Former council boss spends heavily to score election success

Paula Thompson who spent big to win one of the Tauranga seats on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Photo/file

Tauranga's Paula Thompson spent more than twice as much as anyone else to win a seat on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Her $22,928 of campaign costs was nearly a third of the $73,800 spent by the 22 candidates who contested seats on the council.

Figures provided to the Bay of Plenty Times showed that the next highest spender was Whakatane's former Mayor Colin Holmes who spent $10,100 on an unsuccessful election campaign.

Ms Thompson's big budget won her top spot from the eight candidates who vied for the five seats representing Tauranga on the regional council. She polled nearly 400 votes ahead of Tauranga's former Mayor Stuart Crosby who spent $5736 to attract 18,863 votes.

Quizzed about her campaign budget, she said she "absolutely" overspent but that her publicity resonated with voters.

"I have always tried to use my advertising campaigns to get out the issues, unfortunately it does cost money," the third-term councillor said. "I will definitely review how much I spend next time.''

Ms Thompson spent $17,800 on newspaper advertising to address key issues so that voters could make an informed choice. The former Tauranga City Council chief executive said her campaign had given her a fairly good indication of what people wanted.

"Public transport is an issue whose time has arrived."

The seven biggest spending candidates vying for seats on the regional council accounted for 86 per cent of total expenses filed by the 22 candidates. No election was needed for the Western Bay of Plenty Constituency, with two candidates for two vacancies.

Ms Thompson was the sixth biggest spender across all council elections that effected on voters in the Western Bay of Plenty.

She spent more than the Western Bay council's leading mayoral candidates Garry Webber and Gwenda Merriman but less than Tauranga mayoral candidates Max Mason ($53,544), Doug Owens ($43,751), John Robson ($29,192), Larry Baldock ($25,236) and Greg Brownless ($23,265).

The second of the region's ex-mayors to win a seat on the regional council was former Rotorua mayor Kevin Winters whose election expenses totalled $200. His pulling power with voters unseated Neil Oppatt, ending a 27-year political career.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council election expenses (in order of votes received)

Tauranga Constituency
Paula Thompson $22,928
Stuart Crosby $5736
John Cronin $1316
David Love $4801
Andrew von Dadelszen $5432
Michael O'Neill $948
Keith Johnston $0
Rusty Kane $2805

Eastern Bay of Plenty Constituency
Doug Leeder $6200
Bill Clark $8437
Colin Holmes $10,101

Rotorua Constituency
Lyall Thurston $1452
Kevin Winters $200
Neil Oppatt $0
Katie Paul (not supplied by council)

Mauao Maori Constituency
Awanui Black $100*
Carlton Bidois $999
*died November 30

Okurei Maori Constituency
Arapeta Tahana $0
Gina Mohi $180

Kohi Maori Constituency
Tipene Marr $911
Miro Araroa $0
Paul Wetini $1273