Postal voting for Palmerston North City Council and Horizons Regional Council closes at 12pm on October 8. Photo / Supplied
Postal voting for Palmerston North City Council and Horizons Regional Council closes at 12pm on October 8. Photo / Supplied
These are summaries of on-camera interviews of Palmerston North City Council candidates, conducted by Local Focus and emailed questions.
Zulfiqar Butt
The last TV show Zulfiqar Butt binged was the Cricket T20 series, while his favourite music genre is semi-classical.
He is happy with both Palmerston North and Palmy. Asked what party he would be with were he to run for Parliament, Butt replied: "I am running for the council."
The biggest issue facing Palmerston North is the wastewater treatment plant - "trying to get the best possible available options".
Ways to encourage people to stop using their cars for short trips are quality and frequent public transport, and safe and pleasant footpaths.
Butt says he loves community service. "I am also a trained forester and environmentalist, a businessman and employer. [I] have supervised a large number of staff, [and] have experience in managing smaller as well as multimillion-dollar budgets."
Mike Clement
Mike Clement's favourite music genre is rock, and the favourite meal he cooks for himself is steak.
Asked if he prefers Palmerston North or Palmy, he replied it "depends on who I'm talking to".
Asked which party he would be with if he were running for Parliament, Clement said "none of them".
The biggest issue facing Palmerston North is rates, and he would like a cap on how much rates increase. The council needs to stick to its budget and "not just treat the ratepayers as a piggy-bank".
The solution to crime is "giving people hope". People don't see a future, gangs are another issue, and "we don't actually give people consequences for their actions anymore. We need to work on all three of those things, and there's probably a whole bunch of things beyond that as well."
Clement has spent the past 18 years working in logistics and operations management, most of that time leading and building teams. He is standing on three platforms - accountability, fiscal responsibility and rates reform; "The three things that I think our council needs to do better".
Lorna Johnson
Lorna Johnson loves the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, and her favourite music genre is punk.
She prefers Palmy, and if she was running for Parliament, she says she would be with Labour.
The biggest issue facing Palmerston North is housing - both availability and affordability. "We're fast tracking the re-zoning required to free up land for development, developing council land to provide affordable sections, partnering with a community housing provider to get more affordable houses built, and building more council units for seniors. We're also looking at what we can do to address homelessness."
Johnson is in favour of free buses, separated linked-up cycleways and safer pedestrian routes.
She says she has got good experience in problem-solving, critical thinking and dealing with stressful situations through her 30 years of veterinary work.
"I've worked with refugees for many years, mostly as a volunteer, so have a good understanding of the community sector. But mostly, I think I have a sensible approach and I'm not afraid to ask questions."
Sam Walmsley's favourite book is 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan Peterson, while his favourite music genre is metal.
Asked if he was running for Parliament which party he would be with, Walmsley replied: "Probably not many at the moment, DemocracyNZ maybe".
The biggest issue facing Palmerston North is either roading or housing. He wants to establish a 'tiny homes' community in the city for affordable housing.
Asked what life experience he has had that would make him a good councillor, Walmsley says he has been a Type 1 diabetic since he was 2 years old, so every day he has to juggle food, what he does, insulin and exercise. "I have to juggle everything on a daily basis, so I think that alone is pretty good going."
He has worked in a range of industries. "I've always started at the bottom and worked my way to the top. If it were hospitality, landscaping; I'm now currently an at-home handyman for people that struggle with the upkeep of their property. So I deal with a lot of people on a daily basis."
Walmsley wants to be a voice for people. "I'm strong, capable, logical, and don't really want to beat around the bush."
