High-profile candidates among losers

Several high-profile candidates fell by the wayside in the local body elections.

The casualties included Derek Fox, who was unseated after six years as Mayor of Wairoa by his deputy for the past three years, Les Probert.

Mr Probert, who has spent six terms on the council, received 1896 votes and Mr Fox - who has been appointed to chair the new Maori TV channel - received 1247.

Mr Fox still intends to form and lead a Maori political party to contest seats at next year's general election and said the result did not reduce his mandate to be a national political leader.

In Marlborough, Gerald Hope was disappointed to lose his mayor's job to councillor Tom Harrison.

Mr Hope's supporters believed he had represented ratepayers well, but critics said Mr Hope won in a landslide last time because of a sympathy vote after the murder of his daughter Olivia.

In Wellington, two-term deputy mayor Kerry Prendergast stepped into the shoes of retiring mayor Mark Blumsky, with his endorsement.

Ms Prendergast captured almost double the votes of her main rivals, councillors Mary Varnham and John Morrison, in a 14-candidate race in which high-profile Women's Refuge chief Merepeka Raukawa-Tait came sixth.





Hawkes Bay got two new mayors after the incumbents in Hastings and Napier retired, but both replacements are familiar faces to voters: deputy mayor Lawrence Yule was elected in Hastings and councillor Barbara Arnott took Napier.

In Banks Peninsula, former This is Your Life host Bob Parker ousted long-serving mayor Noeline Allan and defeated another high-profile rival, fellow broadcaster Jim Hopkins.

In Gisborne, where long-serving mayor John Clarke retired, district councillor Meng Foon was elected to the job, beating former Gisborne MP Allan Wallbank and two other candidates.

In Christchurch, sitting mayor Garry Moore staved off a strong challenge from former talkback host George Balani.

Sukhi Turner won a third term in Dunedin, ahead of councillor Peter Chin, who forced former mayor Richard Walls into third.

But the closeness of the race - Mrs Turner edged out Mr Chin by fewer than 1400 votes - surprised many.



The Mayor of Buller, Pat O'Dea, was re-elected for his seventh term after 18 years in office.

In Queenstown, local Chamber of Commerce head Clive Geddes took over from Warren Cooper, who stood down.

In Invercargill, Tim Shadbolt has begun his third mayoral term, after nobody opposed him for the job.

Mr Shadbolt, who served as Mayor of Waitemata for two terms, was slightly disappointed.

"All my life, everything I've achieved has been by battling," he said.

"Now I'm suffering from campaign withdrawal symptoms."

- NZPA

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