Mark Thomas is standing under National's de facto ticket Communities and Residents for a seat on Auckland Council in the Albert-Eden-Puketapapa ward. Photo / Supplied
Mark Thomas is standing under National's de facto ticket Communities and Residents for a seat on Auckland Council in the Albert-Eden-Puketapapa ward. Photo / Supplied
An Auckland Council candidate has been sleeping on the concrete floor of an empty hairdresser's shop miles away from his $5.7 million family home in Remuera.
In a candidate statement profile, Mark Thomas says his principal place of residence is Albert-Eden-Puketapapa, where he is standing for council.
To prove howcommitted he is, Thomas moved out of the $5.7m family home at Seaview Rd in Remuera and subleased an empty hairdresser's shop in Dominion Rd as his main residence.
The lease ran from June 1 until the end of October with a right of renewal, he said, and he spent so much time running his campaign and developing a new business "that I based myself there".
The Dominion Rd shop has the appearance of a campaign office with large posters on the street frontage of Thomas and his running mate Christine Fletcher, who are standing under National's de facto ticket Communities and Residents for the two seats in the Albert-Eden-Puketapapa ward.
The Dominion Rd shop office of Auckland Council hopeful Mark Thomas. Photo / Bernard Orsman
The shop is virtually empty, except for some foldaway seats up against the side walls and a trestle table at the back.
Thomas said he had been camping out the back of the Dominion Rd property from Monday to Friday and "might have had one or two nights at the weekend" at Remuera where his wife and two children are living.
"I had a mattress, I had clothing ... there was a toilet facility," said Thomas, saying he went to the gym in the morning where he showered.
Thomas upped sticks at the shop about a month ago and moved into an apartment in Eden Tce - also in the Albert-Eden-Puketapapa ward.
The Dominion Rd shop offices of Auckland Council hopeful Mark Thomas. Photo / Bernard Orsman
The plan was to sell the Remuera house after the family moved home from Singapore in February with the goal of moving into an apartment in Newmarket, he said.
However, he said it had taken a little longer so he had moved to Dominion Rd and Eden Tce to experience a bit of urban life.
"I was also keen to show people how committed I was to the role I was seeking support for," said Thomas, who stood for the Auckland mayoralty in 2016 and finished fifth.
The driveway to Thomas' family home in Remuera with a council valuation of $5.7 million. Photo / Bernard Orsman
Thomas was famously kneecapped by National leader Jim Bolger two days before the first MMP election in 1996 when National decided Act's Richard Prebble was the best chance of beating Labour in the Wellington Central seat.
Auckland electoral officer Dale Ofsoske said Thomas was registered on the parliamentary roll at Dominion Rd and this was confirmed with the Electoral Commission on August 13 when his nomination was submitted.
The original address on the nomination paper was Dundonald St, Eden Tce, he said, but updated to Dominion Rd on August 13.
A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said Thomas updated his address on August 13. Thomas told the Herald he was previously registered on the roll at Seaview Rd, Remuera.
Under the Electoral Act, people are required to give a residential address to go on the parliamentary electoral roll.
It is an offence under the act to provide false information, which can result in a fine of up to $2000 or a jail sentence of up to three months.
