DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: DAY 16:QUIZ MASTER!

DAY SIXTEEN:
Sunday 5 September 2010
It is 11 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 34 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

Not long to go now.

Today was a hectic day. I started out on the hustings at St Lukes Mall handing out our C&R Flyers and chatting with people. The majority of them want information about the voting process itself. It’s very evident that general information about how to vote, the roles and responsibilities of the Mayor, Councillors and Local Board has not been forth coming. This is a crucial election for Auckland – it’s the first for the new City. There should have been much much more education around the process. Who’s responsibility is this? All the councils of Auckland – Auckland City, North Shore, Waitakere, Manukau City, Papakura, Rodney and Franklin. As well as the Auckland Transition Agency. They all should play a more active part in ensuring people are informed to participate in such an important decision. For many of the folk I’ve met the C&R brochure is the first bit of information they’re received. Of course it’s in my interest that C&R are at the forefront of people’s minds as we draw nearer to the release of the voting forms. On the other hand it’s a sad indictment on process.

I then went door knocking in Sandringham. I only did an hours worth, but I met the most wonderful people. I got a couple of offers to come in for coffee but I had to take a rain check. Be assured I will go back in the next few days and take them up on their offer. I’ll take some cup cakes our youngest boy Te Ua he’s great at the baking, I’ll take some of his.

The biggest part of the day which ran into night was the Sales St Quiz. I was asked to join Team Banksie (John Banks) along with Billy Ralston. Brownies Team was Len Brown, David Slack and Rod Oram standing in for the hilariously funny Yolande Ah Chong from Radio 531PI who turned up ‘fashionably-fob’ late. It was a packed Bar and sponsored by Metro Magazine. Heaps of fun…had to be with Te Radar as MC. The speed at which witty repartee rolls of that man’s tongue – it’s amazing! The questions were hard. But I did C&R and Banksie proud on the telly and sports questions and of course I blitz the floor on the three Māori questions asked. For my efforts I was awarded ‘Best Competitor prize – a bungy jump off Sky Tower – yeah right! It was a great idea - the quiz. It was light hearted fun and injected some hilarity into a very serious election. Ka pai Metro and Sales St Bar. I also caught up with some good friends - including my favourite Left Leaning Blogger Bomber! I'm on his show next week - CitizenA screening Stratos and Triangle. I had to beg him to put me on, apparently he doesn't have thoughful, pragmatic, charismatic, Māori women on his show! But all power to him - he recanted and I'm on next week tune in.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: DAY 15: ALL ABOUT WHANAU AND COMMUNITY

DAY FIFTEEN:
Saturday 4 September 2010
It is 12 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 35 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

I spent most of the morning like many New Zealanders glued to the television set watching the aftermath of the quake in Christchurch unfold. It was heart breaking to watch and hear. But then to have the devastating news of the air crash as well too, it has indeed been a sad day for the country.

I decided to head out early to meet my Owairaka colleagues at Mt Albert Pak ‘n Save where we were distributing flyers. It’s a great location for meeting people from four corners of the ward, Waterview, Owairaka, Mt Albert and Sandringham. This is the second time the team have been to Pak n Save and I noticed an increase in the number of people concerned about ‘how to vote’ and when the forms were being posted out.

To vote we’re using two different systems. To elect the Mayor, respective Councillors, local boards members and, if you have one, the licensing trust representatives the 'first past the post' (FPP) system applies. That’s where you vote for who you want. But for the district health board you use the 'single transferable voting' (STV) system. This is where you rank in order of preference. For more information go to the Auckland City Council website:

www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/2010Elections/Voting/Pages/Home.

I spent an hour at Pak n Save before heading back home to pick up my whanau who came door knocking with me. We really enjoyed the experience together. The two big boys Kiamana aged 10, Te Ua aged 8 asked more questions about the campaign. We all wore C&R rosettes and I explained that they represented the Party I belong to. We talked about the homes we visited, how old they may have been and why the streets were given certain names. It was a great educational experience and allowed the children to get to know more about their neighbourhood. It’s the first time they’re been out door knocking with me and they’re keen to do it again.

The area we visited is a former state housing district, with the former owners purchasing their properties either in the 1960’s or taking advantage of Housing New Zealand’s big sale-off early this decade. Statistically it’s a ‘red-spot’ district meaning it leans left. But I think this is more out of habit. The folk I spoke with appreciated hearing C&R policy particularly regarding rates. For the elderly folk on fixed incomes keeping rates affordable is a priority while personal safety is another major concern for the people we visited. Many folk appreciated me taking my family along and introducing them. They saw how committed we are as a whanau to them the community and to progressing C&R policies that will help make this great City even greater. At the end of the door knocking, for a treat I shouted us all an icecream each.

While we were door knocking on one side of the ward, my sister Rosina was in Morningside and St Lukes mailbox dropping flyers. I am determined to dot every street in Owairaka blue ie: to drop information about C&R policies. I intend to door knock at least 50% of the houses before the 17th September. So I better get going because there’s only 12 days left before the ballot papers come out. Toot loudly if you see me and my whanau on the streets and we'll holla back at ya!

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: DAY 14: SUPPORTING OUR CHAMPIONS

DAY FOURTEEN:
Friday 3 September 2010
It is 13 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 36 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

We’re heading towards the straight and the release of the voting papers for the first ever election of Council and Mayor of the new Auckland City. It’s really exciting and I urge everyone - exercise your democratic right to vote. We can all contribute to the future of this great City by filling out the voting papers when they come out and posting them in before 09 October.

I had an exciting day today. After spending the morning working on a major television programme proposal I headed off to spend time with Mayor John Banks at the Raukatauri Centre in Grey Lynn. It’s a music centre where over 100 children and young adults with special needs go to as part of their overall therapy. Raukatauri is the Māori Goddess of Music, and so a fitting name for the Centre. The driving force behind the initiative is Singer/Songwriter Hinewehi Mohi. Her 13 year old daughter Hineraukatauri was born with cerebral palsy and the two have been champions of music therapy since. John Banks has always admired Hinewehi first as a Singer/Songwriter and then as a Mum who worked tirelessly to establish the Centre. Hinewehi works with a very strong Board and Centre Manager, after some korero with them John Banks generously offered to host a fund raiser for the Centre next year. I’m really proud of the Mayor for making this offer. John Banks didn’t have to as the Centre holds an annual fund raiser in Ngaruawahia. The late Māori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu was a great supporter of Hinewehi as is King Tuheitia now. So the fact the Centre now has two major sponsors is magnificent and well deserved.

A crew from Māori Television was tagging along with John Banks it was one of two Maori TV crews out and about the other was with Len Brown. The crews are filming an expose ‘The Day in the Life of Auckland’s next Mayor’. The item screens Native Affairs 0800pm next Monday night 06 September. Obviously their focus is on which Mayor will do best for Māori. I think that’s a relevant question. Every interest group and individual wants to know which Mayor will do best by them. Auckland needs John Banks, even Dr Brian Edwards thinks so. He came out today in his blog endorsing John. http://brianedwardsmedia.co.nz/. This is an absolute coup. Edward’s journalistic/media reputation is outstanding. But he’s also a champion of the ‘left’, a life-long Labour man, Helen Clark’s biographer – and he’s just endorsed John Banks.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER:CULTURAL RESPECT

DAY THIRTEEN:
Thursday 2 September 2010
It is 14 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 37 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

I had a wonderful experience this evening celebrating Janmashtami at the Bharatiya Mandir Indian Temple in Balmoral. For those of us that don’t know it’s Krishna’s birthday. It was a lovely celebration of waiata/song, kanikani/dance and of course kai. Some of our C&R colleagues are Hindi, Ram Rai, Ella Kumar and Rakesh Nauhira. Rakesh’s Father is the Rangatira of the Bharatiya Mandir Temple.

Approximately 18% of Auckland’s population is of Asian descent – statisticians classify Chinese and Indians together in the Asian category. It won’t be long before those two peoples demand to be identified separately. In six years time however, come 2016 the Asian population is expected to grow to 34% with European/Pakeha 51%, Pasifika 13% and Māori 8%. This city currently has over 170 ethnicities – so we can justifiably say we are the cultural capital of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

When people talk about diversity they generally mean different cultures, religions, languages, food, dress, ideologies. C&R support diversity amongst its candidates – the Party champions diversity of ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation. This is how it should be we are reflective of the make up that is Auckland.

It was a privilege to be able to celebrate this occasion with the Indian Community, to be able to participate in their tikanga/custom - something that was tapu/sacred to them.

Being Māori I understand, appreciate and respect people’s beliefs especially if they are rooted in spirituality. Of course we may not know what those beliefs are until we’re told or they’re pointed out to us. For instance, Māori believe their Heads are tapu/sacred. This is because the Head contains the brain and the hinengaro/the mind. Māori would not intentionally touch someone’s Head even if invited. When we go to the hairdresser some of us take our hair home with us to dispose of in a manner we think is appropriate. I’m only talking about this because someone keeps vandalising our hoardings. It’s not your usual tagging done by way-ward hoons. Someone is going around the C&R hoardings and cutting out our faces. Now I know – no Māori or Pasifika person would do something like this – I know they would not cut out the faces. That would be akin to removing a Head. So the person or people doing this has no idea what type of cultural crime they are committing and if they do know and don’t care then they are indeed sad human-beings. Leave the hoardings alone.
Happy Birthday Krishna.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: IT'S A GAY DAY/NIGHT

DAY TWELVE:
Wednesday 1 September 2010
It is 15 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 38 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

I spent the day in bed chocka fullo the flu. But I surfaced to go speak at GABA (Gay Business Association). I was one of 5 others looking for Local Board selection and Simon Prast who’s used to dragging up thanks to his thespian ways he's after the big cloak and chains – the Mayoral job.

The folk from GABA are a discerning lot. Some of them describe themselves as politically uninformed and unaware but don’t believe it. These people; mainly male, white, middle class, with high disposable incomes are as switched-on as fluorescent light bulbs. They may be gay but they’re not your left leaning, tree-hugging, woe is me marginalised, disenfranchised victim. GABA are quite conservative and probably because of their professional backgrounds. They tend to be generally speaking business astute and financially shrewd, which means they’ll be looking for a Mayor and Council that will spend wisely. At the same time they will expect their City to be a state of the art globally leading design piece, that has all the aesthetics; the fabulosity of the wow factor with environmentally leading edge bits’n bobs! Yes indeed GABA is not quite what it seems. Having said all this, GABA will be expecting to see its Council and Local Board working for its people just as Maori will be looking for the same, the Business, the Asian, the Pasifika Communities likewise. It’s not a big ask but a human right to want safer streets, so gays can walk without fear of being attacked. Gays demand a visionary Council that sees its projects as essential that reveres and celebrates their history and advocates for a prosperous future. If we are to champion diversity, that means we are to protect, honour and promote all people, thoughts, ideologies, races, gender and sexual orientation. Bring on the elections.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: HISTORY/WHAKAPAPA

DAY ELEVEN:
Tuesday 31 August 2010
It is 16 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 39 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

I’m coming down with the flu so I better dose up on the beautiful grapefruit in my backyard. I did flyer drops in Sandringham today. I love this area. It’s full of history. This is where Rangatira/Chief Apihai te Kawau and Kawerau a Maki Tribe resided, along the Mt Albert Road and up on the mountain. The mountain was originally called Te Wai o Raka – the waters of Raka but it turned into Owairaka after the Chieftainess Wairaka, from Ngati Awa in Whakatane. Toroa was Wairaka’s father and the Chief on the waka Mataatua. There’s a street on the hill named in his honour. I see Te Warena Taua and his iwi were able to put a correction in the public board on the summit – congratulations to them.

The thing about the Local Boards is that I truly believe that they need to know the history of the area in which they intend serving. The terrain, the landscape, the contours of the roads and streets has a story to tell. Places as much as the people is what makes each area unique. I love Owairaka. Vote for us the C&R Team Owairaka and you'll get a team that prioritises our people and our place.

DIARY OF A CAMPAIGNER: BREAD 'N BUTTER

DAY TEN:
Monday 30 August 2010
It is 17 days until the ballot papers start arriving in the letter boxes and 40 days until ‘D’ day decision day on 09th October.

Spent the day working on ‘day-job’ mahi/work. I have quite a big project on so have dedicated the day to this. Which is what other campaigners are having to do as well – juggle their time between getting out and about on the streets and making sure they still take care of the ‘bread-n-better’ work.