News

The 2010 DCC Mayoral Candidates gathered in the University’s Main Common room last Tuesday, to speak to a small crowd of around 60 students. 

Mayoral favourite Cull, who sat at 45.9 percent in the latest ODT poll, didn’t show, claiming he was stuck in traffic in Waikouaiti. Second-in-line Chin, who polled at a promising 37.4 percent, arrived ten minutes late, pleading “traffic lights” as an excuse. 
   The debate was chaired by former Mayor Sukhi Turner, to whom candidate Jimmy Knowles made subtle racist slurs. Despite Turner’s best efforts, the debate was farcical, with few of the candidates taking the meeting seriously or respecting the intellect of the students present. 
   Port Chalmers resident and candidate Kevin Dwyer began the introductions, comparing Chin’s current structure to a “feudal empire.” The rest of his contributions were completely unmemorable, as he chose to stay seated and mumble incomprehensibly.
   Chin was a little flustered and unprepared, seemingly taken aback by the large audience turn-out. He later told Critic “no students are remotely interested. That forum was a farce from every angle.” Later, when Critic asked Chin where his blurb was, he said absently, “I thought I forwarded it to the person who does my PR.” 
   Hawkins implored the audience to vote for new faces who would make a difference, rather than “stagnating with the current councilors,” saying “I can’t do it alone.” 
   Knowles introduced himself as single, and claimed he had an advantage over “Joe Average” as he has had a few run-ins with the law in the past. 
   Lequeux said his main focus for students was bettering the recycling system, reversing the rates for flats, reducing the rates for landlords, and improving standards of housing with OUSA’s STAR rating system. 
   Candiate Lee Vandervis emphasised “fun,” and said he would hold “marvellous loud parties” in a cordoned-off corner of Logan Park for students to have fun and burn couches to their hearts’ content. 
   The standard of student flats and of housing in general was a big issue for some of the candidates. Hawkins discussed the need to raise the standards of housing and to improve public transport to give students the option of better, cheaper housing outside of North Dunedin. “I never asked to live in substandard housing,” he said. Olivier Lequeux agreed, but added, “there are lots of words, and no solutions.” 
   By contrast, Chin advocated using consumer pressure to force landlords to improve their flats. “It’s up to students to choose what conditions to live in.” Vandervis agreed, claiming he enjoyed living in substandard flats when he was a student, and stating that students just need to have more fun. 
   Knowles added, “Flats should be over 18 degrees Fahrenheit.” It was difficult to tell whose response was the most bizarre. 
   The candidates were asked whether the DCC would take on the burden of some of OUSA’s services if VSM passed. Bar Chin and Hawkins, who were saddened by the bill, the rest were surprisingly dismissive. “OUSA is self-serving and self-centred,” said Vandervis. “They’ve had it coming for years.” 
   Soon afterwards, the debate descended into barely more than a brawl when Otago Polytechnic Student Association President Meegan Cloughley began attacking Vandervis for his callous remarks, claiming, among other things, that Vandervis had “turned her lesbian.”