I moderated the Auckland University Students Association Mayoralty 2022 Debate this year and it was interesting watching the candidates up close.
In my opinion the race is between 4 candidates, Efeso Collins, Wayne Brown, Viv Beck and Craig Lord.
Here are my thoughts on the Candidates.
Viv Beck:
Strengths – She has the institutional Auckland Right backing her because they don’t think they can control Wayne Brown as easily as they can control her. This CnR backing has given her access to more money after Leo left the race and she has been able to buy in Leo’s social media team.
Weakness – She can’t win. Of all 4 contenders, she is the only one you can definitely rule out winning. She isn’t a strong enough candidate to eclipse Wayne and Efeso but she can gain revenue to keep her campaign going while hindering Wayne’s chance to win.
Wayne Brown:
Strengths – The ultimate technocrat. He has the skill set to run unwieldily Auckland Council and has the intellectual grunt to see big projects through, he’s also the wealthiest individual running and has deep deep pockets.
Weakness – His performance live is dreadful and his social media campaign utterly underwhelming. He’s doing a Bloomberg by dropping a fortune on ZB advertising and thinks that will be enough to win.
Efeso Collins:
Strengths – His ability to perform is unequaled in these debates. He has a calm dignity and genuine mana, he has a vision for Auckland that is inclusive and he has a huge appeal across the entire community.
Weakness – Efeso’s main problems are that his base are notoriously apathetic and face structural issues that make it far more likely for them not to vote, on top of this has been a lacklustre support from Labour and the Greens to provide the on the ground muscle to win this.
Craig Lord:
Strengths – Of all the candidates, Craig is most like Leo, and if Craig could appeal to Leo’s supporters, he could be the dark horse here. Leo’s supporters backed Leo because he spoke their language, those voters won’t bother voting ion Leo isn’t running, but they could be convinced to give that protest vote to Craig.
Weakness – He’s Craig Lord.
Deciding event:
The vast majority of Aucklanders have neo idea who to vote for, but I think once they see the perforce on the TV Debates, they will make their decision based on that.
Predictions:
Efeso is such a star performer in the debates and once people see how very weak the other candidates are, it will seal the election for Efeso.
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It really comes down to Brown or Collins, the other two are fluff.
Brown had the social presence of a barbed wire enema. Collins comes across as resentful and bitter, especially for anything north of Otahuhu.
What a desert!
And so the gentle drift toward the American style of local body candidacy, money and lots of it, continues…
A farewell to true democracy.
Ooooo… ‘Craig’ Lord. I thought you meant Lord, Lord. As in the performer. I didn’t think Auckland was ready to grow up that quickly. Instead it’ll keep chasing stale old white bread sandwiches spread with piles of money. Yawn.
Be interesting to see whether standing for Labour in Auckland will be a help or hindrance. I dont live in Auckland so dont know whether people are discussing political affiliations as relevant or whether it is primarily candidate driven.. If people arent voting along party lines, then Efeso has the personality to win.
The person I would hate the most to win is Williams, so with my luck he will win.
Error sorry meant Collins
Last thing we need here is another Labour Mayor. Viv Beck is the same as Collins…Nice to have but won’t achieve shit. Sadly Brown is the only sane choice. Anyone who promises uses to cut council costs gets my vote. NZ is drowning in bureaucrat wastage.
You really are a laugh. The whole thing was set up by a Rightie idiot belonging to the ACT party, and you are silly enough to believe that anything will be improved electing a right-wing mayor?
Selling off assets and privatising things will leave the ordinary people worse off than ever, even if you yourself get to be $1 better off.
The only people who will be worse off will be the useless bureaucrats who will lose their jobs
Just because Collins is supported by Labour doesn’t mean he will be as bad as Phil Goff. With Leo out, Efeso is the best we got so I, for one, will be voting for him.
But this is coward Krauts sad reality. He is so badly tribal, he’ll post anything anti left. This is why a few of us on here have to add balance to his and silly Bob posts.
Analytical, they are not.
Efeso says he’s “sick of being called a coconut”. I’m so glad he’s not going to make the election about ethnicity.
Efeso wont win he is already chucking a sook at voters. Sorry, i know you like him.
Apathy and alienation will likely be the winner on the day. So even on a high 30% turnout it was always going to be a minority Mayor in real terms.
There are lots of ifs…if, somehow Efeso can generate multi racial turnout in South and West Auckland and white middle class pockets in central, he will win. The names are on the voting papers now, so effectively no more pullouts.
The worry is tory property owners will diligently post in their ballots, while transient renters have more obstacles to voting. Postal infrastructure is in a dire state except for online shopping courier delivery. The Collins campaign needs to actively organise voting and post ins to have an even chance.
Efeso Collins would be the correct mayor of Tamaki Makaurau and a juncture in history where many of the past injustices against Maori and Pasifika are being recognised by evolved Pakeha. His campaign posters say “For the people”. Craig Lord has a fake tan and an expensive watch. Wayne Brown wants to “FIX” Auckland, which I find insulting because yes there are issues here, but we don’t need an out of touch booming ex Mayor of Northland representing our beautiful city.
But yes it is generally the racists, the misogynists, and biggots that have the loudest voices, and care most about maintaining some colonial version of this city. I personally believe that the educated class in this city is large enough to ensure Efeso becomes mayor, but yes democracy is lazy in this country, and in local elections, particularly apathetic. So it is very OBAMA / BERNIE / The Squad “get out the vote” that will make Tamaki Makaurau the proud Pasifika capital, with Mana Whenua Pasifika Mayor Efeso!
It’s boooooring! Next public stand up I might go with some peanuts and hand them out to the candidates and ask them a question about what think about peanuts.
It should be interesting to hear what they’ve got to say.