Helene Ritchie

Ritchie came into politics in the 1970s through the women's movement and joined the Labour Party in 1976. She helped develop the Working Women's Charter,[4] led by trade unionist and M.P. Sonja Davies; and was a member of the Labour Women's Council. She later took on leadership roles in the local Women's Electoral Lobby (WEL).[5]

At a time when only 4 women of 87 members were in Parliament and only 13 had ever been in Parliament,[6] she was selected by Labour for the then safe National seat of Ohariu electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives in the 1978 general election, but was unsuccessful placed second behind National's Hugh Templeton.[7]

At the following election she sought the Labour nominations in safe Labour seats, believing that women should be selected for Parliamentary positions where they could make a long-lasting contribution. She sought selection for the safe Labour seat of Christchurch Central in a 1979 by-election. Geoffrey Palmer, later briefly Prime Minister, was selected.[8] She also stood for selection in a number of other safe Labour seats, including, for the Napier electorate in 1980, but lost to Geoff Braybrooke, who held the seat until 2002.[9]

Ritchie had also attempted to gain the Labour nomination for the Island Bay electorate in the lead up to the 1987 general election after Frank O'Flynn announced his retirement, but the nomination ultimately went to Elizabeth Tennet.[10] Ritchie stated she was "knocked for six" after failing to win the Island Bay nomination. Soon after she stood for the Pencarrow electorate, but lost out again, this time to trade unionist Sonja Davies.[9][11]

Upon Braybrooke announcing his retirement, Ritchie was invited by the electorate chair, to again seek the Napier seat, but lost out on the nomination to Russell Fairbrother.[12]

Ritchie was first elected in the Capital, to the Wellington City Council in 1977 and then initially served for the next 12 years until 1989 when she resigned as a City councillor. She was elected concurrently to the first Wellington Regional Council in 1980 and resigned from there in 1983.

During those 12 years, she was voted the first woman Labour Leader[13] from 1980–86, and was selected as the official Labour candidate for Mayor (the first woman) in 1983, finishing runner-up to Ian Lawrence.[14]

As Chair of the Airport Authority from 1980, for 8 years and of all the Airport Authorities in New Zealand for 5 years, she defied Labour Minister Prebble's early attempt at privatisation of public assets - Wellington Airport. His and Douglas's monetarist free market, "Rogernomics" approach of extensive privatisation of state assets, and corporisation of the public sector, which the then Labour government pursued contravened Labour’s basic policy platform.

Ritchie saw this as a betrayal of Labour's fundamental policies, and as contrary to her reason for joining the Party. She along with many others, left the Labour Party in 1989. (Prebble and Douglas later left the Labour Party to become leaders of the right wing ACT Party, with Roger Douglas as founder.) Jim Anderton M.P., (later deputy Prime Minister) resigned from the Party in April 1989, saying, “I did not leave the Party, the Party left me” [15] and created the Alliance Party.

Ritchie rejoined after a gap of few years but stood for election as an Independent.

In 1986 Ritchie became Deputy Mayor to Jim Belich, the first woman to hold the position in the Capital. She was dumped by her Labour colleagues on the council in 1988. According to Ritchie, no reason was ever given and she thought the episode was "very unfair and unjust".[2] In October 1989 she stepped down as a councillor and stood for both the Mayoralty and Regional Council. She narrowly lost the Mayoralty but was elected to the Wellington Regional Council for a second time.[16]

Ritchie stood for Mayor for a third time in 1992, finishing second again this time to former Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde.[17]

Ritchie stepped out of politics for six years to care for her terminally ill husband.[18][19][20][21]

She was re-elected in the Northern ward in 1998 [2] and remained on the council for a further 18 years until 2016 when she resigned as a councillor.

In 1981 she established a delegation of prominent persons throughout New Zealand and co-led that delegation with the first Ombudsman, Sir Guy Powles, to present a submission to the Governor General Sir David Beattie, disclaiming Apartheid and seeking a stop to the then Springbok Tour of New Zealand.[22]

Her main achievement was the declaration of Wellington as a nuclear weapon free zone. This Declaration, described by the seconder Hazel Bibby as “Perhaps the most important motion to be debated by this Council” [23] was at the time when a nuclear warship, the USS Truxton, was about to enter Wellington Harbour. The Declaration had significant national and international repercussions. Within one year, half of New Zealand was living in declared nuclear weapon free zones, and women were spurred on to increase their representation in local government. There was major political fallout too, with two of the country's key leaders - the mayor of Wellington, resigning. First, the mayor, Michael Fowler,[24] aligned to the National Party, announced the day after the motion was passed that he would quit at the end of the term. Despite two of his team crossing the floor, he lashed out in the Dominion article at Labour Councillors, particularly attacking the Labour women - three of whom he had once called the "petticoat troika" and who were then in the majority of the Labour team. Reportedly he was also furious with his own two councillors Betty Campbell and David Bull, who had crossed the floor of the Council to vote with the Labour councillors and ensure that the motion was passed and the Declaration made.

Then on June 14, 1984, Prime Minister Robert Muldoon, furious that one of his members (another woman - Marilyn Waring) crossed the floor and voted with the opposition to support the Bill banning nuclear ships,[25][26] called a snap election which he then lost. A Labour Government and Prime Minister David Lange were elected on the issue, and later successfully passed the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987.[27][28][29][30]

Ritchie spearheaded and led as a councillor and Labour leader, the five year citywide Moa Point campaign which then, with a Labour majority in 1986 ensured that her motion passed, ensuring that the City adopted land based treatment to stop the City's raw sewage being discharged onto the beaches.[31]

In 1986 Ritchie chaired the Civic Centre project, saying it would give Wellington a heart.[32] Earlier, in 1982, Ritchie's motion stopped the demolition intention of the then mayor Michael Fowler, of the historic Wellington Town Hall. The later strengthening and upgrade of the Town Hall then in became part of the Civic Centre project. Two years later, in 1988 on the cusp of her then being dumped from the deputy mayoralty and all of the appointed positions which she held, she ensured Council adopted unanimously the concept plan which included an integrated and innovative concept of eclectic and world class architecture, the protection of older buildings threatened with demolition – the former City Library and the Town Hall – and the construction of new buildings and an open Civic public square (formerly road), complete with the tall emblematic Nikau palm structures. This concept plan excluded the earlier 1986 proposal to build on what became Ilott Green. The retention of this small green open space, where formerly the Circa Theatre had stood, continued then to be fought over as for over 20 years, as successive Councils proposed various building developments for it.

Ritchie focused and campaigned for years in her ward for a new library for Johnsonville alongside the upgraded pool and community centre as a cohesive community hub. The library was first formally agreed by the council in 2006 Johnsonville Town Centre Plan. Then followed Council procrastination. In 2009,[33] she secured council support for her motion to ensure that a new library be built next door to the Keith Spry Pool. But despite strong public support for this, between 2010-13 council staff and a newly elected councillor again deferred the project and looked at a range of new locations. In 2011, 4 potential sites were consulted on and the Northern Ward public and council again agreed that the site co-located with the Keith Spry Pool was the best site. In February 2014 [34] Ritchie secured funding approval from the Council which was then the most major new capital expenditure item for that triennium, was made that year. Planning started then, construction began in 2016, and this new community asset and hub was planned to be opened in 2019.

In 2007 the Press Council upheld a complaint on the grounds of inaccuracy about two articles in the Dominion Post - as well as a third - that reported on Wellington City councillor Helene Ritchie's attendance record and remuneration while on sick leave for breast cancer.[35] This had followed an earlier attempt by four male councillors to block (by walking out of the vote) her request for sick leave.

Ritchie also focused on open and recreational space on the waterfront, personally and successfully submitting to the Environment Court, alongside Waterfront Watch led by Pauline Swann, to ensure open public space instead of a Hilton Hotel colonising a large part of the Waterfront for private gain and use.[36] The Court in its decision said: “Mr McClelland and Mrs Ritchie. We felt in many ways their use and appreciation of the wharf as a safe and relatively vehicle free space reflected that of the Wellington public who use the waterfront and promenade.”.[37]

“Wellington City Councillor Helene Ritchie who was one of the appellants said the decision vindicated her stand against the project. Mrs Ritchie said the decision showed the City Council needed to “get real” about the Waterfront and acknowledge public concern about how it was being developed.” [38]

She initiated opposition, and repeatedly over six years. Ultimately successful along with others, stopping the proposal that Wellington follow Auckland and become a “Super City”.[39][40][41][42][43]

Her focus as a Health Board member was primarily on improving mental health services establishing and heading a mental health subcommittee, and on attempting to lower the rate of suicides [44] and on the provision of home and community support services.

Eventually in 2010, after years’ long campaigns,[45] she succeeded in to persuading the Board members, Chief Executives and the Chair, the Ministry of Health officials and Minister, to approve the necessary funding for a replacement and upgraded mental health recovery unit in the hospital. Ritchie received a letter from a Minister in the National Government, the Honourable Chris Finlayson, confirming approval just prior to the 2010 election on 9 September 2010 which said:

"Dear Helene,

We spoke recently about plans for Ward 27 at Wellington Regional Hospital. I have written to the Minister of Health and he has advised the Capital & Coast DHB has submitted a business case to the Ministry of Health and it is expected the renovation of facilities will be completed within a two year time frame.

The project is expected to cost $6.45 million and will be funded from the DHB’s capital streams.

Please let me know if I can make further enquiries for you.

Yours sincerely

Chris Finlayson MP” [46]

In 2016 Ritchie was in the media headlights after being caught parking her car (which had her name written on the bonnet and doors) over a pedestrian crossing in the carpark at Wellington Hospital. She later apologised for the incident and it was also revealed that a section of the carpark was fenced off by construction workers, reducing the number of spaces available.[47]

Ritchie's last six years on the Council were primarily devoted to improving the natural environment in Wellington in her role as Portfolio leader of the natural environment - extending the Outer Town Belt with the procuring of land and earlier protecting the Old Coach Road in the Northern Ward after many years and alongside much effort by local people.

Her key focus from 2010 to 2016 as chair was leading the successful and historic protection of Wellington's Town Belt, The law (2016), which was developed by the Council committee, consulted on widely with the Wellington public and introduced by the local member of Parliament, Grant Robertson, ultimately protected (and enhanced) the over 600 hectares of public green space enveloping the Capital - the Harbour and the hills.[48][49]

In 2016, Ritchie resigned as a councillor but stood for the mayoralty. This was won by Justin Lester.[50][51]

Ritchie then took a sabbatical to research, write and pursue other priorities.