Hoardings a sign of election season

A day after his election hoardings began springing up across the city, Tauranga MP Simon Bridges and wife, Natalie, were armed with a bottle of turps removing unwanted moustaches, glasses and something coming out of Prime Minister John Key's ears.

The two defaced signs, one outside Bureta Park Motor Inn in Otumoetai and the other at the Matua roundabout, were among the 45 put up by National Party supporters at 30 sites across the city on Saturday.

Mr Bridges, who won the Tauranga seat from Bob Clarkson in 2008, said his party had consulted with Tauranga City Council and he was confident they were within the rules erecting the signs on Saturday - despite the electoral commission stating signs could go up two calendar months out from the November 26 election.

Meanwhile, Tauranga's Labour candidate Deborah Mahuta-Coyle said there had been confusion nationwide over whether the two-month rule referred to eight weeks or two calendar months. If the council deemed the party had broken the rules she would "take it on the chin".

Mr Bridges said the hoardings popping up across the city were a reminder that despite the distraction of the Rugby World Cup a general election was now less than two months away. However, the 34-year-old could offer little more than moral support on Saturday, having had elbow surgery at Tauranga's Grace Hospital last week.

"I had a good excuse for not doing too much [but] I will help in the future," he said.

A first-time candidate, Mrs Mahuta-Coyle said seeing her face beaming from roadside billboards was a new experience. "It's a little strange to be honest," she said.

A team of about seven Labour supporters braved the rain and mud on Sunday to erect about 25 signs at 20 sites across Tauranga.

"That's just the first run of public sites and we'll hopefully get them up in some private sites too this week," Mrs Mahuta-Coyle said. "It feels like the election's kind of kicking off now all the signs are up."

The 30-year-old said she was planning on giving Mr Bridges a run for his money come election day. "It will be interesting when we have our first candidates' meeting. I feel like the dog under the underdog so I've got to come out fighting one way or the other, the only way is up," she said.

A former press secretary for party leader Phil Goff, Mrs Mahuta-Coyle agreed the election would not be at the forefront of Kiwis minds until the final whistle of the Rugby Word Cup. "The election won't be at the top of the news cycle until the Rugby World Cup's over," she said.

Co-ordinator for the Green Party's billboards in Tauranga Colin Hewens said the party would using signs made from recycled core flute which were still being produced and printed this week. Twenty-nine large signs and 117 smaller ones would be erected across the Bay of Plenty next weekend.

Tauranga Green Party candidate Ian McLean said a determination to use recycled signs and environmentally friendly ink had resulted in the delay, but saw the hold up having little impact on the campaign. "Everybody's so distracted by the World Cup at the moment nobody's even noticing the signs," he said.

A representative for New Zealand First, whose Tauranga candidate is former television weather man Brendan Horan, said supporters were busily erecting signs across the city early yesterday morning with more expected to pop up this week.

Meanwhile, council spokeswoman Alison Clifford said maintenance of election signage, which are popular targets for taggers, was the responsibility of the owner. "If we get a complaint about a sign that has been graffitied we would try and get hold of the sign owners. If we couldn't get hold of them and the graffiti is offensive we would likely remove the sign," she said.

Mrs Clifford said council would investigate complaints about election signage and take the appropriate course of action.

ELECTION SIGN RULES

Electoral Act 1993

 

Signs can be up to 3sq m in size.

Signs can be put up two calendar months before election day.

Signs are not allowed to be displayed on polling day.

Tauranga City Council

Political parties must apply to Tauranga City Council for permission to put their signs up around the city.

Signs cannot be within 6m of an intersection

Signs can not be attached to poles or street furniture without written permission

Signs can not be attached to a stationary vehicle in a public place.

Signs can go up in public places and parties can get permission from private property owners to erect them on their property as long as the city plan rules are obeyed.

There is no limit on the number of signs a party can have around the city provided they adhere to the relevant rules and legislation.

 

Signs can go up in public places and parties can get permission from private property owners to erect them on their property as long as the city plan rules are obeyed.