By Graham Skellern
Bob Clarkson is on his stamping ground. The place is Maleme St, one of Tauranga's key industrial areas that is bustling with an array of small and medium-sized businesses.
Back in the 1980s, Clarkson developed half the street, buying nine hectares, moving nearly half a million cubic metres of soil, erecting 13 industrial buildings and signing up tenants.
"Before I bought the land I went up in a helicopter and saw this big scar ... while we were up there the door flew open. That wasn't pretty," he recalls.
"But I could see that if we dug out 12 metres of soil and filled the other side with six metres we would have a perfectly good industrial subdivision.
"Have you noticed the contour? It's laid out nicely; there's a one metre rise for every section and the trucks can drive around the buildings," Clarkson says proudly.
As quickly as he points it out, I tell him knowingly: "Yes, I have." When it comes to building things, you need to sound reasonably knowledgeable to keep up with free-thinking Bob the Builder.
A workaholic who puts his dreams into reality, Clarkson tells people that his idea of a holiday is putting up another industrial building. Many think he's joking, but he's not.
Clarkson, who has made dollops of dollars from being a landlord of industrial properties, has since sold his 13 Maleme St buildings - he has others - to free up money for his $17 million speedway and rugby stadium at Baypark.
And this time the National Party candidate for Tauranga is back in Maleme St looking for votes - not investment.
He's just come from a public meeting at the Holy Trinity Church with party leader Don Brash - and dressed in an off-the-rack dark suit he looks smooth, professional, and different.
It even crossed his mind that he should have changed before hitting "the coalface" in Maleme St in a suit.
Despite his business success, he's the last person to sit in a glass tower. He's really the ordinary bloke who would far rather put on his working clothes, steel-capped boots and hard hat each morning and muck in with "his boys" on the construction site.
But today Clarkson has a new purpose in life - to bat for Tauranga on the sticky wicket in Wellington. And he needs votes to topple experienced political opponent, Winston Peters.
He strides into the factories, asking staff if they have studied the National Party's tax package. "You will get substantial tax reductions, and it's about time. You should be able to get out and give it a go and be rewarded - and not be taxed to death," he tells them.
"I have 20 guys working for me and I'm horrified by the amount of tax they have to pay; we think tax cuts will stimulate the economy."
Clarkson meets apprentice mechanic, 20-year-old Willy Brough, at RWR Fleet Maintenance and compliments him: "You are my passion. I've fought and fought for unlimited funds for apprenticeships and they will be coming when National is in power. We need more apprenticeships so young people like you can move on and get higher pay."
Willy's impressed. "It's the first time I've met him. He's cheerful and friendly and seems like an alright guy. I like what he's doing for this town - Baypark is a big part of that."
Close by at the Plaster Centre, Brendon Clarkson (not related) is going about his daily duties. Brendon's also Clarkson's "dream guy".
The National candidate explained: "He has cerebral palsy down his right-hand side and he has never taken a benefit in his entire life. He's made sure he's got a good job."
Brendon likes the National tax cuts. "Up till now, every time there's been a tax break I've been in too high a bracket and missed the boat," he said.
Clarkson next comes across a group of boatbuilders taking smoko at Olive Marine International. One of them asks him: "Are we going to be able to smoke inside?"
The reply: "I would say yes as long as there's enough ventilation, but it would be hard to change it back." Clarkson, who doesn't smoke, is sounding more like a politician as each day of the campaign goes by.
Twelve months ago, the tireless Clarkson never thought about entering politics. He had long fought red tape, winning more arguments than he lost, but he saw himself as a rough-edged terrier, not a smooth-talking, snowy-haired diplomat.
As he's been reminding more and more people lately - with the spotlight coming down on him by being a serious contender in Tauranga: "I'm a doer, not a debater."
A phone call from National frontbencher Tony Ryall changed his routine. "Why don't you come to breakfast (at Alimento) with Nick Smith?"
Clarkson recalls: "I was a bit astounded. Me the country boy going to breakfast with two MPs. I don't do this - I just head to work and build buildings."
Ryall and Smith put it to him straight: "You like helping families and business people; why not come aboard?"
At the same time, Clarkson was being pressurised to run for Mayor of Tauranga. "I told Tony and Nick that 'you never know I might do that' but when I left the cafe I never intended doing it."
A few weeks later National Tauranga electorate chairman Bob Diprose turned up at Clarkson's Pillans Rd house overlooking Waikareao Estuary, asking for a party donation.
"Why should I give money to myself when I'm standing as a candidate," Clarkson told a surprised Mr Diprose. "He went out of the house very happy."
Clarkson said he seriously thought about standing for Mayor but decided the only way to fix things properly was to do it from the very top - central government.
"We are on a slippery slope because of the social engineering. The government is trying to control everyone's lifestyle and grind us down to a situation where there is no choice about spending your own well-earned money," he said.
C LARKSON developed his strong spirit and work ethic growing up in the 1940s and early 50s on a small family dairy farm three kilometres out of Gisborne at Kaiti.
"Every day my parents handmilked 40 cows for the town supply ... gee whiskey-bangs that's a lot of hard work. We were well fed, well clothed but I had no shoes. I went barefoot to school.
"My parents never got many breaks in life and times were tough in those days. But we enjoyed life."
Clarkson left Gisborne Boys' High School at the age of 15 and began a five year fitter and turner apprenticeship at H S Motors in town. After two years he was foreman of a group of five workers.
With the apprenticeship under his belt, he and his brother Tony bought a business in Matamata and renamed it Clarkson Motors. The company sold International tractors and repaired farm equipment - Tony ran the workshop and Bob handled the sales. Their parents also moved north.
"We worked our butts off for eight years - some days we worked to 2am in the morning. It had to be done, that's all there was to it."
Outside of work, Clarkson played hockey well enough to be goalie for the Gisborne and then Waikato representative teams. He played a trial for New Zealand B before the A side went off and won the gold medal at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
On the stock car track, he became known as Crusher Clarkson for his famed blocking technique ... "I wouldn't let anyone pass me; if they tried they ended up in the fence."
Clarkson and his mates Lewis Wymer, Garry Yorke and Pat Barry were unbeaten in two seasons of team racing, and one night they actually needed a police escort in to the Rotorua Stadium after the rowdy crowd wasn't happy about an earlier defeat of the local team.
When Clarkson switched to drag racing, he ended up with the New Zealand record. His 1800 horsepower machine reached 199.99 miles an hour and took 6.7s to cover the distance ... "that's quite fast, believe you me."
Back in Matamata, Clarkson was looking for greener pastures. He and his brother sold Clarkson Motors and Clarkson got a job on the new Kaimai Tunnel.
As he puts it: "Before long, I got sacked because the boss wouldn't do what he was told. I've always had trouble with bureaucrats - does that ring a bell?"
Clarkson then started up a new business importing V8 motors and parts from the United States. He became one of the biggest dealers in the country, bringing in a 20-tonne containers every three to four months and selling 1000 V8 engines in eight years.
"It was a very successful business so the IRD told me," said Clarkson, who by then was chasing new dreams.
He started buying houses and flats for rental in Matamata and Morrinsville - and ended up owning 58. He wanted to go to 100, but they weren't as profitable as he hoped, and switched to industrial buildings.
He bought and freshened up 52 buildings by painting them all blue. "The council asked me to stop changing the colour of the town. That's when I started having trouble with them.
"I wanted to build a block of 36 apartments with their own titles (in Matamata) - they were 15 years before their time and the Mayor fought me and stopped the plan. I sold the buildings and left town."
Clarkson's next dream was to own 100 acres or 40ha of business land in Tauranga. For five years he travelled 170,000km crossing the Kaimais from Matamata and buying up land and erecting commercial buildings.
He eventually moved to Tauranga in 1990 and ended up owning 97 acres of land in Maleme St, MacDonald St and Aviation Drive. The self-made businessman certainly made a big impression in Tauranga.
Clarkson has two daughters, Megan and Caprice, from his first marriage and now in their 30s they are married and live in Tauranga. Clarkson has been with his second wife, Martha, for 20 years.
"Martha once told me: 'When you walk in to a room full of people nobody there is better than you'. That's helped me do what I'm doing now."
T O some people Bob Clarkson is an unlikely politician. But his passion and political naivety appeals to some people. His motto is "don't die with a dream."
Clarkson has been campaigning since March and has spoken to nearly 50 organisations around town. He holds regular 'cottage' meetings in someone's house for 15 people.
"They must bring neighbours and friends. We try to have a mixture of National, Labour and New Zealand First supporters, and have a free and frank exchange of views. I want to hear what people are thinking and I take that back to Don Brash - such as the lack of funding for eldercare," said Clarkson.
He has sidestepped doorknocking - "I don't want to disturb people in the privacy of their homes; their house is their castle" - but he is doing walkabouts in all the commercial and industrial areas of the city.
When I was with him among the shops in downtown Tauranga where people would bounce up to him out of the blue, shake his hand and remark: "Good luck Bob; go for it." They all knew him.
Before the campaign's over, his 40-strong team will have phoned 25,000 homes or 42,000 potential voters, calling on their support.
I asked him that at the age of 66, isn't he too old to be doing all this? "I don't drink, my wife cooks me good food and plenty of vegetables, and through my eyes I feel 40; mind you when I jump off the back of a truck I feel 60," said Clarkson.
And why won't you debate with Winston Peters on the political stage? I ask him. "Our team will decide which way the National Party ship is sailing, not Winston Peters. His ship is just behind us with small holes in it."
Clarkson is the first to admit that he's not an expert in all fields - "I'm dealing in the fields I'm strong in."
He will talk all day above improving the roading network in Tauranga, streamlining the Resource Management Act, increasing apprenticeships and lifting the bar in education, giving tenants the chance to buy their state houses, and making sure violent offenders do their proper time in prison.
Clarkson is confident there will be enough funds, under a National Government, to build the second harbour bridge and not have tolls on them. He doesn't want a working couple paying $40 a week for the next 25 years crossing the bridge - and he's sure National will come to the party with an additional $280 million in roading funds over the next 10 years.
Clarkson is wary of the Civil Union Bill, believing the family unit is a male, female and two children. Homosexuality doesn't feature.
"You can do whatever you want in your own home; you can jump off the wardrobe if you like. But when you get out in society, that is no normal practise."
Challenged by Otumoetai College seventh formers over why he wouldn't support gay couples adopting children, Clarkson said: "You have your opinion and I'm sorry I have mine. I'm not scared of what I think."
Finishing coffee outside Bravo Restaurant in Mid City Mall, travel consultant Rob Young asked Clarkson if he could make the transition from businessman to politician. "It's a very difficult circle to break in to," Mr Young suggested.
Clarkson replied: 'To tell you the truth, that's a difficult one to answer. I don't need the money; I'm going down there with a passion for Tauranga and the country.
"Why do we have leaky homes ... because we haven't got enough tradesmen. That's the sort of thing that worries me."
Mr Young was still a little unsure but he gave Clarkson the benefit of the doubt.
