Losing Queenstown Lakes mayoral campaigns funded by rich-listers

Two Queenstown Lakes mayoral candidates had their campaigns partly funded by rich-listers, but the new mayor has declared no large donations contributing to his spend of almost $30,000.

Of the five candidates running for the role, eventual winner Glyn Lewers spent the most on his campaign, according to figures released on Monday.

Lewers spent $28,926.85 in the electorate, which has a $30,000 spending cap.

He said about 75% of his campaign costs were paid by individuals making donations under the $1500 threshold for declaration.

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Third place-getter Olivia Wensley followed his spend closely with $28,126.39, but she received $31,833.33 in declared donations.

The bulk of that came from businessman Peter Huljich, who donated $20,000.

Huljich’s family are described as “very high net worth” on Wikipedia, being worth at least $444 million in 2021 following the sale of their stake in Pushpay.

They have also featured in court notices with Huljich’s grandmother, Elizabeth, losing a bid to sue two of her sons and Peter for $264,000.

In 2011, Peter Huljich and his company Huljich Wealth Management were convicted and ordered to pay $447,000 for undermining public confidence in the KiwiSaver investment market and misleading investors by using his own money to artificially inflate the performance of the company’s KiwiSaver fund.

He is listed as a shareholder in the company Winton Land Ltd, which is associated with Chris Meehan who former Queenstown Lakes mayor Jim Boult accused of intending to interfere in his election as mayor in 2016.

Wensley said Huljich was a part-time Queenstown resident and a personal friend of about 20 years who had generously supported her campaign.

“If I was successful with the mayoralty I wouldn’t have keep the whole amount, so no one could say I was owned by anyone.”

Wensley also received $6500 from US-businessman Mike Almquist, who is battling to build a wine-making and distillery facility near Arrowtown, and $3333.33 from an Australian cousin.

High-profile technology entrepreneur Rod Drury campaigned on Wensley’s behalf and donated $2000 to her campaign.

During the election campaign Wensley claimed she was the subject of dirty politics and planned to sue fellow candidates for defamation, but has since decided it is not worth the energy.

Second place getter Jon Mitchell declared a $5000 boost in his campaign from cereal entrepreneurs Dick and Diane Hubbard, as well as $8000 in kind donations.

Dick Hubbard is a former one-term mayor of Auckland.

Mitchell’s advertising expenses came to $9834.35.

Also in the mayoral race were Neeta Shetty who spent $16,907.74 and won a seat on the council, and candidate Daniel Shand, who spent $1550 but won no seat.