Watch Whanganui

Written By: - Date published: 9:43 pm, June 5th, 2014 - 15 comments
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It was standing room only at a packed Grand Hotel this evening for Hamish McDouall’s campaign launch – “the biggest crowd they’d ever had at the Grand.” One local told me of very good canvassing reports as well. Hamish gave a great speech – as the city’s Deputy Mayor there’s no doubt about his commitment to the local community and name recognition will not be a problem. Watch this space.

It is clear that many in Whanganui have not been beneficiaries of the so-called “rockstar economy.” Skilled and committed advocates, as Hamish will be, are just what that community needs.

15 comments on “Watch Whanganui ”

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  1. Bunji 1
    5 June 2014 at 10:00 pm

    Hamish McDouall’s a mate and an all round fabulous guy – I’d love to see him get in.

    He’s worked hard for Whanganui for ages – no one could be better as their MP.

  2. Te Reo Putake 2
    5 June 2014 at 10:27 pm

    Have to agree with Mike and bunji, Hamish is a great guy and a hallway decent footballer to boot. Whanganui city wants a Labour np and consistently votes left, but the problem is the shape of the electorate, which includes swathes of Taranaki farmland. Tho naki voters lose out as well as the whangaz ones. Neither gets the representation they deserve. Anyhoo, good luck to Hamish and I trust his attributes will also mean a decent list place, too.

  3. Te Reo Putake 3
    5 June 2014 at 10:32 pm

    Edit: halfway decent footballer, not hallway. Though he’s probably good at the indoor kind of footy too. Even in his baggy trousers (sorry, terrible in joke).

  4. Colonial Viper 4
    5 June 2014 at 11:56 pm

    Yep good luck Hamish. A significant 5000 margin to overcome to beat Chester Burrows but if you don’t get all the way this time there is always 2017 to take you the rest of the way.

  5. tc 5
    6 June 2014 at 7:41 am

    Like smiley sam did. In fact even after he became an MP he still held his akl council role just never bothered to show up.

  6. bad12 6
    6 June 2014 at 7:48 am

    Yes you are right about Whangaz being in no way a beneficiary of the rockstar economy, its Rock-Bottom for the river city and the real estate ads tell the story,

    For the size of the place it is definitely the cheapest place to buy a whare in the North Island at the moment, even a lot of the smaller out of the way places that have traditionally thrown up the less expensive un-real estate have held their values while poor old Wanganui’s have gone through the floor,

    Labour are pretty much a shoe-in to give the Maori Party the kick in the Te Hauauru seat that Auntie Tariana occupies with local Maori positively awash with the fruits of the rockstar economy/sarc…

    • millsy 6.1
      6 June 2014 at 10:18 pm

      On the bright side, the Wanganui District Council is probably the only council in the country that held on to its gas network when all the others were flogging them off. Credit where credit is due…

      Apart from that, the whole place feels like its run down. especially Castlecliff. Its like a mini Detroit. Though the railway line got re-opened a couple of years back.

  7. Glenn 7
    6 June 2014 at 5:47 pm

    I like Whanganui, nice people,great riverside Saturday market. However the city has seen better days. A new vibrant MP will make a big difference. A new government would be even better.
    Whanganui has been screwed for too long.

    • Richard McGrath 7.1
      6 June 2014 at 8:08 pm

      Grew up there, but there are far better places to live (Wairarapa, for one). Unfortunately Whanganui tends to confirm suspicions of west coast residents being feral. That was my impression from working in the alcohol and drug service there for 2 years until 2013. The place has a rather disturbing gang presence and influence. Glad to have moved on, and would be reluctant to ever move back.

  8. Joy Z Clark 8
    12 June 2014 at 11:21 am

    This was an inspiring evening and even my 13 year old son was riveted by the excellent speeches. We were expecting to have to make an early exit as he would be bored and was the only child there…. but he took notes particularly on housing policy statements and stayed until the end… climbing under the grand piano to get as close to David Cunliffe as he could…. Zac already sees Hamish as a hero and could not be more proud of his friend who looks out for him. https://plus.google.com/photos/104560258607000349640/albums/6021373441363356881?authkey=COOq5IC3gamaRQ

    • Te Reo Putake 8.1
      12 June 2014 at 2:01 pm

      Great photos, Joy, it looks like it was a lively night! As I said above, Hamish is a great guy and I hope the moderating committee acknowledge the work he’s done for Whanganui, and for the party in Whanganui, by giving him a decent list ranking. He’d be a fine MP.