Tory Whanau‘s underwhelming, often embarrassing, mayoralty is a symptom, not a cause, of the city’s decline. The decay is not caused by Nicola Willis trimming the public sector, either.

Wellington would still be scruffy and fading even if the roads and water pipes operated perfectly. Our problem is the absence of a visionary plan that sets out a destination for the city, priorities for getting there and milestones to hold councils to account.

Start with economic development.

Josie's economic development plan is in The Post.