I have been saying for some time that the silly season of local politics is upon us, but the real nonsense is about to begin.
Nominations opened last Friday and close August the 20th. Some, like me, who don’t like playing games, have already lodged their nomination forms. Others will play the tired old game of saying they are unsure or not going to stand only to put their nomination in near the end because they have “come under enormous pressure to do so”. Frankly if they need someone else to make up their mind for them then they should find something else to do.
But the worst part of any election year is the plethora of ugly electioneering signs that will soon desecrate our city. Some of these signs are in deplorable condition having been used in many elections. Some of them will show us what the candidate looked like 3-6-9 years ago. Some are bound to have “Say no to water meters” plastered all over them. But all of them will be ugly.
Any overseas tourist arriving in our district between August and October in election year must think we live in the scruffiest country in the world.
Why don’t we ban election boardings? Why don’t we say to candidates they must use the established media or flyers delivered to letterboxes to get their message across? As long as everyone has to abide by the same rules, no one will be disadvantaged.
And our district would be a much better looking place for residents as well as visitors.
It strikes me as a bit of an insult to say to the voters, I want you vote for me because you saw my name on a billboard. Surely the 45% of the potential voters who bother to vote think more about the issues than that.
Frankly I find electioneering tiresome and non-productive. In 2007 the Hawkes Bay Today arranged a campaign meeting at the Municipal Theatre. There were about 6 people there who weren’t brothers, sisters, mothers etc of the candidates. There were 26 of us on the stage. A question was asked and we all in turn stepped forward to give our answers. Virtually every answer was the same.
I fail to see how that helped anyone decide who they were going to vote for.
One single issue group got all candidates to answer an extensive questionnaire then endorsed their own candidates anyway.
Hopefully, this time around, there will be less of that time wasting rubbish.
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