The Star: September 26, 2019

The Star Thursday September 26 2019
4
NEWS
‘Other plans’ stop
Park going east
• By Louis Day
VOTERS IN the eastern suburbs
look like they will not get a
chance to question and hear from
mayoral candidate Darryll Park.
Mr Park was criticised earlier
this month when he pulled out of
a Wainoni Avonside Community
Trust debate with incumbent
Mayor Lianne Dalziel and other
mayoral candidates an hour
before it started.
Organiser Betty Chapman said
it was “a slap in the face.”
Mr Park apologised for the no
show and proposed he meet with
the community yesterday. But it
did not eventuate.
Yesterday Mrs Chapman and
Mr Park’s campaign manager
David Lynch were again at odds
over what had gone wrong.
Mr Lynch said he had
contacted Mrs Chapman about
a new meeting, but she had not
responded.
Mrs Chapman disputed that
yesterday, saying she had called
Mr Lynch back but they were
never able to connect.
Said Mr Lynch: “We have made
it really clear that we have done
our best with Betty. She did not
come back to us and it is certainly
Darryll Park
Betty
Chapman
not a no show, we have tried our
best and it hasn’t worked.”
Mr Lynch said they had now
made other campaign plans.
Mrs Chapman said she “wasn’t
too worried.”
“We wanted him on the
(September) fourth, that is when
he should have come, that is
when he said he was originally
coming,” she said.
During his campaign, Mr Park
has spoken about the need for
action to repair roads and other
infrastructure in the earthquakedamaged
eastern suburbs.
On Sunday, mayoral
candidate John Minto spoke
to residents about issues in the
eastern suburbs at the Aranui
Community Centre.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Assessment under way
•From page 1
Judi Walsh of Linwood said
she was sceptical of the timing
of allegations getting into the
public arena so close to the
election. She would be voting for
Cr Swiggs.
Retired High Court judge
John Matthews, who has been
engaged by the city council, is
doing a preliminary assessment
to decide if a full investigation is
warranted. It will be completed
before the election and could be
as early as next week.
It was revealed on Friday a
youth group made a formal
complaint earlier this month
on behalf of three teenagers,
including a 13-year-old who
alleges Cr Swiggs gave him
unwanted hugs and called him a
“very attractive lad.”
It was then revealed Mayor
Lianne Dalziel had been told in
May, but apart from informing
Ms Richardson had not told
other city councillors.
The Star also canvassed people
across Christchurch to gauge
whether the scandal would
impact on Lianne Dalziel’s bid
for a third term as mayor.
Just over 62 per cent of people
in the Hornby area surveyed said
Ms Dalziel would get their vote.
David Esson said he liked
what Ms Dalziel had achieved
and would vote for her again.
He didn’t think the investigation
into Cr Swiggs would impact on
the mayoral vote.
“It doesn’t have an effect on my
vote at all. I still want her to stay
in a bit longer,” he said.
Twenty-five per cent of people
surveyed would vote for Darryll
Park.
David Shaw said Mr Park’s plan
to slash rates would get his vote.
Just over 12 per cent would
vote for John Minto.
In Merivale, 55 per cent
surveyed are voting for Lianne
Dalziel, 33 per cent for Mr Park
and just over 11 per cent for Mr
Minto. The others were unsure.
Annabel Jacobs doesn’t have
a strong interest in politics, but
Ms Dalziel seemed to be doing a
good job.
But Sandy Mason said it
was time for a change and she
wanted to see what Mr Park
could do for the city.
In Papanui, half of the people
surveyed were giving Ms Dalziel
their vote.
Kathy Matheson of Redwood
said: “Lianne is great and she
hasn’t done anything wrong in
my view.”
Thirty per cent gave Mr Park
the nod and again rates were
a big part of their reasoning.
Twenty per cent were supporting
Mr Minto.
Northwood resident Benjamin
Ashby is voting for Mr Minto
because he would bring change.
In Linwood, 62.5 per cent are
in favour of Ms Dalziel, 25 per
cent Mr Park and 12.5 per cent
Mr Minto, while 50 per cent
of those surveyed in Riccarton
favoured Ms Dalziel, compared
to 25 per cent for both Mr Park
and Mr Minto.
• Election a conversation
stopper, pages 6, 7 & 8
• From the editor’s desk, p20
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