Vardon Rd: what do they think now?

By PATRICK GOWER

The residents of West Auckland's weathervane neighbourhood have stuck to their guns after one year of a new Government.

Labour's reign has left them angered or unmoved, with voters who favoured the centre-right saying, "I told you so," and those who backed the Coalition vowing to hang in there.

Most of those in Vardon Rd - the Titirangi neighbourhood the Weekend Herald has followed since its votes in 1996 almost exactly mirrored the election result - have not been swayed from their election-day positions.

Foodstuffs fleet supervisor Dave Thomas and his wife, Robina Thomas, voted for Labour at the St Paul's Hall polling booth and would do the same again tomorrow.

Mr Thomas, aged 50, said that while they were pleased by Helen Clark's leadership, they were equally worried by MMP and by list members such as Green MP Nandor Tanczos.

"When you see people like that Tanczos guy - when something [cannabis] is illegal, how can you have an MP who is in favour of it?"

Mrs Thomas said that while she trusted Helen Clark, she worried about the people behind her.

"Being Christians, we value morals from the Government. They've got to be an example to the country. I'll be watching that closely."

But their National-voting neighbours, most of whom could be loosely described as having been "philosophical" about the new Government last year, have since become vitriolic about its performance.

Jan Willy said: "You won't find too many people who will admit voting Labour around this neighbourhood any more.

"I think my fears from 1999 are justified. It's frustrating watching money being thrown away on silly things by this Government."

Just down the road her mother-in-law, Pat Willy, was of the same frame of mind. She wished she could vote the Labour-Alliance Government out tomorrow.

"I've been gobsmacked. How many millions did [Helen Clark] give to the arts? Yet I do thank her for the couple of bob she's giving me on my pension."

But electrician Ross Dominey, who gave his party vote to the Alliance, said: "On the surface we've got a far more honest and equitable Administration than previously."

He was particularly pleased that Jim Anderton's people's bank was well down the pipeline.

"They've taken in their stride concerted efforts by the Business Roundtable to try and derail them. Helen Clark has turned out to be far more politically adroit than I gave her credit for."

Mr Dominey said the Coalition still had work to do.

Christine McGonagle, raised as a Labour supporter, is now for National. She said the Government had been affected by outside forces like petrol price rises and the diving dollar but they were no excuse for its poor performance.

"They backstepped everything and that's cost the country an awful lot ... I didn't think things would go backwards so quickly."

She was disappointed that school bulk funding had ended, because it affected her three boys.