By JULIE MIDDLETON
The largest group of contenders for Auckland's local body elections launched its campaign at Ellerslie yesterday, attracting the attendance of two of the three people most likely to have a real chance in the mayoral tussle.
Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Now - an amalgamation of old right and
new right - drew about 100 people, most of them candidates and families, to the Novotel for their blue-cardigan-wearing brand of rah-rah.
Their slogan? "We will get Auckland moving." The anthem? The poppy Moving on Up by British band M People. (Chorus: 'Cause I'm moving on up/You're moving on out/Movin' on up/Nothing can stop me ... )
Mayoral contenders John Banks and the Alliance's last-minute entry, party president Matt McCarten, pitched to the masses, possibly aware that C&R has not risked endorsing a mayoral candidate since disastrously pitting John Horrocks against Cath Tizard and Colin Kay 20 years ago.
John Banks: "I want zero tolerance for graffiti and bad street behaviour."
He was rather short on practical solutions to Auckland's problems. But as you might expect for a man with a BMW, a Mercedes, an Audi, a shining Harley-Davidson and a maroon Silver Cloud Rolls, he wants more roads. No problem there: right in line with ACRN.
Matt McCarten must have scared a few, pointing out that he was closer to the people now in power than two has-been National MPs, and thus by far the better bet.
In typical in-your-face style, he didn't go in there looking for warm fuzzies: "Since the Tories took back control of the region in 1995 (from Alliance politicians), they have stuffed up big time."
Policy? What you would expect from the Alliance's long-time backroom man, plus a single transport authority for Auckland. (He went for drinks at the Lenin Bar afterwards.)
According to ACRN chairman John Collinge, family commitments kept Chris Fletcher away but she is due to speak to members tonight.
"We're not endorsing any mayoral candidate," he says. "We'll work with the mayoral candidate chosen by the people."
Feature: Local body elections 2001
www.localgovt.co.nz
