Average Joes talk Supercity

Jo Adams says, 'It's perhaps making the best of a bad lot.' Photo / Herald on Sunday

They are the Average Joes. A jury of 12 citizens from across the Supercity with only one thing in common: They're all called Joe (or Jo).

As returning officers prepare the ballot papers to mail out, we talked to few of these Joes about the election.

We have Joanne Erceg from Papakura and Johan van der Merwe from Manukau.

Van Der Merwe, 67, who runs a media consultancy, says: "I don't think that there is the standard of candidates that a city the size of Auckland would have hoped for. I would vote for Len Brown based on his history in Manukau."

Out west is Joseph Kirkham of Waitakere. Further in is Johanna Lefebre in Mt Roskill and Joe Boyle in Three Kings. Boyle, 49, a gym manager, says: "John Banks gets things done, I don't know much about Len Brown. The rest of them are small town candidates. "

Jocelyn Hugill, 22, from Grey Lynn, hasn't made up her mind yet.

Jodi Libbey, 38, a Parnell a mum and barrister says she would vote for Banks because other candidates don't appear to have enough experience.

But in Remuera, 62-year-old healthcare businessman Jock McLean is less definite: "Unfortunately it's a two-horse race and that's the problem. Leadership is going to be key - the marriage between all the regions is going to be difficult to consummate."

Across the harbour bridge and Joe Knight, 77, from Northcote says: "I know who I'm not going to vote for: John Banks.

"He got rid of pensioners' homes in Auckland."

Jocelyn Pryor, 37, is an accountant from Brown's Bay: "The candidates aren't bad," she says. "I guess there are no real surprises there. I reckon Simon Prast would be all right. It might be good to have a clean set of eyes."

Jo Adams, 47, a research consultant from Waiheke Island, says: "It has been reduced to a two-horse race. It's perhaps making the best of a bad lot."

Josephine Dolejschka, 52, a business owner from Greenhithe, says none of the candidates inspire her: "I was very disappointed by the quality on offer. Banks and the other guys, they have had bad publicity."