Mayoral candidates put their case

Kaipara’s mayoral hopefuls faced a packed and lively crowd at the Mangawhai Golf Club on August 20, as they made their pitches for the district’s top job.

Current deputy mayor Jonathan Larsen, Wairoa councillor Ash Nayyar, former mayor Dr Jason Smith, and community leader Snow Tane lined up for the forum, which was hosted by the Northern Advocate and Northchamber, with support from the Mangawhai Business Association.

Instead of traditional questions from the floor, the audience of more than 150 submitted queries via a Mentimeter app, read out by Northchamber chief executive Leah McKerrow.

The candidates were quizzed on a range of topics, from water supply and growth management to environmental protection and leadership style. The controversial abolishment of Māori wards was a key point of debate, with candidates asked how they would ensure Māori voices are included in council decision-making.

Tane said he supported giving a voice to iwi, hapū, and mana whenua, while also including the entire community. Smith agreed with Tane’s sentiment. Larsen, however, argued that a modern democracy required everyone to have the same rights, regardless of background, and pointed to the large number of current Māori candidates.

“We can’t work together if we keep dividing ourselves on the basis of what our ancestry is,” he said, adding that he would reach out to every marae if elected.

Nayyar admitted he had voted against the Māori ward because he was “dictated to do so” but said he was “all for working with iwi as long as they come to the party and make Kaipara great again by opening the forest and giving us the water to fix the water supply.”

In a quick-fire round, a question on who was responsible for climate change, “man-made” was the response from all candidates except Larsen, who declared it “almost entirely natural.” Questions from the floor ranged from addressing the “east versus west” district divide to attracting the youth vote. One woman stated her vote would hinge on the candidates’ stance on a commercial development proposal at Mangawhai Heads Reserve. Smith, Nayyar, and Tane all said there would be no such development, while Larsen stated, “Well, there is no proposal, so I can’t say.”

In their final one-minute pitches, Larsen highlighted his four terms on council and a track record of “excellent results.” Nayyar, a former commercial banker, promised transparency and to halve consultancy costs, delivering “real value, without any more money from you.” Smith, the only former mayor, pointed to his past success with a council satisfaction rating of 61%, compared to the current 45%, arguing that people deserved a better Kaipara again.

Tane spoke of his corporate and business leadership experience, emphasising an inclusive, collaborative style and a focus on both the eastern and western sides of the district.

The community will have another chance to engage with candidates at an upcoming meeting for the Kaiwaka-Mangawhai candidates in the next few weeks.