roads, water, and real needs.

CONCLUSION: More Central Control & Higher Rates

Despite projecting an image of sensible governance, Cr Ken Couper's voting record paints a very different picture. He voted for some of the most expensive and ideologically loaded proposals the Whangārei District Council has seen in recent years — including a 17.2% rates hike in 2025, $10 million on "urban design" upgrades, financial backing for the Oruku Landing project, the introduction of Te Tiriti principles into the council's Code of Conduct, and Māori wards.

He also supported the fluoridation of water, despite overwhelming community resistance, and even pushed for changing the voting system to STV without public consultation, weakening democratic oversight. Ironically, Couper only opposed a token, comparatively low-cost initiative — a mayoral cultural trip to French Polynesia — which conveniently allows him to claim he's fiscally cautious. The truth is, his pattern of voting reveals a commitment to WOKE vanity projects over ratepayer relief, driving up debt and delivering little in return for struggling households.

If you want SKYROCKETING rates a divided country and TOP DOWN government control Ken Couper is your man.

“WOKE of the Week: Flying the Flag for Top-Down Control”

“Scott McKenzie’s 15-Minute City Plan: Higher Rates, Less Freedom, and Top-Down Control for Whangārei”

Its interesting how a nightmare vision can be delivered with such innocent sounding words like Livable, Sustainable and Connected but mark my words these words come from a nightmare vision that even the naive WOKE councillor himself will run screaming from if it becomes a reality.

Its time we had some councillors with real experience a minimal of having built and run a business for a number of years, so they understand the realities of running a cash flow from money earned and the importance of a budget where every $ counts. Listening to customers and changing course to get the best results.

Its so easy when you think you know best and don't realise what you don't even know while spending money that's not yours with no accountability.

“15-Minute Cities, Top-Down Planning: Is Scott McKenzie Coming for Your Property?”

Scott McKenzie’s “Liveable” city vision is code for intensified housing, urban densification, and top-down control. He champions forcing people into the central city to justify spending on elite projects like the Hundertwasser, while reducing development in rural and coastal areas. His social media reveals support for dense living, fewer cars, and yes — 15-minute cities. That means you’ll own less, go nowhere, and like it. Expect fewer parking spaces, more empty Locky Docks, and a push to abandon your coastal property in favour of climate-safe concrete jungles. Is this “liveable”? Or is it Agenda 2030 wrapped in feel-good slogans?

“Sustainable or Delusional? McKenzie’s Climate Panic Will Drain Your Wallet”

McKenzie’s obsession with “sustainability” reveals a blind belief in climate alarmism — ignoring that sea levels haven’t risen in any measurable way for over 100 years. He wants Whangārei to confront “the increasing effects of climate change,” which really means endless spending, regulation, and rate hikes in pursuit of fighting carbon — the basic building block of life. Under his watch, climate panic becomes policy, and your money becomes the sacrifice. The more “sustainable” his policies sound, the more unsustainable your household finances become.

“Connected? Or Controlled? McKenzie’s Vision: Less Roads, More Bureaucracy”

To McKenzie, “Connected” means less freedom and more restrictions. Forget roads and rural access — he wants footpaths, Locky Docks, and council-funded cycleways that few use. Parking spaces are vanishing, roads are narrowing, and vehicle access is being quietly phased out — all in the name of “connectivity.” This is straight out of the 15-minute city playbook: restrict movement, promote dependency, and hide it under urban planning jargon. When McKenzie says “connected,” he doesn’t mean empowering communities — he means controlling them.

Cllr W.O.K.E

- Willfully Overspending, Kowtowing to External Influence

Cllr WOKE promises a “progressive future” driven by global climate action, equity-based initiatives, and Smart City technology. His campaign focuses on aligning Whangārei with international frameworks like the UN's 17 sustainability goals and implementing “forward-thinking” policies, even if they involve significant borrowing through the LGFA. Cllr WOKE advocates for mandatory health directives such as water fluoridation, centralised decision-making, and ambitious managed retreat programs to prepare for 'climate risks'. His pitch appeals to voters prioritising ideological change, environmental symbolism, and “inclusive” policies—while often sidelining immediate infrastructure needs or local consultation.
Under Cllr WOKE, Whangārei would “lead the way” in embracing high-cost, globally aligned initiatives aimed at reshaping the district, but at the risk of increasing rates, expanding debt, and reducing grassroots input from local communities.

Cllr R.E.A.L

- Responsible, Efficient, Accountable, Local

Cllr REAL’s platform is built on Responsible, Efficient, Accountable, Local (REAL) governance. He pledges sensible spending focused on core services: fixing roads, improving water systems, and ensuring essential infrastructure is funded before ideological or non-essential projects. He opposes unnecessary LGFA borrowing that burdens ratepayers, rejects forced mandates like compulsory fluoridation, and defends local property rights against managed retreat policies.
Cllr REAL champions transparency and open council meetings, restoring public trust and giving residents a genuine voice in decisions that affect their lives. His vision is to bring council back to basics, cut waste, reduce rates pressure, and keep governance local—free from top-down control by Wellington or global bodies. His message is clear: Practical solutions over political ideology.