Ngaire Button’s post-post modern local body election campaign continues:
Button said that while her group prided themselves on being independent, they did stand for something. “As a body, it’s true, we have no policies, but as individuals we all stand for lots of different things.”
To recap: A non-political political alliance which is definitely not a political party that definitely stands for things, but those things are all different, depending on the particular individual, which effectively means that they definitely stand for nothing. Surely this is the nadir of people running for political office with campaigns that promote how non-political they are? Could it get any more stupid?
Rebuilding Christchurch 
The more I hear about our local body elections, the more I think of the show ‘Parks and Recreation’. Only that show seems more politically tenable.
I’d rather vote Knope than most of these dopes
Hi James,
I’m trying to figure out who to vote for and recommend for the upcoming elections, but like most people I know I’m woefully uneducated about local body politics. So I’m contacting a few Chch bloggers who might have some advice.
Aside from Button, who would you recommend or warn against in the Papanui-Shirley and Fendalton-Waimairi wards? And do you support Dalziel for mayor? A few sentences in reply would be great, or better yet a blog!
Cheers,
– Caleb
Yeah, I’ll probably do a round up sometime
Thanks! I’m with you & Anon on P&R/Knope
Hi Caleb. If you live in the Shirley/Papanui ward, there is a ‘meet the candidates’ meeting at Baileys Bar on Edgeware Road, 23nd of September at 7pm. I hope to ask Aaron Kewon if he stands by his infamous statement that Tony Marryatt’s KPI was “amazing” and that “the rebuild would be jeopardized” if he was not reappointed. (I’d also like to know if he still plans to chain himself to the cathedral and write his tell all pop up book about the council:)
As for Councillors, I intend to vote for Pauline Cotter and Ali Jones. Brad Maxwell has been a vocal critic of Parker and Marryatt but I fear he is too much in cahoots with the real estate industry and I wouldn’t vote for Kyle Chapman even as a joke. Hope that’s a help.
Thanks for that Alex. I’m in Fendalton-Waimairi (thinking Manji & maybe Burke?) but my partner’s in Shirley-Papanui and she’ll appreciate that.
I haven’t had a close look at all the wards but Fendalton Waimairi looks pretty bleak to me. I’d probably vote Burke, and hold my nose and vote Manji. Not at all convinced by what I’ve seen or read from him.
He seems a smart guy with his heart in the right place, and I like some of what he says on his blog, eg. http://sustento.org.nz/selling-your-soul-the-unintended-consequences-of-asset-sales/