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Anzacs in Action Anzac Day was commemorated early in Rangitata when nearly 5000 people attended a World War One re-enactment event. FULL STORY
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A one-horse race? BY SUE NEWMAN
SUE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
Wall makes NZ team P24
Ashburton’s mayoralty could be a onehorse race with no challengers yet showing their hand. Election day is less than six months away and while there will be several new faces around the Ashburton District Council table, sitting mayor Angus McKay could find himself back in the power seat without needing to run a campaign. Mr McKay last month signalled his intention to seek a third term in office, but his early bid did not unearth any mayoral aspirants. Two senior councillors who were the most likely challengers, Neil Brown and Stuart Wilson, who head the finance and business support and service delivery committees respectively, have both counted themselves out of the running. Mr Brown said he is unlikely to seek another term as a councillor in the eastern ward and is definitely not standing
for mayor. And while Mr Wilson is committed to seeking another term around the council table, his mayoral aspirations are also zero. In the 2013 election the mayoralty was contested by three candidates – sitting mayor Mr McKay, councillor Don McLeod and new face Russell Ellis. Mr McLeod has already signalled he is retiring as a councillor and will not be chasing the mayoralty this time and Mr Ellis is adamant his name will not be on the mayoral ballot papers. He’s not ruling out a mayoral run in the future. “Last time I left it pretty late before I stood but I saw no one was going to stand against Angus and I didn’t think that was healthy.” Mr Ellis hasn’t changed his mind about the value of having a two-candidate campaign, but the second runner won’t be him – this time round. He’s keen to see a complete outsider throw their hat in the ring.
“It would be refreshing if someone came from the outside. We all get a bit stymied by the way things have been done for 25 years,” he said. Councillor Donna Favel has been rumoured to have the mayoralty on her mind. And she’s not ruling this out. “I’m standing for council and I don’t have to make my decision on the mayoralty until August. Ultimately I’d have to feel ready,” she said. “We’re a long way out (from election day), anything could happen between now and then,” she said. During his time as a councillor Kelvin Holmes was tipped as a likely mayoral candidate but he has been away from the council table for two terms and has ruled out a comeback either for council or the mayoralty. Ken Leadley has put his name in the ring for election as a councillor on several occasions, but says he’s done his dash when it comes to seeking a council seat or the mayoralty.
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