A series of podcasts presenting council and mayoral candidates in the upcoming local body elections is now available live on Youtube.

The Inside Voices podcasts are designed to be more light-hearted than investigative, driven by gentle curiosity rather than a political grilling and encouraging candidates to reveal the people behind the politics.

Podcast producer Esther Whitehead said she was aiming for optimism and realism in equal measure - “a conversation that goes beyond policy to explore the people behind the campaign flyers.”

“It's like having a virtual cuppa with candidates, with them all answering the same open questions across a 20-to-30-minute chat each,” she said.

"I wanted to create something that helps our community understand the role of councillors and the real people standing as candidates, and provide media which is accessible and different to candidate debates.”

Topics covered include the candidates’ motivation to stand for council; what world views shape their decisions; and what are their beliefs about leadership and collaboration. 

“[We] keep things low-key and human. No ‘gotcha’ moments – just a chance to connect with people in a different way,” she said.

Esther conducted similar interviews three years ago during the last council elections but only with mayoral candidates.

This time she’s expanded the pool by asking all council candidates to participate as well as the mayoral candidates, and so far 23 out of the 25 have recorded interviews.

Already the podcasts have been viewed more than 500 times since they went live on Monday (August 25).

Esther has served as a Queenstown Lakes District councillor for the Queenstown-Whakatipu Ward since she was elected in a by-election in June 2021, but has chosen not to stand again this year. 

Back in 2021 she was excited by the potential direction local government was heading in but that enthusiasm has waned in recent months and, for a variety of reasons, she’s no longer “prepared to put her head above the parapet”.

She has a job outside council: “I’ve done my dash for the community and now I’d like to invest my energy where I feel it will be best spent,” she said.

View the videos here: Candidate Videos.

PHOTO: Wānaka App