Mike Plant and I sat there, looking at a rough sketch of how we figured the September 3 Meet the Mayor evening would play out.
You see, along with the Northland Chamber of Commerce, the Northern Advocate and Classic Hits have booked the Forum North Exhibition Hall on Tuesday, September3 so that you can come along and listen to Whangarei's mayoral candidates.
Mike and I thought we had the evening's routine sorted, done, dusted as it were. However, things change quickly in the political game.
Having based our original planning around seven to nine candidates, we are now revising the evening's schedule after 12 candidates put their names forward.
Yes indeed, 12 people want to be mayor of Whangarei.
The original intent for the Meet the Mayor evening won't change. Each candidate will get the same airtime before a public audience, to say why they should be elected. They'll also answer a question or two.
Hopefully, candidates will be present before and after the meeting to talk to people. We are very mindful that 12 candidates could turn into a long, drawn out affair. So we'll do our best to clip things along, and we think 90 minutes to two hours maximum is long enough.
The evening will be about candidates and voters. It is being held two weeks before voting papers arrive, so it will provide food for thought during the early part of the campaign. The Advocate will also be producing two election special editions, with information on the candidates.
Frankly, the more information that gets out, the more exposure the candidates have, the less of a lottery the election will be. Because with 12 candidates standing, you are going to want to be as informed as you can possibly be, to make a decision on who will be Whangarei's next mayor.
