One minute chat wins over voters

Christine Fletcher and Paul Goldsmith solicit support for C&R at the Wesley markets. Photo / Paul Estcourt

On a grey afternoon on a quiet Kingsland street, a fight breaks out over local politics.

A Maori man urges a teenage woman to listen to City Vision councillors Cathy Casey and Glenda Fryer, who are preaching through a megaphone on Don Croot St.

"It's your city, you should care," he says.

A swearing match and scuffle between the two follows, and the police are called.

It is a rare moment of passion in an election which has failed to inspire many voters.

Candidates in the Albert-Eden-Roskill ward are competing not only against a tough field of rivals - five experienced councillors fighting for two spots - but also with voter indifference.

Ms Fryer and Dr Casey have taken to the streets of their huge ward to hold old-fashioned street meetings. Every evening, they pull up at street corners and speak on a megaphone for five minutes, then move on.

On this afternoon in Kingsland, very few residents crowd around to hear their message.

Of the 20 who do venture out onto the street, one tells me she has made an informed vote. Three others have also already voted, but they know little about the candidates. The rest give me blank stares or walk on past.

"We have a city hiding behind their curtains," said one of City Vision's helpers.

Those who do come out of their homes to meet the candidates are heartened by the presence of the politicians in their neighbourhood.

A one-minute conversation with a candidate often secures a vote for them.

Tabitha Saunders, 22, said she had no time to go out and meet the people who ran the city. "This is the only time that I've ever spoken to a politician."

Ms Fryer and Dr Casey are up against Citizens and Ratepayers candidates Paul Goldsmith, a right-leaning councillor and historian, and former Auckland City Mayor and Government minister Christine Fletcher.

The C&R team have worked hard to try to pull votes from areas not known for voting blue.

Last week, they endeared themselves to voters at the Wesley markets in Mt Roskill, where Mr Goldsmith ably demonstrated he could split a coconut on a metal spike.

He and Ms Fletcher then went on to dance flamenco at the Sandringham Community Centre.

The blue and red tickets in Albert-Eden-Roskill face a significant challenge from an independent candidate, Mark Donnelly.

Voters on the campaign trail said Mr Donnelly - who has formed the group Focus Local - was a refreshing change from the area's deeply entrenched party politicians.

The Auckland City councillor has a down-to earth, softly-softly approach to campaigning. He admits he is not a salesman, and says he approaches voters "almost apologetically".

But his quiet, issues-focused campaign has been warmly received on Mt Eden streets, where he has been fighting against the council's proposed changes to Dominion Rd.