Here are "The People's Choice 2021" candidates for Christchurch's October elections...
  1. Islay McLeod
    Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board
    Paul McMahon
    Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board
    Mike Mora
    Riccarton-Wigram Council & Community Board

    Islay lives in Linwood. She loves the area and wants to restore the community and environmental values that once had Christchurch residents proud to live here.

    Paul works as an associate pastor at Opawa Baptist Church and is on the Waltham Youth Trust. He believes in developing communities and building trust within them.

    Mike has served on the Community Board for 18 years. He has vast experience, knowledge and understanding of the ward. Mike enjoys finding practical solutions to issues.

  2. Jasmin Teague
    Burwood-Pegasus Community Board
    Chrissie Williams
    Burwood-Pegasus Council & Community Board
    Tim Baker
    Burwood-Pegasus Community Board

    Jasmin has strong experience working in the health sector. She is one of our youngest candidates and possesses a vibrant personality and a positive attitude.

    Chrissie is a councillor for Burwood Pegasus. She supports controlling rates, maintaining services, pure tap water, cleaner rivers, bus clearways and cycle networks.

    Tim is known for his role on the Aranui Primary School board and has written four books on the area. Tim advocates for beautifying Christchurch and reducing tagging.

     

  3. Tracey Dorreen
    Shirley-Papanui Community Board
    Paul Findlay
    Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board
    Ishwar Ganda
    Riccarton-Wigram Community Board

    Tracey is a dynamic, energetic woman with several years of community involvement. She is willing to stand up for the underdog and speak for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

    Paul feels his fresh and energetic approach will be useful in serving the community he grew up in. He is involved in many community and youth organisations and projects.

    ishwar-ganda-tIshwar has lived in the ward and served the community for many years.  A Queens Service Order recipient, he is passionate about our Garden City, its quality of life and family values. 

     

  4. Phil Clearwater
    Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board
    Pauline Cotter
    Shirley-Papanui Council & Community Board
    James Dann
    Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board

    Phil has chaired the Community Board for the last three terms. His concerns are road safety, traffic congestion, children's learning centres and reducing isolation for older people.

    Pauline has lived in St Albans for 22 years and was elected to the Shirley - Papanui Community Board in 2007, as a result of her successful stand on the Edgeware Pool closure.

    james-dann-mChristchurch born and bred, James is a health researcher, working on endometrial cancer genetics. James writes music and sings in a band. He is very concerned about water issues.

     

  5. Judy Kirk
    Riccarton-Wigram Community Board
    Glenn Livingstone
    Burwood-Pegasus Council
    Brenda Lowe-Johnson
    Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board

    Judy is a current Community Board member for the Riccarton - Wigram ward. She is involved in a number of other organisations for youth, education and the wider community.

    Glenn has worked as a Presbyterian Minister for 20 years. He has advocated for Social Housing tenants clean water and balance between city and ward bus needs.

    Brenda is a Community Board member and has lived in the ward for 23 years. She has pioneered programmes for low income people and wants a strong, safe and healthy community.

     

  6. Julie Gorman
    Burwood-Pegasus Community Board
    Darel Hall
    Shirley-Papanui Community Board
    Yani Johanson
    Hagley-Ferrymead Council

    Julie is a Correspondence School liaison teacher and has served as a deputy and acting principal at a local school. She wants to represent an area she has been part of for 40 years.

    Darel has been an educator for over 20 years. He has a focus on tertiary policy and actively campaigned against rent increases and cuts to community funding.

    Yani is the youngest current city councillor at 35 years old. He is committed to fighting hard for the values of openness, transparency and democracy around the Council.

     

  7. Karolin Potter
    Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board
    Tim Scandrett Spreydon-Heathcote
    Council & Community Board
    Cameron Stewart
    Shirley-Papanui Community Board

    karolin-potter-tKarolin is an educator in the Human Rights Commission, a JP and a current community board member. Concerns are gaps between those who have and do not and the environment.

    tim-scandrett-tTim is currently a member of the community board and has lived in the area his entire life. He believes facilities, services and natural resources need responsible investment.

    Cameron was formerly on the Papanui High School Board of Trustees. He was involved in many organisations at the university and hopes for a safe, vibrant area where all are welcome.

     

  8. Linda Stewart
    Burwood-Pegasus Community Board
    Nicky Taylor
    Burwood-Pegasus Community Board
    Peter Taylor
    Hagley-Ferrymead Council & Community Board

    A board member for three years, Linda has a Community Service Award and is on Keep Christchurch Beautiful and Civil Defence. The environment and safe, happy communities are concerns for her.

    Nicky Taylor has worked in the community sector for fifteen years. She wants to work with the area on the environment, employment and helping people feel safe in their homes.

    peter-taylor-tPeter feels the best people to determine how our rates should be spent are residents. He wants to protect waterways, our city water supply and have an area where we all feel safe.

     

  9. Ben Ross
    Spreydon-Heathcote Community Board
    Natalie Bryden
    Riccarton-Wigram Community Board
    Jimmy Chen
    Riccarton-Wigram Council & Community Board

    Ben is a filmmaker and has experience in helping people work as a team to achieve a goal. His concerns are community funding, keeping local people in jobs and the environment.

    Natalie has lived in the area for 41 years and worked for the District Health Board. She's been a committee member and chair of South Hornby School's Board of Trustees for 6 years.

    Jimmy works across many public and community services. He knows the area and is keen to engage people, improve safety and promote open and transparent decision making.

     

Once upon a time but within living memory, the residents of Christchurch appeared, from the outside, to be immensely satisfied and well looked after by the Christchurch City Council. The Council had arteries into every area of the community and that suited the values of the people of Christchurch.

As the CEO of the Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce once advised me, when I asked what it is about Christchurch that makes us so uniquely philanthropic, "Christchurch is a big small town." We live in a City community but still with small town values. And, as the Anglican City Missioner, Michael Gorman responded to the same question, "If the people of Christchurch see a need and they see that it's good, they will give."

That attitude is manifested in the Cholmondeley Children's Home – the only respite children's home in the country, the extensive Nurse Maude services, the South Island Ronald McDonald House is located here, 0800 HUNGRY and the only Charity Hospital in New Zealand ... even individuals like the man and his family who feed the homeless in Latimer Square every Sunday.

The current Council does not fit with the values of the Christchurch community.

The current Council spends up large on its offices and bails out developers on the spurious precept of preventing unsightly new buildings. (Change the Building Code?) And on the other hand imposes an outrageous rent increase on those in Council flats.

This Council whips out the cheque book for a Flower Show that residents have not only paid for but also have to pay to get into. And then cuts $1.5 million from Community Grants "to help keep rates down."

I worked for a community charity when the "Metropolitan Strengthening Communities Fund" went out for "public consultation" and it was clear to those attending the consulting meeting that the Council's mind was made up already. Sure enough, the oxymoronic title was illuminated when the final policy came out exactly as proposed. Funding has been progressively cut and with the additional handbrake of a Contract Document that, even by the staff's own admission, was unworkable in several areas but had to be signed anyway.

How dare this Council blitheringly continue with its 2010-2011 financial plan, especially in the face of a recession, when it should be able to see the extraordinary hardship being encountered by a good many residents, let alone the organisations that depend on Council funding. That their dependence is now to a lesser degree is Council-imposed and not theirs by choice.

The community-responsive arteries of this Council are now getting chronically  clogged with the cholesterol of cold commercialism. It's a common expression that you can't go back but I doubt any resident of Christchurch would object to a Council that re-finds itself and its community values.

Islay Mcleod, Independent candidate, endorsed by Peoples Choice, standing for the Hagley Ferrymead Community Board.

 
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People's Choice sounds warning

For three years the current Mayor and Council ignored the public, made decisions in secret, spent $17m on the Henderson deal, and tried to raise Council housing rents by 24%.

Can they be relied on to care for the displaced? To listen to community views on rebuilding? To manage ratepayer funds prudently? To avoid both long-term 'bomb sites' and cheap-and-nasty building?

 
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Phone & write...

Darel Hall, Chair
The People's Choice 2021

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11 Warden Street
Richmond
Christchurch 8013
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Tel: 03 385 9299
Mob: 021 708 510

Candidates in Cathedral Square.