Election results merit few complaints

June Crew voted in the local body elections because “otherwise you’ve got nothing to complain about”.

But, while the retired Huntington resident would have liked more new faces – and more female faces – on council, the Hamilton City Council elections largely brought her what she wanted.

Her post-election Waikato Times sports biro circles words like fluoride, and the names of various candidates.

Mayor Julie Hardaker’s second term is welcome news.

“I think that one term does not give a person enough time,” she said.

“Sometimes people just get started and they put somebody else in, and it doesn’t give them the time to finish it.”

Yet, when it came to the other councillors, Crew had wanted “to get rid of a few of the hangers on-ers”, and was glad to see new faces appear.

She also wanted more women on council, so all but one of her votes went to female candidates.

Just two of six elected members for the East Ward are female, but the man she voted for – Philip Yeung – was elected.

The former council community advisor’s “honest face” and experience with Hamilton’s ethnic groups made him stand out for Crew.

Thumbs ups also went to traffic safety expert and former policeman Leo Tooman (elected in the West Ward) and Waikato Regional councillor Paula Southgate – the only candidate to knock on Crew’s door.

But there was other good news.

The majority of Hamilton City voters agreed with Crew on the divisive issue of fluoride in the water – she is “so happy to see it’s back”.

She was also on the winning team as a fan of the first past the post voting system, which she sees as the most logical.

Still, the elections have piqued her interest in the workings of council, and she plans to attend some meetings to keep an eye on the new one.

“I just want to go and take a back seat, just listen how the council works and things like that,” she said.

“I think as a citizen you need to take a little more interest in what’s going on.”