| Auckland: Auckland City councillor Wallace Croft believes that the Mayor of Auckland must be someone with a considerable bank balance behind them if they are to effectively govern the pilgrims of God's greatest city. Speaking at a council meeting which voted to raise the maximum mayoral campaign limit to $180 000 Mr Croft stated "when you limit campaign spending you open it up to people who questionably shouldn't be mayor." "No money comes easy and the more one has, the harder they work," said Mr Croft. "I believe the position should be won by the most impressive and financial person… it's for the rich, famous and most socially respectable."
Fellow councillor Hamish Gilles was in agreement. "The mayoralty of Auckland is a very important post. We all know that rich people are of higher breeding, are better looking, are fitter, have significantly greater intelligence, are blessed with better social skills and are whiter than poor people, who I might add, are lucky to be allowed to walk on our gold paved streets." Gilles went on to say that he would resign his post as Councillor for Penrose if "a filthy, uneducated poor person ever got elected as Mayor." The council later voted in favour of introducing 11pm curfews for people who gross less than $35 000 pa and discussed a proposal that would restrict minority groups from voting in future elections. "God help us if someone that wasn't actually white got elected to chambers" Mr Gilles told reporters.  |
| Councillor: Mayor Must Be Wealthy, White |
Sunday, 01 April 2001 13:00
