Len Brown: winner in south's heartland

Len Brown and Rhys Drader hongi during his visit to Pukekohe. Mr Drader said later that he had decided to vote for Mr Brown. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Rhys Drader, a Maori father of three who lives in Pukekohe, says he can't remember the last time he voted in an election.

But Mr Drader says the hongi Super City mayoral candidate Len Brown gave him in greeting yesterday was the defining moment in his decision to give Mr Brown his vote.

"It just shows that he understands us, and not just the Pakeha folks," said Mr Drader, 43, who lost his job as a milkman last month and is hoping Mr Brown will be the right man to create jobs in small towns like Pukekohe.

Perhaps it would be different on the streets of Remuera or Takapuna, but Mr Brown was incredibly popular in the small Franklin town - a 45 minute drive on the motorway from central Auckland - where he was campaigning yesterday.

As he spoke to people in shops in the town's main shopping belt, others waited outside for their turn to get a word with him.

One such person was Iranian immigrant Fereshti Sabetian, who moved to New Zealand in 1988.

"He is like a father figure to the area, and I think he is honest and genuinely cares," said Ms Sabetian.

"When he was sick in hospital last year, our family felt really sad for him."

Sheryl Austin, 47, who asked Mr Brown to look into removing toll call charges when Auckland becomes a Super City, said she would be giving her vote to him because he was the only mayoral candidate who "bothered to campaign" in Pukekohe.

"We don't understand the Super City, but at least with Brown, we can be confident that issues smaller districts like ours face will not be forgotten," she said.

Resentment is still strong among residents after the failure of their bid to have their district excluded from the new city.

Many are worried that Auckland's needs will overshadow those of the region, that urban interests will supersede rural concerns - and believe a vote for Auckland City Mayor John Banks would make that a certainty.

Of the 17 voters who spoke to the Herald, 15 said they had either voted or would be voting Mr Brown, with two undecided.

None said they would vote for Mr Banks.

Diana Rattrie, 45, said she would vote for Mr Brown because she didn't know much about the other candidates and thought Mr Banks was "too arrogant". In a town where Mr Brown has family connections, he knew how to turn on the charm - greeting Indian voters with "namaste", giving a slight bow to an Asian passerby and waving to supporters across the street as he spoke to others.

One resident described Mr Brown as being like "the Princess Diana of South Auckland".

Norris Wright, 64, whose family business Gemtime Jewellers has been operating in Pukekohe for 98 years, said Mr Brown was not just a familiar face in the area, but more like family.

Mr Wright said his father was matey with Mr Brown's uncle, and that Mr Brown also had a grandfather who was a legend in the district.

Len Brown Place was named after Mr Brown's uncle, who was a fire chief and butcher in the 1950s.

Recent polls have put Mr Brown in front in the mayoral race, but he is still not willing to say he is confident of winning the top seat.

"We are in a comfortable space, but I think the key message I have for people when I go out and about is for them to get out and vote," Mr Brown said.

"What I am confident about is that when these people come out to vote, they will be voting for me."

While he had strong support in Pukekohe and South Auckland, Mr Brown said it was different in central Auckland and the North Shore, where people were more keen to engage with him in discussions over issues and policies.

Meanwhile, Manukau City Council executive Phil Wilson said Mr Brown's campaign had hired a part-time council driver, Ron Shuler, and would meet all his costs.

On August 28, Mr Shuler had been used by Mr Brown for campaign business sandwiched between two council appointments. Mr Brown was paying for that campaign trip.

- Lincoln Tan

TRAFFIC PLAN

Super City mayoral contender Len Brown has announced a policy of putting a transport plan in place for the 550 schools across the region.

"I will bring together schools, the Ministry of Education, Auckland Council and the transport council-controlled organisation and parents to put in place travel plans for each of the region's schools to reduce traffic and congestion in our city," Mr Brown said.

Now, only 190 schools had "travelwise" plans and 340 others operated walking school buses, the equivalent of 8300 peak-hour car trips..

"Approximately one-third of all traffic at peak hours is education related. If we could reduce congestion associated with school drop-offs and pick-ups, we could go a long way to fixing Auckland's transport."

- Bernard Orsman