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Kavinda Herath / Things
Marcus Lush with his family, from left, his son Denver, 4, his partner Vanessa Underwood and their son Tracker, 7, in his hometown of Bluff. Lush has submitted his name to represent a vacant position on the Invercargill City Council.
Featured announcer Marcus Lush is competing for the vacant spot on Invercargill City Council.
The Newstalk ZB announcer walked with his partner Vanessa and their two children, ages five and seven, from their home to the nearby Bluff Service Center, submitting the application minutes before nominations closed Tuesday at noon.
The 55-year-old, who has lived in the south since 2002, said he had been urged to run for council over the years, and even discussed it with Mayor Tim Shadbolt.
“It’s easy enough to be in Invercargill and argue … about what’s wrong with the place, but it’s a little different when you have to change it.”
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Lush, who described his politics as “left-wing,” said he could offer a new perspective on the council and offer “forward thinking.”
Robyn Edie
From left to right, Deputy Mayor Nobby Clark, Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, and CEO Clare Hadley, with other councilors behind them.
That included the future of Tiwai Point Aluminum Smelter as “hopefully something that still benefits Southland, in an even bigger way.”
He planned to continue hosting his show nationally, Marcus Lush Nights, every weekday between 8pm and 12pm, and if he was successful on the council he wouldn’t mix the two roles.
“I’m certainly not planning to run for mayor.”
His nomination comes after former deputy mayor Toni Biddle announced his resignation from the council in October.
Kavinda Herath / Things
Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt at a city council meeting.
The council has generated negative national headlines in recent months as tensions arose around the table.
That included the Department of Home Affairs raising concerns in August about a significant conflict, with Shadbolt later criticizing the findings of an independent review.
“The report does not identify the culture of improvement within a group of councilors who constantly seek to score points against me and seek publicity to criticize me,” said Shadbolt.
His outburst came days after the council voted unanimously to accept the report’s findings and Shadbolt seconded the motion.
Robyn Edie / Stuff
Invercargill Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt says some people cannot be addressed, but some councilors disagree with parts of his statement.
Lush, who has not attended a council meeting, confirmed that he had read the report but had not yet witnessed Shadbolt’s performance at the table.
“I don’t know how that is solved, but obviously he is an icon.”
Lush said he wanted to learn the machinations of the local government together with the appointed council watchers and “use some of their wisdom to find out what’s going on.”
Nominations for that vacant seat at the council table opened on November 24, with the deadline being Tuesday at 12 p.m.
Two confirmed candidates, Carl Heenan and David Pottinger, have submitted their nominations.
