C&R Candidates for Auckland Council
This morning Citizens & Ratepayers announced an initial 11 candidates for the Auckland Council. They are:
Albany Ward
Linda Cooper is a current Waitakere City Councillor and was second highest polling in her ward. A former nurse.
Josephine Kim was the first Korean women to gain a NZ law degree
Albert-Eden-Roskill
Chris Fletcher is the former Auckland Mayor, and quite a coup for C&R that she is standing on their ticket.
Paul Goldsmith is a current Auckland City Councillor.
Franklin
Des Morrison, of Nga Puhi affiliation, worked for NZ Steel for 32 years and is currently on the Frankin District Council, where he was second highest polling in his ward.
Maungakiekie-Tamaki
Alfred Ngaro is a New Zealander of Cook Island descent and people tell me he is a real star in the mould of Sam Loti-Iiga. He has been active in the community sector for 20 years and has a huge network of people behind him. In 2009 Alfred Ngaro was awarded a Sir Peter Blake Emerging Leader Award for his contribution in the Tamaki Transformation Programme
Orakei
Doug Armstrong is in his third term on Auckland City Council and is well known in his role as Finance Committee Chair. A former CEO of Unitec.
Te Irirangi (Howick)
Dick Quax is also well known. He received 17,000 votes for Manukau Mayor and easily topped the poll for the Pakuranga ward.
Jami-Lee Ross is on the second term of the Manukau City Council, and is known for his tireless campaigning.
Waitemata and Gulf
Michael Barnett, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO will probably be up against Mike Lee in a Battles of the Big Beasts. Michael has been a member of the Auckland Regional Council for several terms.
Whau
Noelene Raffills has been on the Auckland City Council since 2000 and was the top polling Councillor for the Avondale-Roskill Ward.
Not that I think it is a huge issue, but some try to portray C&R as all white men in suits. Of the 11 candidates, two are of Maori decent, one Korean and one Cook Islands. And 4/11 are women. Reasonably diverse.