Labour to select man for Mayor

Press, 3 December 1985, Page 1

Labour to select man for Mayor

By

KAY FORRESTER

Two men will contest the Labour Mayoral candidacy this evening, one a Christchurch City councillor, the other a Maori leader. Cr Alex Clark and Mr Hori Brennan were the only nominations for the party’s candidate at next October’s local body : election when nominations closed last

evening. Cr Clark is no new-comer to the hustings. He stood for the party for Mayor six years ago when as a noncouncillor he gave up his job to campaign full-time. Sir Hamish Hay defeated him in that election by about 7000 votes. Mr Brennan, too, has had some taste of local body politics. He was one of 12 candidates contesting the East Ward in the 1977 election. He missed election by about 200 votes. Mr Brennan has been a

negotiator for the Maori people for the last 30 years. He was awarded the 0.8. E. last year for his services to ■ the Maori people. He . is well known nationally for his work with gangs and welfare programmes and is a member of five national bodies on Maori affairs. He is most recently

known in Christchurch as initiator of the national Nga Hau E Wha marae in Pages Road, Mr Brennan said he decided to seek nomination for Mayor because of the many people, mainly European, who had asked him to stand. • . He said he believed the city had “got itself into the situation where there is a big outcry from all Nfew Zealanders.” It .had neglected its multi-culturalism.

If chosen as the party’s candidate he would campaign strongly for better services for Christchurch’s Maori people. “There is a lot of anger out there and something must be done,” he said. Mr Brennan is a member of the Economic an Development Commission, the Ministerial Maori Perspective Committee, the Polynesian Festival Council, the Maori Caucus Unemployment Council, and the Labour Party’s Maori Advisory Council.

He is also administrator and secretary for the multicultural marae. Cr Clark’s decision to seek the nomination was prompted by his belief that the council is too remote from the people of the city.

He believes he would find it easier this time to campaign for Mayor because he is a sitting councillor.

“Last time many people commented on my not being a councillor and on my youth. This time I have the support of the caucus team and the advantage of being known in community activity,” he said.

Cr Clark said he would not give iip his job if chosen as candidate! People wanted someone who would speak out on issues and he could do that without giving up his job to campaign fulltime. “We would still be maintaining a public profile and over a longer period of time.”

His top priorities when campaigning would be the remoteness of the council from the people and the insularity of the council within the greater city. Cr Clark said the council had played a “terrible role” in the present local government reform debate and he wanted to see a fresh approach. The Labour Party regional council will choose its candidate this evening at a meeting in the Stringleman Room of the Public Library.