Lousy Billboard, Lousy Candidate

I've been trying to work out who to vote for in the upcoming local body elections.

Being an Aucklander, I have only two realistic options for mayor: Banks or Brown. As little as Brown inspires me, I am very much in the "anyone but Banks" camp. This was reinforced to me as I watched the debate between Banks and Brown on Campbell Live last night. Neither candidate impressed me, and both seemed more interested in flinging dung at each other.

This may sound like an odd objection, but both men seem to want the job rather too much. Banks definitely lost it for me, though, when he accused Brown of trying to divide the city by race.

Locally, I have a few decisions to make about which candidates I've never heard of to vote for. Thankfully today's Herald made my job just a bit easier.

A citizenship speech by Waitakere City councillor Ross Dallow - father of TV One newsreader Simon Dallow - has outraged a new New Zealander.

The Filipino man says he was incensed by remarks he claims Mr Dallow made during his citizenship ceremony in Henderson on Friday.

The man, who did not wish to be named, told the Herald Mr Dallow described kidnapping as an Asian crime, and blamed immigrants for increasing rates of drug manufacture.

He also described changing immigration demographics as the "browning" of the country, the man said.

And apparently Mr Dallow has form for these sorts of outbursts:

But Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey was unimpressed when told of Mr Dallow's speech, and said council staff had previously expressed concerns at the tone of his citizenship speeches.

"You bet your bloody life they have, at his tone and the manner.

"Citizenship ceremonies, which are a celebration, have no place for lectures about race and crime.

"It is a happy occasion ... Unfortunately, Mr Dallow sometimes speaks his mind, and it does often cause offence."

Asked if he thought Mr Dallow was well intentioned, Mayor Harvey said, "No, I don't."

Dallow's election billboards are also hideous - a bizarre blue and red check pattern that surrounds his name. Now I learn he is an ex-copper it kind of makes sense.

I told my wife as we were in the car last weekend that I would never vote for someone responsible for such billboard abominations. I now have another reason not to vote for the guy.