Political career
McDavitt became politically active in the early 1970s and joined the environmentalist Values Party. in 1974 he stood unsuccessfully for the Wellington City Council on a Values ticket. [6] In 1975 he was elected as the party's Wellington regional convener,replacing Tony Brunt who stepped down from the role. [7] He also served as the General Secretary of the Values Party from 1974 until 1979 when he decided to leave the role. The role was no longer paid and he left it for a role as a communications tutor. He stayed on in a voluntary basis with several friends performing necessary duties until the next annual conference. [8] He was in favour of homosexual law reform in New Zealand and listed his name openly in support. [9]
By the 1980s McDavitt had left the Values Party and had joined the Labour Party. He stood again for the City Council in 1983 on a Labour ticket and was elected. [10] [11] He transferred to the Lambton Ward in 1986 would remain on the council until 1992 when he decided not to seek re-election. In 1988 he was appointed deputy to Mayor Jim Belich after the removal of Helene Ritchie,following a series of feuds with Labour councillors over policy. [12] He held that position until 1989 when Labour lost their majority on the council. [2]
In 1989 he was elected to the Wellington Regional Council on a Labour ticket. Wishing to concentrate more on his regional council duties prompted him to give up his role as Labour leader on the council to Sue Driver,who was Labour's nominee for the deputy mayoralty. [13] As Labour no longer had a council majority the deputy role went to David Watt,an independent. [14] As a regional councillor he chaired the transport committee,and would serve for 21 years until he was defeated in 2010 standing as an independent. [15] He was the chair of both the public transport and land transport committees and also served as Deputy Chair of the Regional Council from 2001 to 2007.
