Not everyone is prepared to ‘nail their colours to the mast’ when it comes to their preferred candidates in local body campaigns.
Some don’t wish, by endorsing one person, to offend other candidates with whom they have relationships. Some don’t think their support will help much. As one person said … Everybody who knows me would already be voting for you anyway. I hope he’s right! Some simply regard their voting intentions as a matter of personal privacy.
So I understand all that. And it makes me appreciate all the more the folks who do come forward.
I’ve been publishing my ‘endorsements’ on my campaign Facebook page. I’ve been dribbling them out — Chinese water torture style — and they in turn encourage others to speak up. You can also listen there to a voice mail I received from a supporter in Central Hawke’s Bay. If only he and his wife lived in Hastings!
Below, in one convenient advert (placed in BayBuzz magazine), I’ve collected together the endorsements I had in hand at the time. Please pass it along. More have arrived since.
Thanks so much to all of you. And that includes the quiet supporters, because I know you’re helping too behind the scenes. Whispers or shouts … with a 61-vote margin the last time, I’ll take all the support I can get!
Tom Belford
Please add my endorsement to your list Tom. I admire your courage and fortitude in standing up for our environment and continuing to ensure the whole story is heard around the council table. We need people who think like you to be elected. Kaitiaki who will ensure our children and grandchildren have safe clean water to drink, gather food from and swim in.
Living in Napier, we have to rely on others to ensure Tom
has a seat on HBRC. HB needs his commitment to the community and his genuine
care for the environment. Tom stands out as a true representative of the people
with his bold crucial questions and well reasoned judgement.