The two-term Dunedin City councillor said in a statement last evening the Dunedin branch of the Green Party had endorsed his candidacy for both the mayoralty and city council in October's elections.
The council made a lot of progress in the last five to eight years in taking environmental, social and cultural wellbeing seriously as a city, he said.
He described himself as having the political experience to work both locally and nationally to continue building momentum on that front. Cr Hawkins, who has stood for the mayoralty in the past three elections, joins Scout Barbour-Evans and Carmen Houlahan as confirmed mayoral candidates. Mayor Dave Cull has yet to announce his intentions.
The announcement comes as the Otago University Students' Association launched a new campaign to get the city's population of more than 20,000 students enrolled to vote in local body elections.
The student union will be looking at working with any interested candidates who aligned with its "student, and community, friendly'' policies, to be released later this year.
OUSA president James Heath said the association was "excited to kick off our Valid Voter campaign'' to harness the clout of the student population.
"Our wider campaign aims to have student voices and issues at a local government level, just as much as any other large demographic in our city.''
The local body elections will be held on October 12.
Mr Heath said student interest in climate change, te ao Maori and city conditions had been "steadily on the rise''.
Mr Heath did not answer when asked if OUSA was fielding any candidates itself, but said the organisation was willing to work with anyone who was aligned with OUSA's policies.
Generation Zero Dunedin co-convener Adam Currie said the youth climate advocacy group would be preparing a scorecard for each council candidate to rate them on environmental issues - and OUSA was holding two debates, for council and mayoral candidates, to give them a chance to discuss issues relevant to students.
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Shut the Gate!!!! turn the lights out Dunedin, if this person gets in, Dunedin will be walking everywhere. Is this the only calibre of people Dunedin has to run for Mayor? IMO people like this 'Green' aligned in a position of authority are very very dangerous careful who you vote for Dunedin.
good, Aaron you show more intelligence and professionalism than either of the 2 'flowerpot men' Lee and Dave.
You'll get my vote
I'd put Cull and princess Hawkins in the same pot, there is a balance of being green and ensuring people are looked after work in your city and Hawkins isn't the person to ensure that is done, he will be like a little dog reporting back to Wellington look what I have done, so he can enter the circle of greens in Wellington as a MP.Unfortunately the scales in the Green aligned party are weighted down too much and other things suffer. Recommend that the Greens should all live on Auckland Island
Goodbye Christmas, goodbye common sense. Would be even worse than the current mayor.
Would be even worse than the current mayor.
impossible!
Why do people in Dunedin elect people who have never done anything to represent them in government? Would you give your life savings to a street busker to invest? No...of course not! They aren't qualified! Yet every election cycle you Dunedin voters put these unqualified people in positions they are not remotely qualified for...why? Just like Cull...Hawkins hasn't done anything that would qualify him to be mayor. Its your money they will be wasting so I implore you to think logically before you vote. We need the most qualified people representing us not just someone with a pulse. Dunedin is slowly dying because of the direction the mayor and DCC has taken. Lets put the most qualified people in office!