Latest news with #Roud


Scoop
a day ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Alliance Council Candidate Slams Manji's Past Record On Social Housing
Tom Roud, the Alliance Party candidate for Central Ward, is taking a firm stance on housing, and is putting the spotlight on former Councillor Raf Manji's past attempts to dismantle social housing in Christchurch. 'We need to be clear about what's at stake in this election,' says Mr Roud. 'In 2014, Raf Manji called it the 'perfect time' for the council to sell off its social housing. We can only imagine the disastrous impact on homelessness and housing affordability had he succeeded.' In 2014, as Council finance committee chairman, Mr Manji pushed for the council to leave the social housing sector entirely, labelling investment in affordable housing as 'unwise at best and financially imprudent at worst.' 'Thank goodness he failed,' Mr Roud says. 'Instead, we now have the Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust (ŌCHT), the largest council-owned community housing provider in the country and the envy of other cities. Had Mr Manji's vision of privatisation won out, the housing crisis in Christchurch would be far worse.' Mr Roud says he was also disappointed with recent comments from fellow Central Ward candidate Hayley Guglietta defending Airbnbs. 'Short-term rentals deprive our communities of neighbours and residents, leaving people isolated while putting upward pressure on rents. Unlike hotels, they provide next to no local employment. We cannot incentivise developers to build housing designed for short term stays, we need housing that functions as homes for our people.' Mr Roud is advocating for a significant increase in resources for ŌCHT, an investigation into expanding eligibility for social housing, and better regulation of Airbnbs and unoccupied homes in the central city. 'If we can build a stadium for the better part of a billion dollars, we can and must address homelessness and housing affordability. It's about priorities. My priority is housing our residents, not selling them out.'


Scoop
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Councillors Gough And Keown Have Short Memories About Lyttelton Port Issues, Says Alliance Council Candidate
Tom Roud, Alliance Party candidate for central ward in this year's Christchurch council elections, says some councillors have 'conveniently short memories' when it comes to the port of Lyttelton. 'Whilst the Council may have set up a structure through Christchurch City Holdings Limited that maintains an 'arm's length' relationship with port management, that doesn't mean our elected representatives shouldn't be able to step in on our behalf if things are going awry,' he said. Mr Roud continued: 'there are precedents for this – during the very disruptive and acrimonious industrial dispute of 2018, I know councillors were talking to unions and I don't doubt they were talking to management. After that dispute was settled both unions and management got a very clear signal that industrial relations had to change and under the previous CEO they did'. 'Going back further, the last time the idea of selling off the port was floated our elected representatives engaged with unions and were led to understand the level of resistance such a move would generate. This was, in part, driven by concerns about the disastrous consequences privatisation would have for health and safety. Councillors were under no illusions an already questionable health and safety performance would arguably get worse,' said Mr Roud. 'More recently, during COVID the value of public ownership of such a strategic asset was demonstrated. Port management and the workforce were really clear that keeping goods moving safely across the waterfront was the priority, not short-term profitability. That view didn't just fall out of the sky. Public ownership means accountability to us, the voters and ratepayers, let's keep it that way,' he said.


Scoop
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Alliance Party Launches First Campaign In Over A Decade
Tom Roud, candidate for the revitalised Alliance Party, is launching his campaign for Christchurch City Council Friday 4 July with a fundraising event at local venue Space Academy, starting 7.30pm. The Alliance Party announced its return to active electioneering in early June to endorse Tom Roud for Christchurch City Council. Alliance Party President Victor Billot says 'Tom, along with other younger people, saw the Alliance as a good fit for the politics they wanted to see in action and we agreed.' Mr Billot will be speaking at the launch event., 'we are very happy to have such a high quality candidate who is promoting the Alliance's ambitious social democratic alternative, tailored for local government," he said. Mr Roud, a librarian who plays in a local band in his spare time, says his guiding principle is an egalitarian politics that works for working people. 'We don't hear enough from working people and their families. To be a great place to live, Christchurch has to be a great place for everyone to live. Good jobs, affordable housing, no asset sales along with the expansion of public assets, and public spending that improves the lives of ordinary Kiwis.' Mr Roud said he is providing an aspirational alternative that would motivate voters, including increasing the turnout of younger voters and renters. 'This ward is almost 70% renters, and the community here is considerably younger than the city average. Young workers living in the city centre deserve strong representation', he says. His campaign launch, set for the same day nominations open, includes performances from high profile Christchurch acts Pickle Darling, This Dog, and The Eastern. 'Christchurch can become a cultural powerhouse for live music, and that's part of what motivated my campaign. I am grateful to have amazing local talent playing at my campaign launch', he says.