Friday, December 09, 2005

Meanwhile, back at the by-election

Former Councillor Margaret Campion has announced her intention to stand, saying "honesty, integrity and respect are important to me". Could this be a not-so-veiled reference to current Council behaviour?

Resisting the urge to scream "you're heading for the wrong place, then", Watchers merely note that she joins Mark Simmonds, former President of the Chamber of Commerce and owner of Wanganui Security, which he has built into a significant high-tech security company now getting a lot of its revenues from outside Wanganui. And described by one commenter as "some competition for ML in pullin' the babes if not quick one-liners". The mind boggles.

It was none other than Mr Simmonds himself who was on security detail the day Dotty and the Dwarves applied a lovely coat of whitewash to the Code of Conduct complaints.

Showing he was less-than-chastened by the fact that some citizens found his behaviour offensive, the Diva gave the single-digit salute, as he so endearingly calls it, to a bunch of teenagers outside the hall. They responded with gestures that suggested that perhaps the Diva was - how can we put this politely? - is in regular tactile contact with himself.

Whilst it's fine and dandy for Wanganui's First Citizen to go making rude gestures to the town's lesser citizens, clearly this should not result in any dimunition in respect for such high office, because the Diva took some umbrage at this response and ordered Simmonds to disperse the yoof with extreme prejudice.

This of course placed Simmonds in a hopeless position: him against about 10 teenagers and if they'd had a go at him, it would have been in front of three lots of TV cameras and a bunch of reporters. We imagine he developed a warm and lasting regard for the Diva at about that point.

Who needs Jimmy Barnes concerts (clearly not locals, who are not buying tickets in droves) when there's free entertainment of this calibre in which you can actually take part? If you're not enrolled already, do so today at the elections web site.

Update (4.25 pm): A Watcher has started a rumour (in comments on the previous post) that none other than Morgs Hunter-Bell intends to enter the fray. We're presently seeking confirmation from the man himself.

Comments on this post are now closed.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wondered if someone would raise the mayoral fingers. I was there when he did that and it was at that point I realised that the mayor thinks he's still in high-school.

Anonymous said...

It's starting to look as though Mickey can't find a candidate. The reluctance to give a name surely suggests that. My guess is Mickey wants to introduce his new member to a huge crowd at the Bikes Broads Booze gig. With that Jimmy guy as a walk-on.

Anonymous said...

I was there that day and to be fair to the mayor he was responding to some 14-15 year olds who gave HIM the fingers. Simmonds is a heavy duty security guy so I'm sure the council would welcome an in-house bouncer.

Anonymous said...

The issue about the by-election is how come the arts fraternity arent putting up a candidate of their own. I see Laws is saying in his column that its because the arts are unelectable and lack guts. Is that fair?

Anonymous said...

to be fair to the mayor he was responding to some 14-15 year olds who gave HIM the fingers.

Yes, that sure showed them. I'll bet they learned their lesson that day yes sirree.

Is there any better illustration of the Lawsmob mentality than this?

Laws Watch said...

Laws is saying in his column that its because the arts are unelectable and lack guts.

Ahhh yes, like Samueal Morse (a painter, photographer and yes, would-be Mayor before inventing his famous code), former Indian PM and painter V P Singh, Benjamin Franklin, writer and politician, Hossein Gol-e-Golab Persian musician and politician, Ignace Jan Paderewski the pianist and Prime Minister of Poland (who demonstrated particular courage in facing the Nazis and led the Polish government in exile) and perhaps most famously, Vaclav Havel, playwright, poet, and (former) President of the Czech Republic, and plenty of others.

Then there's the writers and artists who were outspoken political activists even though they never held office: from Paul Robeson to Bertrand Russell and many, many more.

Which just goes to show how shallow and (despite his own opinion to the contrary, uncultured the Diva truly is.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5.27pm. No he doesn't state the arts fraternity are unelectable, he suggests perhaps thats the reason why none of them is standing. Where's Carol Webb? many felt sure she would stand. Or Emma Camden? Or any of the Code of Conduct people? C'mon guys, you obviously don't like what's happening so stand up and be counted.

Anonymous said...

...you obviously don't like what's happening so stand up...

Yes, of course we're going to discuss by-election strategy in this open forum, Marion. Not.

Anonymous said...

Haha Morgs running for council? Where would the kid even get enough money to fund himself? Didn't he get dropped from the Chron coz no one wanted to hear from him?

I just don't see someone that young and supposedly intelligent wasting what little money he must have on this. That is assuming he wants to avoid being swallowed by the DiVision juggernaut.

Anonymous said...

Dodge to the right, then the left Mickey.

Anonymous said...

What makes you think that a Vision candidate isn't already standing?

Anonymous said...

No wonder this blog dwindles... someone only need start a rumour and it gets it's own update.
I hear that Frog has put his name into the hat (or was it Winston Peters?) Not to worry, put both in, it'll add to the juice.