Mainlander flying flag in Auckland

By THERESA GARNER

Gerry Campbell may have the loneliest campaign of the election.

The sole North Island candidate for the South Island Party, he is standing in Auckland Central, urging former mainlanders to vote where their hearts are.

The 53-year-old data processor hopes to win votes from southerners who have joined the drift north and from those who recognise a more "balanced" country would be better for all.

The party was formed two years ago with the aim of getting equitable political representation for the South Island, regaining control of South Island natural resources and getting a compatible share of gross domestic product.

Five candidates are standing in the support bases of Otago and Southland, and Mr Campbell agreed to fly the flag in Auckland, in a bid to rally support.

After 30 years in Auckland, his heart is still in Dunedin. "I'm living in exile.

"People's attitudes need to change a little bit so they could be a bit more laid back and relaxed and enjoy life a bit more, rather than rushing around all the time."

He believed a more even population spread would benefit both islands. "One of the main things is there's a lot of space down south, and if we could balance things out a bit we wouldn't have half the problems we're dealing with now.

"It's not anti-North Island: it's to get equality, and a balance of representation."

His campaign was going "quietly," he said, and he would like the chance to speak at a public meeting. "If people can come along to the meetings, they can get a direct answer and see the candidates face to face."

One ally is a group he runs called Mainland Connection, made up of people born in the South Island.

Party secretary Alan McDonald, standing in Dunedin North, said the party did not just appeal to South Islanders, but to disenchanted rural dwellers.

It hoped to get "one or two" MPs to act as watchdogs in Parliament. "Just because it hasn't been done before, doesn't mean it can't be done."