Michael Laws is Wanganui's most recognisable feature

He's colourful, controversial and not afraid to speak his mind - and former Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws has again topped a poll ranking the city's most prominent images, features and personalities.
The poll, part of the Wanganui District Council National Perceptions of Wanganui Research Report, this week gave Mr Laws a 36 per cent ranking, one ahead of the Whanganui River/National Park, with which Mr Laws tied for first place in the same survey in 2009.
Ironically, the next highest-ranking feature in the poll was gangs - Mr Laws was the driving force behind a bylaw banning the wearing of gang patches in public places in the Wanganui district. The bylaw was later ruled invalid.
In response to questions from the Chronicle, Mr Laws said he thought he had probably topped the list for the same reason that Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt topped a similar poll for his city.
"We are a small provincial centre without a strong national profile."
Mr Laws also cited his roles as the host of a national radio show, as a national newspaper columnist, and his former job as a "high profile" mayor.
He said he was surprised to top the poll, and did not view himself as a "personality", but was aware his public profile polarised, "as do the issues I uncover and expound upon".
Mr Laws said his friends and family had responded to his position at the top of the poll with good-natured ribbing.
But he said the fact he still had a public profile was not likely to make him consider running for mayor again at the next local body elections.
"What is in the best interests of Wanganui would be my only question. For the moment, my sole priority is the raising of my kids.
"Wanganui is a good place to raise them ... it could always be better."
Mr Laws was in favour of Wanganui using him as marketing tool.
"It would be ridiculous not to. When you already have that kind of brand recognition, then you market off it."
When asked if it should be a worry for Wanganui that a former mayor was deemed to be the city's most prominent personality, Mr Laws laughed.
"It depends on what side of the political divide you sit but ... there isn't a hell of a lot of competition, is there?"
On a more serious note, Mr Laws said there were other Wanganui features which needed to gain prominence.
"The river, the tourist attractions, the events we stage here. The survey has been excellent at showing that Wanganui is not high-profile enough - and I've said that forever. If people forget we exist, then we lose out on jobs, new businesses, events and economic growth."