***Update: This is a repost in light of the rumours that John Banks may be contesting the SuperCity election again in 2019.
"I'm not John Banks!"
That was to be my campaign slogan. That was to differentiate me from John Archibald Banks.
That was to poke a bit of fun at the fact that was all the other 21 candidates had going for them too.
The first SuperCity election is an important one for Auckland. We need to choose the right candidate to bring all the legacy councils together and unite all of our communities. When John was Mayor of Auckland City Council, he governed in the interests of Hobson and Orakei around where he lived. I feared that he would try to run the SuperCity in the same way.
When a lion attacks, he goes for the jugular. John Banks was the leading candidate, so he was an obvious target. That's why I changed my name to John Banks. All the other candidates were trying to show how they were different. How could I stand out in a crowded field?
The unfortunate thing about Auckland politics is that if your campaign is not supported by a Parliamentary party, then it is unlikely that the media will give you the attention that you deserve. John Banks is supported by National, and Len Brown is supported by Labour. So it looks like it will be a two-horse race between the two of them.
So what about all the independent candidates who are passionate about Auckland and put up their own money to try and make a change? I previously ran for Mayor of Auckland in 2007 and I was defeated by John Banks. I spent a lot of my own money on that campaign, but I didn't get a single call back from anyone in the media, and no-one printed any of my policies.
This time, I made the front page of the Sunday-Star Times:
Unfortunately, the plan did not work out the way I had hoped. I was ineligible for candidacy because I had changed my name close to the election. Fair enough.
There wasn't anything fraudulent or dishonest (as some have suggested). It was just a stunt, like putting a traffic cone on top of the Sky Tower. The media has to report on that.
Hence, my "I'm Not John Banks!" campaign slogan. That was a chance for me to do my best to get elected and ensure that all communities would be represented in the new SuperCity.
When you send in your voting papers, I urge you to consider the independents who are risking their own money, rather than the two so-so former mayors who are risking other people's money.
"I'm not John Banks!"
That was to be my campaign slogan. That was to differentiate me from John Archibald Banks.
That was to poke a bit of fun at the fact that was all the other 21 candidates had going for them too.
The first SuperCity election is an important one for Auckland. We need to choose the right candidate to bring all the legacy councils together and unite all of our communities. When John was Mayor of Auckland City Council, he governed in the interests of Hobson and Orakei around where he lived. I feared that he would try to run the SuperCity in the same way.
When a lion attacks, he goes for the jugular. John Banks was the leading candidate, so he was an obvious target. That's why I changed my name to John Banks. All the other candidates were trying to show how they were different. How could I stand out in a crowded field?
The unfortunate thing about Auckland politics is that if your campaign is not supported by a Parliamentary party, then it is unlikely that the media will give you the attention that you deserve. John Banks is supported by National, and Len Brown is supported by Labour. So it looks like it will be a two-horse race between the two of them.
So what about all the independent candidates who are passionate about Auckland and put up their own money to try and make a change? I previously ran for Mayor of Auckland in 2007 and I was defeated by John Banks. I spent a lot of my own money on that campaign, but I didn't get a single call back from anyone in the media, and no-one printed any of my policies.
This time, I made the front page of the Sunday-Star Times:
Unfortunately, the plan did not work out the way I had hoped. I was ineligible for candidacy because I had changed my name close to the election. Fair enough.
There wasn't anything fraudulent or dishonest (as some have suggested). It was just a stunt, like putting a traffic cone on top of the Sky Tower. The media has to report on that.
Hence, my "I'm Not John Banks!" campaign slogan. That was a chance for me to do my best to get elected and ensure that all communities would be represented in the new SuperCity.
When you send in your voting papers, I urge you to consider the independents who are risking their own money, rather than the two so-so former mayors who are risking other people's money.
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