Editorial: Calm before a council storm

OPINION: With just over six months to go until this year's local body elections, no serious contender has emerged to challenge Hamilton Mayor Bob Simcock.

No doubt he will face rivals in October, but anyone wanting to build a profile is leaving it late. With Hamilton in generally good shape, Mr Simcock is likely to start a prohibitive favourite anyway, and those who may line up against him – including Rates Control proponent and the man who finished second last time, Roger Hennebry, and former city councillor and Kiwi Air founder Ewan Wilson – could well be doing so more with an eye to 2013, when some form of local body amalgamation is likely to have taken place and Mr Simcock is closer to his use-by date.

Unless someone with profile and ability emerges soon, most interest in Hamilton this time around is likely to centre on the election of councillors.

Mr Wilson, who did not stand last time after being placed on the outer by Mr Simcock and former mayor Michael Redman the time before, has indicated he may put his hand up. He will need to work harder than he did then to be of any value.

Former Labour MP for Hamilton West Martin Gallagher has also said he may seek a return to council ranks. He will be following in the path of former Hamilton East MP Dianne Yates, who stood for council when she was turfed out of Parliament five years ago. She missed out, partly because her shrill reaction to central government defeat made her unelectable. The pleasant Mr Gallagher is not in that boat.

Mr Hennebry, meanwhile, has yet to announce who will stand with him under the Rates Control banner. That is shaping up as a defining moment of this campaign. Can he get credible candidates to stand with him?

Is the council in need of an overhaul? Probably not. Joe di Maio has struggled again and, to save him further embarrassment, he would be wise to stand aside.

First-termer Kay Gregory hardly looks happy in her role a lot of the time, while the other first-termer, Angela O'Leary, works hard but her public comments, and writings, make her appear lightweight. Old stagers like Peter Bos, Dave Macpherson and deputy mayor Pippa Mahood could look at lifestyle changes, but will they want to step away from power? Probably not.

Rates Control's bid, meanwhile, for complete control of regional council Environment Waikato looks on shaky ground.

Already chairman Peter Buckley has walked away and he appears unbeatable in his constituency. One of Waikato's best loved sons, meanwhile, is known to have been sounding out high-profile people about forming a ticket to oppose them on EW.

Rob Hamill – the trans-Atlantic rower, charity fundraiser and Wel Energy Trust member – would be a shoo-in should he go through with it and stand. Again, who he gets alongside him would be the key, but bearing in mind his team made a clean sweep of the Weltrust elections last time around, Rates Control would have to be wary.

- © Fairfax NZ News