Baker defends long-planned holiday

The Baker family is spending the school holidays in Tahiti.

Tauranga mayoral candidate Mike Baker has swapped the hurly burly of the elections for a holiday in Tahiti.

Mr Baker departed Tauranga on Monday and will not return until October 10 - two days before Election Day. The former one-term councillor defended the timing of his holiday, saying: "I can only assume that there must not be much newsworthy news in Tauranga if my holiday in Tahiti hits the headlines."

He said his wife was a teacher and the only time they could travel together was during school holidays.

The overseas trip was planned more than 12 months ago, well before he made the decision to stand for the council.

Mr Baker said that the fact he would be on holiday was not a major issue for him when he decided to stand for the council shortly before nominations opened on July 19.

He argued that by the time they departed for Tahiti on September 30, the die had been cast because voting papers had been mailed out and virtually all the candidates' meetings had been held.

"It was basically just a waiting game," he said.

Mr Baker said the meeting he missed was Tuesday's meeting organised by the Papamoa Progressive Association.

"I don't think it should damage my election chances at all."

Mr Baker said he was sure the public would understand that besides being expensive, standing for election was "somewhat stressful" on candidates and their families.

"The world should not, therefore, stop entirely."

He said the story would not put a cloud over his holiday. "I could be bold enough to say that in the event of being elected, I wanted to be fresh and reinvigorated so that I could immediately step into the role, which is something that I believe Tauranga needs, rather than being exhausted and looking forward to a holiday."

Mr Baker said the weather was great but he could not respond to the Bay of Plenty Times request for a photo of himself and wife in Tahiti. "Internet access is not great and photos do not seem to like to be sent."

"You may recall that 12 years ago a certain elected councillor announced prior to the actual Election Day that he had changed his mind and no longer wanted to be elected, but he is still there. At least I am only on holiday in Tahiti."

Mr Baker was also one of the candidates attacked in an anonymous letterbox drop of leaflets. He said he disregarded them as being from ill-informed people who were not prepared to put their names to the statements.

"I certainly have personal thoughts as to who they are."

Mr Baker was also standing for one of the council's four at-large seats in a repeat of the election formula that worked for him in the 2007 elections.