Andrew Mark Judd (born 1965) is a New Zealand local government politician and activist who served as the mayor of New Plymouth from 2013 to 2016.
Andrew Judd | |
---|---|
26th Mayor of New Plymouth | |
In office 26 October 2013 – 25 October 2016 | |
Deputy | Heather Dodunski |
Preceded by | Harry Duynhoven |
Succeeded by | Neil Holdom |
Majority | 9,206 |
Councillor for New Plymouth District | |
In office 2007–2013 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Andrew Mark Judd 1965 (age 58–59) Masterton, New Zealand |
Political party | Māori Party[1] |
Occupation | Dispensing optician |
Early life
Judd was born in Masterton in 1965, the second of six children of Peter and Jennifer Judd. His father ran a menswear shop and his mother had come to New Zealand from Guernsey as a 16-year-old. Judd was educated at Makoura College, and after a varied work history as a cloth-cutter in clothing factories, stock and station sales management cadet, home appliance retailer, and sales rep for The Radio Network, he became a dispensing optician in New Plymouth.[2][3]
Political career
At the 2007 local-body elections, Judd was elected to the New Plymouth District Council as the second-highest polling candidate.[4] He was re-elected in 2010, polling in fourth place.[5]
Judd won the mayoralty of New Plymouth from one-term incumbent Harry Duynhoven with a 9,206 vote majority in 2013[6] and served one term before announcing he would not stand again in 2016.[7]
Māori wards
In 2014 Judd caused controversy when he and his council supported the establishment of a Māori ward in New Plymouth in a move intended to increase Māori representation, lift iwi participation in council decision-making and fulfil Treaty of Waitangi obligations. Judd also called for all councils in New Zealand to have up to 50% Māori representation.[8] The proposals were widely criticised by politicians and the media, with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters calling arguments for the ward "childish nonsense" [8] and right-wing media personality Mike Hosking labelling Judd "completely out of touch with middle New Zealand".[8] In the months following, a publicly initiated referendum on the creation of a Māori ward, which Judd lost in a landslide, the mayor spoke to media about "a man in a Nazi uniform" coming to see him, getting removed as a patron of a club, being abused walking down the street in a Santa parade and being spat on whilst out with family at a local supermarket.[9] Judd, a New Zealand European, labels himself a "recovering racist".[10]
However, Judd gained the admiration and recognition of political figures, including MP Marama Fox who called for his critics to apologise in a general debate speech before parliament.[11] Support for Judd also flowed on social media, with a Facebook group named "Andrew Judd Fan Club" reaching 10,500 members.[12]