Minister puts brave face on tough fight

By STACEY BODGER

ROTORUA - Cabinet minister Max Bradford has taken to waving placards of himself to Rotorua commuters in the final run-up to National's toughest race for the electorate in 40 years.

The area's demographics should make the electorate safe for Labour but, with 73,000 residents on the Maori roll, it has been National's since 1960.

Mr Bradford says the direct approach to commuters worked at the last election, when he took Rotorua with 40 per cent of the vote - double the vote of his nearest rival, Alliance candidate Dr Keith Ridings. Figures adjusted for boundaries this year gave him a whopping paper majority of 5505.

But Mr Bradford recognises that, come Saturday, the race will be much tighter against Labour's candidate, Steve Chadwick.

Mrs Chadwick, a registered nurse and midwife, is serving her second term as a Rotorua District councillor.

The former Lakeland Health services director has a high community profile, particularly in health and education.

Yesterday, Mr Bradford stood beside Te Ngae Rd from 7.15 am and spent 11/2 hours waving to peak-hour commuters.

Dressed in casual clothes, the Defence, Tertiary Education and Enterprise and Commerce Minister held an election hoarding with his face pictured next to the words, "MAXimise your future."

Mr Bradford said he endured the "inevitable demonstrators who chose to use the appropriate finger," although most people were encouraging and tooted.

He planned to take to Rotorua roadsides every morning and evening until Saturday because the tactic worked well last election. The only independent poll to be done on Rotorua voters, by Western Heights High School three weeks ago, placed Mrs Chadwick 6 percentage points ahead of Mr Bradford.

The poll of 200 eligible voters showed that National led the party vote race on 36.5 per cent, with Labour second on 18 per cent.

Mrs Chadwick said she had campaigned every weekend since January and would spend the days leading up to the election door-knocking.

"We are not having to stand on streets and wave to people to garner last-minute votes," Mrs Chadwick said. "We've prepared well and now we are sitting back and enjoying it."

Mr Bradford said although he was "reasonably confident" of his chances, Mrs Chadwick was proving his toughest opponent in three campaigns.

"I have found it tougher this term with portfolios to manage but I still spend every weekend out in the electorate and from what I'm hearing on the streets my situation is better than the Opposition are making out."