Will Johnston says everyone must vote
Every time I talk to my dad he turns it political. He's 73. So that's unsurprising.
He has his political views, I have mine. It's all good.
Well mostly all good. It slightly annoys me that he is wasting too much of his retirement watching late night political programmes and spouting classic secondhand-information.
But it's his life.
Despite that, we don't actually clash too much on it. I suspect he enjoys riling me up.
Much like I enjoy riling up the high-vis Sunday cycling, bad parking, slightly entitled apartment-dwelling boomers.
My dad and I are are clearly genetically related. If I'm honest I'll probably become him in 40 years and, with any luck and a Lotto win, a posh apartment dweller!
At least I know it!
Guess what else I know?
Voting is important.
Funnily enough he taught me that.
I've MC'd my fair share of political debates in Tauranga in the eight years I've been here.
I've taken some questions from the boomer-laden floor that I really couldn't give a rat's about. But they were important to that particular person. So that's cool. Whatever floats your boat, granddad.
I actually mean that, because it's granddad that's actually out there voting, giving a stuff about who actually runs this town and makes the decisions that take the money you earn.
Or provides the assistance that he/you/your child needs. And the million other things a local council is involved in.
Old gramps over there actually doesn't care if you vote green, blue, red, black, pink or beige. He just wants you to vote. As do I!
Sidenote: Someone should start a political party and use beige. 'Beige on the outside, rainbow within' could be the motto. Just to really confuse everyone on what they stand for.
This is the kind of ideas I like to come up with to really dull my father's acerbic tongue towards certain politicians that I don't mind. Rather than fight him on it, or change his mind, I just give him a worse scenario — or a more ridiculous one — and it quells the beast.
Vote in the upcoming local body elections, please.
I don't care who you vote for. You don't even have to use all your votes, just vote for even one person you know or agree with in there and you've done your bit.
If you don't vote you can't complain with me about the boomers, or the roads, or the great commercial train tracks that run between a beautiful waterfront space/child's playground on The Strand and the strip where people get drunk every Friday and Saturday.
Vote this October.
— Will Johnston is the local 9am-3pm host for The Hits Bay of Plenty 95FM. He's also a celebrant and MC. Follow Will on Instagram on @radiowill.
Audrey Wilson had repeated falls, a fractured arm and sepsis. She died in hospital.