John Watson (New Zealand politician)

John Watson is a New Zealand politician who is an Auckland Councillor.

Watson has lived in Hibiscus Coast and East Coast Bays his entire life. He attended Westlake Boys High School, where he served as head boy, captain of 1st XI cricket, and a member of 1st XV rugby and athletics. He graduated from the University of Auckland with an M.A. (Hons) in history and worked as a secondary school teacher.

Watson has served as the President of the WRRA, the Trustee of Whangaparaoa Community Trust, a Rodney District Councillor and as a Hibiscus & Bays local board member.

A Rodney District councillor, Watson stood at the 2010 Auckland Council elections alongside Wayne Walker, finishing fourth.

He stood again in the 2013 Auckland Council elections and was this time elected. He was also re-elected to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, standing for "People & Penlink First".

In his first term as an Auckland Councilor, Watson has worked to reduce Auckland Council's spending and restrict rates increases by restricting business-class air travel of Councilors' to health grounds onlyand voting against the controversial 10 year budget on 25 June 2015, which included a transport levy and 9.95% rates increase. He has also worked to improve transportation, improve and increase sports facilitiesand reserves, protect Auckland's heritage and environment and increase communication with Auckland residents. While Watson works together with Walker, they often differ in their positions, like when they voted differently on passing the 10 year budget.

Watson and Walker were both re-elected during the 2016 Auckland elections.

Watson has been awarded two Royal Society of NZ Teachers Fellowships, for producing a written account of a bomber crew who perished during World War II, and a written and oral history of Whangaparaoa.