COMMUNITY VOICES: Should John Walker run? | Auckland Opinion | Local Voices from Auckland, New Zealand

The tail end of winter has brought some surprisingly low temperatures. But cold weather is not enough to cool an increasingly feverish campaign. Our Community Voices report.

In Manurewa, Clendon youth advocate Kim Dennis listened in amazement at a recent community board meeting where disrespect and mudslinging seemed to be the order of the day for some council aspirants.

"If you look back on the previous election, you will see how close these candidates were to each other and stood for the commonality of the community.

"But now we have a little chaos that, hopefully, people will see through and vote for the right reasons.

"The liquor issues are a concern for Manurewa and it affects each and every member of Manurewa.

"There are a lot of personalities coming out now that the race is on."

Ms Dennis has previously mentioned a concern about the nasty side of politics and says that may be increasing during the campaign. With Sir John Walker throwing his hat into the political arena, some of the hopefuls may feel more desperate than others.

"He is a man with prestige in the Manurewa community and Manurewa are loyal to their own. I know there are some who think he should bow out gracefully and others who think, 'Give it another go, John'," says Mrs Dennis.

Wilson Hawes, chairman of the Fencibles United soccer club, does not seem so impressed with Sir John's announcement. "He has an iconic profile and some good ideas but I wonder what the kids who are unable to get onto local parks to play would think of his 'field of dreams' initiative?"

Leading the billboards race are Jami-Lee Ross and Dick Quax, both on the Citizens and Ratepayers ticket.

"Jami-Lee Ross and Dick Quax have quite a strong presence in South Auckland. I've been seeing a lot of their billboards," says Howick businessman Dan McClean.

Mr Hawes adds, "Quax and Ross have a fertile field of discontent to keep their profile up in the media. Maraetai is one of a number of local issues that they are championing [Manukau City Council wants to remove an informal road through Omana Reserve to Maraetai Beach and create a walkway. Residents vehemently oppose this]. I would love to see that they actually do something about these issues if they get in."

As for the mayoral race, there seems no question which way South Auckland will go.

"I think the South in general will be hard for John Banks to get votes out of. I'd say, from the people I've talked to, that the South is pretty loyal to Len Brown. If people are unsure of who to vote for they're probably going to go for their old mayor," says Mr McClean.

Manpreet Singh*, president of the Auckland Sikh Society, is concerned candidates from ethnic communities are not making themselves clear to voters.

'Every day new billboards are coming on main intersections of suburbs; new faces for local boards. It's good to see different ethnicity of people coming forward but, unfortunately, I haven't heard any of their policies yet. What are they standing for? What are the core issues they will touch?"

Baptist Church elder Frank Walton, who has read through Mr Brown's website, says, "Len Brown clearly proposes a democratic governance model, where the unique needs and concerns of each local community are considered paramount, and local community boards are given decision-making power over areas of vital interest to them eg., liquor licensing outlets, brothels, parks, recreation and sports facilities, libraries, swimming pools, community houses, environmental initiatives, public transport, crime prevention, local economic development, speed limits, bus stops, pedestrian zones (and many more)."

Pakuranga Intermediate principal Stuart Myers says many people are concerned at the increasingly direct control by the present Government in education, law and other areas. "It appears that they are prepared to ride roughshod over informed debate and to go to extremes to ensure ill-conceived policies are implemented.

"It is essential that the Auckland super-city mayor and council remain politically neutral and independent of the Government and continue the process of developing Auckland as a most unique, multicultural city. The Auckland Council needs to preciously guard all areas of operation not presently under the influence of the Government and make informed decisions in these areas in the best interests of our great city."

Mr Singh notes that Auckland City Mayor John Banks seem to be more business-oriented while Mr Brown "is more like connected to the people - perhaps because of his middle-class upbringing."

Colin Craig, he says, seems to be getting a rough deal from the media. "As for his plan to fix the leaky buildings problem, I think it makes sense but I don't know where the money is going to come from."

Mr Hawes is disappointed candidates aren't too clear about what they plan to do for sports. "Parents and players alike are becoming increasingly frustrated about the total lack of expenditure on soccer facilities over the last 5-10 years when massive amounts of money are being spent on other codes. Parents in my club are saying that this is the one issue that will determine the way they will vote. "

Ms Dennis says candidates are overlooking young people. "Youth make up a large proportion of the Manurewa ward and could hold crucial votes, but will they vote? Voting youth I spoke with say, 'Nah, I ain't wasting my time. Why should I? They won't listen to me.'."

Information on the candidates' programmes is out there, our panellists say. "There's only so much information the candidates can get right under our noses. I think people need to get out there and do research for themselves. I know I need to do more," says Mr McClean.

* Daljit Singh has opted to stand as a candidate and has stood down from our panel.

What is this project about? October's local body elections represent a historic moment for our region: for the first time, voters from Te Arai Pt to Pukekohe, Piha to Pohutukawa Coast will elect one mayor and council. They will also choose members of 21 local boards. Each of our four editions - North, West, Central and South - has mustered a panel of local identities to comment on the campaign. This is the third in the series.