Comedian Guy Williams says clearing up the Hairy Maclary statue saga will be at the top of his agenda when he hits town this week for a public talk with local body election candidates.
"The thing I want to sort out is the bloody Hairy Maclary statue debacle. If youcan't sort out a Hairy Maclary statue how are you going to sort out stuff like infrastructure?" he said.
Tomorrow evening's event will see Williams, best known for his role on Jono and Ben at Ten, and The Edge radio station's Megan Sellers interview Tauranga City Council candidates by spinning a giant roulette wheel to select the topic. "I think there's a lot to learn by how the candidates react to some of the more off-the-wall comments," he said. "I feel like they are not going to know what hit them."
Behind the humour Williams, who studied politics at Victoria University, is passionate about encouraging more young people to vote.
"I am very frustrated that voting is so inaccessible for young people. They don't make enough of an effort to reach out to younger voters."
Not only do voters have to use old-fashioned forms and snail mail but "they add the extra curve ball of making it incredibly dry and boring".
A council spokeswoman said the event would give people a chance to get to know the city candidates in an environment that was fun and easy to relate to. It will run from 5.30pm to 7pm on the Edgewater Fan at the Spring St end of the waterfront. If it rains it will be at Baycourt.
