[imc-auckland-video] Mayoral news

[Kim Mazur]

11.08.2004
By BERNARD ORSMAN 
Christine Fletcher is calling on her former deputy Dr Bruce Hucker to
abandon his mayoral bid to give her a clear run at sitting Auckland City
Mayor John Banks. 

"Bruce Hucker has to consider withdrawing from the race in the interests
of getting rid of Banks. A vote for Bruce Hucker is a vote for Banks,"
Mrs Fletcher said yesterday. 

The former mayor, who lost to Mr Banks by a whopping 15,360 votes in
2001, was cheered by a poll result showing she is snapping at Mr Banks'
heels and could beat him if Dr Hucker stepped aside. 

The poll of 500 people showed Mr Banks on 32.2 per cent support, Mrs
Fletcher on 25.6 per cent and Dr Hucker on 14.6 per cent. 

When asked how they would vote if Dr Hucker stood aside, 36 per cent
said they would vote for Mrs Fletcher, a two-point lead against 34 per
cent for Mr Banks. When asked who they would vote for if Mrs Fletcher
stood aside, Mr Banks was in front on 35 per cent support to Dr Hucker's
31 per cent. 

Mrs Fletcher, who had a rocky relationship with Dr Hucker on the
previous council, said Dr Hucker had had three years as leader of the
opposition to the John Banks-led council and failed to emerge as a
serious mayoral contender. 

"This should tell him that he should focus his energies on winning his
council seat and pull out of the mayoral race," she said. 

Dr Hucker ruled out abandoning his mayoral bid, saying it was early days
and he was confident of beating Mr Banks, regardless of the number of
candidates. 

"My campaign is just getting under way," said Dr Hucker, who launched
his campaign more than five weeks ago. 

"I think it would be preferable if Christine stepped aside. I think the
core vote I will be attracting through that Labour-City Vision
endorsement and my standing in a whole range of communities is going to
be decisive in the end." 

The poll was conducted by an independent market research company, Reid
Research, between August 1 and August 8 for Jeremy Hall, a member of the
Green Party standing for the Western Bays community board on the City
Vision ticket. 

"A lot of people were saying that John Banks would get back on a split
vote. I had this uncomfortable vibe that he would and I just wanted to
find out what was really going on," said the self-confessed political
junky, who paid for the poll himself. 

Mr Hall said he was not taking sides but he would like to see either Dr
Hucker or Mrs Fletcher step aside to give voters a clear choice against
Mr Banks. 

This is the second snub for Dr Hucker by a member of the Green Party.
Green MP Keith Locke said party members were waiting to see who had the
best chance of beating Mr Banks before deciding where to put their vote.


Mr Banks said he was a little bit surprised at the level of support for
Mrs Fletcher. His own weekly polls, for internal use only, showed he led
Dr Hucker and Mrs Fletcher, who were neck-and-neck. 

The Herald will be conducting its own poll on October 9. 

How they stand 

John Banks 32.2 per cent 

Christine Fletcher 25.6 per cent 

Bruce Hucker 14.6 per cent 

Don't know 22.2 per cent 

Will not vote 5.4 per cent. 

* Reid Research Poll, August 2004 

Last time 

2001 Auckland City Mayoralty top three results 

John Banks 47,059 votes 

Christine Fletcher 31,699 votes 

Matt McCarten (Alliance)15,785 votes 

Herald Feature: Local Vote 2004

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