New Ticket Group Promotes Support on Council for Everyone
The new Let’s Go Invercargill ticket group has been brought about to support some of the new candidates and help raise their profile.
Set up by deputy Mayor Nobby Clark and councillor Allan Arnold, most of the 10 candidates in the group are, or have been people in business, and all have their own views on council.
“We are linked by our passion for our city, and we see a need for change in our city council,” Alan said.
The group has decided that strength in numbers is the key and have pooled their resources to best promote themselves to the electors of Invercargill.
Alan said local body politics tends to have a record of people elected purely due to name recognition and having been a celebrity, (often even though they may have contrary beliefs to the bulk of the electorate).
“Often sadly, local body politics can be a bit of a popularity contest,” he said.
But by campaigning strong, the ticket group hopes to become well known to its electors, and thus creating its own small piece of celebritism.
Nobby said it was difficult to stand alone if you didn’t have an existing high public profile, and initially there were 25 people shoulder-tapped to join the ticket – and in the end 10 keen candidates committed to the group.
“When we sought people to join the ticket, we tried to identify those with governance skills, a track record of achievement, knowledge of financial matters, common sense and equally important a ‘can do’ attitude,” he said.
The ticket group members would be given support on how council operates, if elected, and beyond that if Nobby was to become Mayor, would be extended to everyone on council.
“Nobby will be the Mayor for all councillors and I believe it’s his intention to have meetings with all individual Councillors on a regular basis to see what they are thinking and if they have any issues,” Allan said.
“This is what will make Nobby a great Mayor.”
Along with Nobby and Allan, the ticket group is made up of Barry Stewart, Bevan Smith, Grant Dermody, Kerry Hapuku, Kevin Brown, Peter Marshall, Rick Murrell and Tom Campbell.
For more about the candidates standing under the Let’s Go Invercargill ticket go here letsgoinvercargill.nz