He was the deputy mayor of Lower Hutt and later chief executive of Porirua City Council for twenty years from 1980 until 2000.

Seddon's first marriage had broken up while he was running his own small business after a succession of senior management jobs in local companies.

[8] He was a fierce critic of nuclear-powered and armed ships entering New Zealand waters while he was a Harbour Board member.

[9] Ahead of the 1978 election he put himself forward for the Labour nomination in the Western Hutt and Island Bay electorates, but was not selected for either.

[2] Following the retirement of Porirua's Town Clerk (the then title of the chief executive officer) Gordon Gandell in 1980 he applied for the position.

A group of senior Porirua City Council officers jointly signed a letter during the appointment row saying he wasn't the right man for the job.

There was also speculation his role as Town Clerk was a stopgap until he could fill the safe Labour seat of Porirua in Parliament, then occupied by the ageing Gerry Wall, who retired in 1987.

[1] He served under three mayors of Porirua (Whitford Brown, John Burke and Jenny Brash) and was instrumental in several of the city's social, economic and physical developments.