DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: DAY FIVE: SCARED STIFF SHOP KEEPERS

DAY FIVE:
Wednesday 24 August 2010
It is 22 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 45 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

I started the day with Councillors Chris Fletcher, Paul Goldsmith and fellow C&R Colleagues from Eden-Roskill - talking with Committee members of Eden Rugby Club Gribblehirst Park on Sandringham Rd. The Club is an old one opened in 1922. The area had been originally owned by a Mr Gribble and Mr Hirst and was given by them to the local council in the 1920s. During the late 20s the swamp was reclaimed and turned into a sports field and naturally enough named Gribblehirst Park. In 1930 it became the home ground of the Eden Rugby Football Club

Eden Rugby Club like many other community facilities is hamstrung by bureaucracy. They’ve been awaiting Auckland City Council signoff to develop the clubrooms in readiness for next year’s World Cup Rugby. But because Auckland’s been in transition sign off has been delayed. Hopefully Councillor Paul Goldsmith can champion their cause before the old Council is dismantled. It's facilities like this that bind and connect communities – it’s what Citizens and Ratepayers are all about. Eden Rugby have had generations of families through its doors – it has helped define the areas identity, contributed positive role models and it continues to build strong young athletes.

My next stop was at the Mt Albert Shopping Centre. I only had time to Shop knock one side, but it was an eye opener. Two nights ago Grant Gillard was confronted by an intruder in his Chemist at 4am. At 6am 43 year old unemployed Bruce Alan Jones was dead.

I expected the Mt Albert Shops to be in some sort of lock-down. I expected keepers and shoppers alike to be talking about the incident, I thought there would be a buzz on the street, but there wasn’t. Not one shop I entered knew any details other than what they had read in the paper or saw on television. But while they could not give me details of that incident – 90% of them recounted for me problems they have faced personally with theft, intimidation, drunk and disorderly behaviour. The majority of Owners and Managers I met are Chinese, new New Zealanders. When some spoke of their frustration with intimidators it occurred to me that they feel powerless to do anything about their situation. A shop owner named Brian told me he would have on average a burglary a month. He has even been held up at knife point. Inspite of this Police have stopped attending to his call outs. Brian says Police reckon they’ll come if he’s in ‘more serious danger’. Another boutique owner says she regularly has drunks outside her shop door. She says it’s difficult to catch the local Police Constable and in fact come weekends it’s the Avondale Police that come to their aid. This community could do with the assistance of the Maori Wardens. They patrol the streets both night and day. Their mere presence pounding the pavements in slow measured steps has a calming influence on disorderly – the Wardens' age alone commands mana and therefore deference.

From the 20 or so shops I visited only one store-person could tell me about the Mt Albert Business Association. This is a concern to me. Citizen and Ratepayers is about developing small businesses and this is something I am personally campaigning on. I will work hard with the Business Associations to strengthen their networks and connectivity and increase their membership. This camaraderie encourages confidence in members – knowing that they have support and advice when they need it fosters productivity.

I asked a couple of shop owners what their major concerns were. Linda who runs a Health Store, wanted to extend the parking time for customers. Currently it’s 30 minutes for both sides of the street. Linda doesn’t think it’s long enough, given that some of her customers can spend up to 45 minutes in her store. There is a public carpark at the eastern end of the shopping centre but it’s poorly lit even during the day and given the area has issues with drunks and riff raff, it’s not a safe place for single women shoppers to park. I’m campaigning for safer parking, better lighting and cleaner streets. These are the basic requirements of shopping centres. Mt Albert deserves this.

I also took a walk around the back of the shops to the train station. I can see that the place is a haven for undesirables. They weren’t there today – moved further up the track line thanks to the Police presence following the Gillard Chemist incident. But the evidence that the aimless and reckless spend a considerable amount of time there is abundant. Sleeping-rough paraphernalia in corners and the tagging is rife. Whose responsibility is it to clean up the mess is an argument between three organisations. ARTA, Kiwirail and the Council. All three have agreed to clean up the mess but it wasn’t apparent today, in fact a Council hui 28 July to further discuss the issue hasn’t resulted in any tangible results for the community.

We need to push back on off-licences and enforce drinking bans in public places we need to reclaim these streets for honest shoppers and hard working business owners. This coming election we need to make this great city of ours succeed by empowering every community to do well. These are the values I champion. With Citizens and Ratepayers we support small business and connected communities, we value safety of individuals and their property. VOTE C&R for Owairaka-Mt Albert.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: TRAGEDY IN THE HOOD

DAY FOUR:
Tuesday 24 August 2010
It is 23 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 46 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

Today was a mix of campaign planning and working day job projects. In the morning I met with my very good school friend Andrew Couper at Dizengoff Ponsonby. He’s one of my political sounding boards, a libertarian, conservative, and pragmatist. He was clever at high school, he hasn’t changed.

I intended to Shop knock at Mt Albert Shopping centre but tragically Gillard’s Chemist was robbed last night with fatal consequences for 43 year old unemployed man Alan Jones. Tragic situation for all involved. The neighbouring shop owners are now feeling vulnerable and intimidated. Local Councils should be there for these hard working business owners at this time, but more importantly Local Councils should be there for the community before tragedy strikes.
I’ll go to the Mt Albert Shops apopo.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS

DAY THREE:
Monday 23 August 2010
It is 24 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 47 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

For those of us with day jobs, campaigning and making sure you complete that important work that pays the bills is a juggling act. Today was a day off so I could go to Wellington to complete other projects. Having said it was a day off, I managed to write a blog about the National Government's Booze Policy. I'm personally campaigning on Booze ban and Cap on Liquor Outlets so it's great that I'm in sync with central policy.

I'm looking forward to catching up with the Councillors and my C&R team-mates this wee.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: DAY TWO

DAY TWO:
Sunday 22 August 2010
It is 25 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 48 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

A really important part of my campaigning strategy took place yesterday which I forgot to mention. My big sister Rosina and a friend of hers dropped off over 500 flyers to mailboxes in the Sandringham district for me. Rosina has been working tirelessly for me over the last few weeks, sourcing printers, caterers, selling fund raising tickets for me. My good friend Donald Hollingsworth has also been a great support, designing my flyers, my invitations giving me moral support. Every campaigner needs a good crew behind them.

I divided the Owairaka Ward up into 4 grids. My flyers get dropped off in 500 batch lots at a time. I’ll then follow up and door knock at those addresses within 72 hours of drop off. Ambitious I think for a first timer. It’s time consuming obviously but I’m keeping on schedule. Rosina dropped off on the eastern side of Sandringham from Mt Albert Rd to Reimers Ave just before Eden Park.

This grid is made up of both privately owned homes, state houses and numerous blocks of flats. We have both older established families who have lived in the area over 40 years to aspirational couples starting off on the property ladder to new immigrant New Zealanders. In fact Statistics New Zealand reckons Albert, Eden Roskill of which Sandringham is a part; is made up of mainly European residents with the Asian population making up 31% of the population. Maori are only 6% while our Pasifika cousins make up 10% of the community. Albert Eden Roskill is also relatively youthful the median age is 33.

I remember when we were little we were the only Maori family in Galbraith Street. Our cousins the Ratapu whanau lived in O’Donnell Ave. The Ratahi and Hunia whanau lived in Potter Ave and my best friend Cheryl Waipouri lived in Sheppard Avenue. But now like then this side of Sandringham - Maori remain the minority.

Rosina found whanau in Lambeth, Calgary and Halesowen as well as Oxton, Mars, Jason and Patterson Streets. I intend to go mihi these whanau, talk to them find out that, they are registered to vote hopefully and convince them to vote for me and my C&R colleagues. These streets are a mix of private dwellings and state housing. The area is in contrast to where we door knocked yesterday but just as important to C&R and to me personally as this is where our whanau whanui are.

Citizen and Ratepayers promote affordable rates for home owners and keeping those rates within the rate of inflation. Affordable housing is for me a central government issue and should be an area that’s paid for with our taxes not rates. A good strong local council will know the difference between local and central government issues.

Sunday I did a solo meet and greet at the Sandringham Shopping Centre. I grew up there. Me and my brother and sisters went to the Mayfair Picture theatre, Uncle Bill was the proprietor. Years later multiplexes forced Uncle Bill to ditch his F – Sound of Music and G – John Wayne rated movies in favour of XXX rated adult only fare. It wasn’t long before he sold out completely. The theatre is now a Church.

At the corner of Sandringham and Kitchener St where Ashley Goodwin’s Ray White Realty is, is the epi-centre of Auckland City, in terms of navigational compass bearing points. It was thought that from that corner a traveller could head out in any direction and it would take exactly the same time to reach the four corners of Auckland.

When I was small, the shops were owned by Pakeha. Now the strip is referred to as the ‘Spicy Mile’ because of the number of Asian restaurants and vendors. I don’t know what the Asians think of this – I must ask them?

I introduced myself to all the store owners open that day, almost 50 in total. Some told me of issues affecting them, mainly around safe parking. Raj from Gate of India Restaurant has been in Sandringham for 8 years. He’s at the Southern end and thinks the crossing should be between Haverstock and Harwood to stop cars speeding around the bend and screeching to a halt at the crossing outside Viola Cafe. I think it makes a lot of sense and I’m wondering why this common sense approach to a potentially fatal issue hasn’t been addressed.

Later in the day I met up with Cameron and Sarah on Summit Drive. We door knocked starting from the Mountain top and down to Mt Albert Road. From the responses we got it was abundantly clear we were in C&R territory. From the responses it was also very clear that the residents appreciated us introducing ourselves. I think it’s really important not to take supporters for granted that they’ll always be there for you. Their continued support deserves our attention and I was pleased to represent C&R. Chris Fletcher joined us in the campaign camper van which lent further credibility to our visit.

Following the Summit Rd door knock we cruised the streets in the campaign van doing the mega-phone ‘preaching-the-message’ thing. Feleti Key from the Puketapapa ward drove us round the Pt Chevalier streets and into Waterview.

Waterview is an interesting area. It’s been under the spotlight lately with residents complaining about SH20. The motorway is a mix of surface and tunnel and plans to use this area to link the North Western with the Southern motorway has been on the drawing board since 1977. The actual configuration however was a recent decision.

In pre-colonial times this area was used by Ngati Whatua and referred to as Te Whau and the creek Auaunga. Ngati Whatua Chief Apihai Te Kauwau apparently gave Govenor Hobson 11,000 acres of this area.

Today Waterview is like a forgotten town. There’s a high density state housing pocket, around Saxon, Waterbank, Daventry and Herdman. A block of shops on Waterbank is closed down except for a laundromat. Their nearest township is Pt Chevalier.

As a small business owner I want to find a way to get businesses back into those closed down blocks. They would need to be sustainable businesses and not volatile ventures prone to risk during harsh economic times. They could be retail stores or commercial businesses. Businesses of any type would generate buzz and activity and this area is in desperate need.

We’re going back to Waterview next Sunday to hold a mobile clinic there. We’ll encourage the locals to come out and korero with us.

As for cruising the streets ‘preaching-the-message’, via mega-phone in a camper van malarkey? Sarah, Cameron Chris and I all took turns. Interestingly as soon as I got a hold of the mega-phone I started yelling. Like they couldn’t hear me out side of the van. On a couple of occasions Chris Fletcher had to prize the mega-phone out of my hands, ooh!

Diary of a Campaigner. Bedtime stories for my children.

A bit heavy-reading I know but later in life they may want to know why their Mummy suddenly had less time for them physically and even less ‘head and thinking’ time for them when she was around. They’ll understand later, in fact they understand now what an historical occasion this is - the election of leaders for a new, united Auckland. They can feel how excited I am and of course when they see the hoardings with me on them they’re as proud as punch.

Saturday 21 August 2010
It is 26 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 49 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

It’s very early and Nadine my Wife is in Wellington at the NZ Softball Coaching Conference. So I’m in charge of driving the boys to their respective Rugby games and depositing them and their little sister with good friends and whanau to look after for the rest of the day while I go door knocking. Nadine and I have always had supportive whanau and friends and I’ve never appreciated them more now that I’m out on the hustings. Actually I’ve always wanted to use that word hustings. The word and the deed aren’t too foreign or arduous a notion to get my head around. As a journalist I followed countless politicians out on their trails. Now that I’m out there, I’m ok about it. I also make a mental note to cook the sitters a thank you dinner…sometime, later!

Our first ‘outing’ as the Owairaka team is at Pak ‘n Save Mt Albert. When I was little it used to be Spalding Softball Park and then Coke Park, its opposite Hendon Ave on New North Road and is one of the busiest outlets in Auckland truly it is. Paul Goldsmith one of our two Councillors – the other being Chris Fletcher, came with us baring his wise words of advice on how to engage with our voters.

Cameron Morris who incidentally is NZ’s fastest texter, he and I were one end of the complex while Paul buddied up with Sarah Turner down wind. I’ve been trained to door-stop people - politely. Move right into their path so they can’t side step you, stare them straight in the eye, to lock them into place and start speaking in short sharp sentences. I enjoyed meeting these complete strangers. Without exception they were extremely polite. Many were very interested in the elections, some even confident enough to tell us they were voting ‘the other way’.

It never ceases to amaze me the diversity of our City. Although I intellectually understand we have over 100 different ethnicities in Auckland, when you come kanohi-ki-te-kanohi: face-to-face with about 10% of those cultures, for me was invigorating. Exciting because it highlights our position on the world stage. At a local level that diversity can bring challenges, language issues, settlement concerns but those ‘glass and a half-full’ communities who see diversity not adversity as both economic and social advantages will benefit.

Following on from Pak ‘n Save the Owairaka Team moved up the road and the mountain to Allendale Road. It was another inaugural adventure – the door knock. Again my journalism background pays off – door knocking, stepping up confidently makes you appear in control, a message to deliver, some one to take note of. The house holds here are a mix of second or third generation and young families with children. It’s the type of neighbour you will champion as a Local Board member. You want to ensure the streets are safe, you are compelled to protect their property, you want to insist rates remain affordable.
All up our team spent about 4 hours out and about. If I learnt anything from that first outing it was, don’t over dress because you’ll get too hot and make sure you eat. My sugar level fell through the pavement. I’ll have a good breakfast or lunch next time and I’ll take some lollies and a water bottle.

BOOZE BAN

The National Government rolled out a pragmatic policy on alcohol this week. It may not be as harsh as some hardliners want, but it does go some way to addressing the appalling problems our country has developed around booze drinking. What excites me is the responsibility and power handed to the Local Councils to tackle the issue in their respective communities. I’m personally campaigning on ‘ban-on-booze’ and ‘cap-on-liquor outlets’ policies. I expect to take the law to the line with off-licences. The Government has put in ‘default’ trading hours from 7am to 11pm. I intend to enforce trading hours from 10am to 2pm and then 6pm to 11pm for all off-licences within a one kilometre radius of schools.

Local Councils will also have the power of veto of licence renewals for dairies and grocery stores. I champion small businesses but for those that say it’ll send the shop keeper to the wall are delusional. Small business owners are innovators and entrepreneurial. They’ll no doubt be able to replace alcohol with other items and if they can’t or won’t then; were they really a dairy or grocery in the first place; the answer is probably no.

The CBD also has a ban on illicit drinking in public spaces and places that’s the type of ban that should be in our area of Mt Albert. For those that say it’ll just force the riff-raff into another suburb – it won’t if all communities enforce the same law. It’s not rocket science!


The other major issue which needs to be looked at is the excessive advertising of alcohol. This needs to be pegged back as well. The National Government’s policy didn’t address this concern but Local Councils can. If there is to be any public display of advertising it should be restricted to window fronts only and not large over sized hoardings and sandwich boards.

In the Mt Albert electorate there’s an off licence right beside a Plunket Rooms and Primary School – that’s not on. It needs to go. Further down the road there’s an off- licence right next door to a small children’s play ground where riff raff can congregate to drink – that’s not on. That off-licence needs to go.

These aren’t hard line measures I’m championing. These are practical measures that support a pragmatic Central Government Policy. I’m not a rah-rah for tyrannical dictatorship social-whipping. I’m advocating safe streets, connected communities traditional values of respecting people and property.

With the local body elections coming up, now’s the time for the communities and locals to take control of their neighbourhoods. Now is the time to vote for common sense and visionary leadership. This City needs Citizens and Ratepayers. Let’s make this great City of ours succeed. Together we can do this.

LAUNCH

Tonight was the launch of the Albert Eden Roskill Citizen and Ratepayers team. Our Councillors are Chris Fletcher and Paul Goldsmith. And as you already know I'm running for the local board in Owairaka.

The launch was at the beautiful Rannoch House - the home of Arts Parton James Wallace. It's a beautiful home full of great Art work my favourite piece was a self portrait of Ralph Hotere. It was stunning - done when Ralph was younger,fitter, healthier.

We're a mixed bunch of aspirants, we have Pakeha, new Immigrant Asians and Pasifika. The makeup is reflective of the population we represent which is significant; 154,900.

We are undeniably centre-right, we support John Banks as our Mayor and the National Party as Government.

Now is the time for us all to take control of our City.

Let's put honest hard working people first ahead of intimidators and outright criminals. Let's prioritise real community needs ahead of politically-correct hyperbol. Let's make Auckland an affordable place to live whether we're in Ponsonby or Pukekohe, where safety of self extends to property. Let's work towards a better transport system that links and connects us all together in a City that nurtures great urban design while emphasizing protection of the environment.

We can do this together. Vote Citizens and Ratepayers - Let's make the Auckland region succeed.