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Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey has offended two of his city's prominent Maori over his appearance in advertisements against domestic violence.
Mr Harvey has launched a local version of the Government's $14 million national campaign for action on family violence.
He plans to appear in newspaper advertisements and billboards flanked by Outrageous Fortune television star Robyn Malcolm and former All Black Va'aiga ("Inga") Tuigamala declaring family violence is "not OK in Waitakere."
But Maori Party MP Dr Pita Sharples, who lives in Waitakere and is co-chairman of the mayoral taskforce against family violence, said last night that he was disappointed with Mr Harvey.
"We are co-chairmen ... if it's a campaign against violence, I'd have thought he would have my photo up there. I'm actively working on this ... I chaired the first meeting on violence in the city and I have a whole Maori initiative working on domestic violence which is going to report to that taskforce."
The advertisements and the billboards will coincide with Waitakere's mayoral election campaign.
Voting papers go out to citizens on September 21 and must be in on October 13.
Mr Harvey's main rival in the mayoral elections, former MP John Tamihere, said Mr Harvey's appearance in the family violence publicity was unfair and he wanted him removed from it.
He had complained to the Waitakere City returning officer and if that was not upheld he would seek a court injunction.
"Mayor Bob is a candidate like me and I'm up against a bloke who appears to have the endorsement of two high-profile Westies and it's paid for by the ratepayers and the trusts, our pub charity.
"If they had been kind enough to have invited me as a high-profile Westie to stand in the same thing, it would have been fair.
"This man is an advertising PR guru and he knows every trick."
Mr Harvey, who has been mayor for 15 years, is a former Labour Party president and advertising executive.
Mr Tamihere is co-host of a Radio Live show and chief executive of the Waipareira Trust, which is contracted to deliver Government social and health services in West Auckland, which include programmes against violence.
Mr Tamihere said he also objected to Mr Harvey's advertisement on the front page of the Western Leader with the heading "Bob's ahead 67 per cent" a reference to a poll by his campaign team.
City electoral officer Darryl Griffin said he was looking into Mr Tamihere's complaints.
The national campaign was launched a week ago by Prime Minister Helen Clark.
The following night Mr Harvey launched a local version. "This is not election campaigning - this is about saving our babies who are being beaten and shaken," said Mr Harvey last night.
He said he would go to court if necessary to defend his position.
Waitakere was the first city to produce a local version of the campaign which was being led by the Ministry of Social Development and the Families Commission.
He had not objected to Mr Tamihere continuing with his radio show during the campaign despite the advantage of access to potential voters.
