Stalwart Chrissy Mauger

Warm, welcoming, and impeccably dressed, Christchurch’s mayoress Chrissy Mauger flies under the radar – a picture of poise supporting the city’s head honcho. Metropol editor Nina Tucker pulls back the curtain on her strength, stability and enduring smile.

A radiant Chrissy Mauger guided me into her Avonhead home, a space that immediately reflected her commitment to family and eye for interior design. Bouncy blonde waves framed her smiling face and forming her silhouette was a blouse tucked into crisp tailored pants.

Had I caught her just a few hours earlier, Chrissy would have been head-to-toe in activewear attacking a hilly route around the city with her walking group. The ritualistic routine has shaped the mayoress’ mornings for years, blending an hour of exercise and social interaction into a “blissful” way to start the day. “It really sets me up. If I don’t get there, I just don’t have the same energy levels to get through everything,” she says.
Between managing nine grandchildren and a gorgeous house and garden, plus an endless stream of social events filling the calendar, Chrissy’s personal moments invite peace among the madness of life with a mayor for a husband. When originally bestowed the honour, the pair planned to have a date night once a week. “I think that lasted about a month,” the mayoress laughs. Committed to their city just as much as they are to each other, the pair barely miss a function.

From valuing her presence at events to seeking her guidance and support, Mayor Phil’s love for Chrissy is a quiet force shining through his everyday work. His “sounding board”, the mayoress’ down-to-earth character affords her opinion a certain authority. “I’m a ratepayer too,” she explains. A continuous flow of support and stability, Chrissy still doesn’t consider her input enough for the mayoress title. “I don’t think I’ve done enough to have a title,” she says, detailing how much more ‘celebrity status’ a mayor had decades ago. “Now, people want results.”

Growing up in state housing, Chrissy’s current reality is of stark contrast to her childhood. She hasn’t buried her roots – that understanding of community differences acts as a guide in decision making to this day. “Looking back, I was lucky because that never leaves you. A lot of things happen and I say to Phil, ‘there is another way of looking at this.’” Still, finding balance that pleases everyone is arguably impossible. Behind each choice is an inevitable wave of dispute and subsequent keyboard warriors – which will only increase in the time leading up to Mayor Phil’s bid to secure another three years in the hot seat.

Chrissy remembers how difficult it was during his first mayoral campaign. “I found that really awful because I wasn’t used to it,” she says. What was once a stomach filled with butterflies standing in support of her husband at debates, Chrissy has learnt to adapt and ignore over time. “The best thing for me was to just not go down that track. This time seems to be a little easier, but we’re not right in the thick of it yet.” She sighs, “I don’t know how young women with young families have husbands in politics and council, because, you know, it is relentless.”

When Mayor Phil was sworn in, Chrissy too became tethered to the responsibility of the role. “You’ve got no choice. It’s 24/7, it’s a lifestyle choice.” Even on holiday, the pair can’t escape council phone calls. With no media training, Chrissy feels lucky that she doesn’t have to pretend to be someone she’s not in public based on her status. “What you see is what you get,” she laughs.

A moment holidaying in the tropics opened her eyes to the scrutiny they signed up for. A man photographed Phil and Chrissy unbeknownst to them, in an attempt to help a friend ascertain whether or not he was looking at his new mayor and mayoress. Intrigued by how oblivious they had been when ‘papped’, Chrissy, an expressive hands communicator, now considers her mannerisms much more in public. “Sometimes I wonder to myself, if I’ve been talking to Phil in a restaurant or something, I could look like I’m telling him off,” she says and nervously awaits a misleading headline.

The flip side of the coin is the joyous citizenship ceremonies the mayoral pair attend and the kind characters they meet. “There are so many people out there doing wonderful things,” Chrissy says. “It totally wipes out all the other stuff.”

A BALANCING ACT
Chrissy told Phil from day one that “family has to come first”. While the mayor’s engagements take precedence, Chrissy isn’t a fan of double-booking – anything for family is calendarised and reserved so she doesn’t miss a moment. “When you’re a grandmother, your life goes so much quicker. Children’s lives go so fast.” Ranging in age from three to 13, the couple’s grandchildren keep them busy at home. “When you have children and grandchildren, you never get complacent,” she laughs.

It’s hard enough to juggle friends and family, yet keeping up with each other – and keeping the spark alive – is an even bigger task. “Sometimes it’s nearly impossible, to be honest,” Chrissy says. Comparing calendars and blocking out certain times seems to work, although Mayor Phil’s schedule is so unpredictable Chrissy knows to keep the fridge stocked with easy meals to accommodate events that run overtime. When the holidays roll around, the pair escape, as best they can, to Fiji or Kaiteriteri’s Stephens Bay.

Beaming sun rays bathe her living room while we speak, every corner carefully decorated with beautiful ornaments and photo frames. It makes sense – Chrissy has a love for flipping houses and interior design, designing spaces with wonderful new things. “When [Mayor Phil] first started living here, he used to call me his little magpie. He would ask what was new today that wasn’t there yesterday,” she laughs.

Mayor Phil’s signature humour could be responsible for winning Chrissy over – a trait that didn’t let up even after a car accident in Australia left him in critical condition, dosed up on drugs. While nursing him back to health in an apartment, Phil asked Chrissy for her hand. “Now he goes around telling everyone that he was absolutely drugged to the eyeballs when he asked me,” she remarks.

Chrissy shares her secret passion for singing – the breathing exercises, companionship, bursting out in beautiful song with friends and their husbands. I questioned Mayor Phil’s participation and was reminded of his unforgiving schedule. “Phil, even when he’s not mayor, will be busy forever.”