Andrew Maxwell Clark: mayoral candidate on his bid to run in two places under two different names

A candidate claims his running for two different mayoralties is not an issue.

Andrew Maxwell Clark's put his hat in the ring to replace his brother, Nobby Clark, as Invercargill's mayor.

But he's also campaigning in his hometown, Tasman.

He's campaigning as Andrew in Invercargill - and as Maxwell in Tasman.

Clark says he put his hand up for Tasman before he knew the incumbent was running again.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now we've got a case of one man running for
mayor in two different parts of the country. So Andrew Maxwell.
George Clark, who's the brother the Cagle's current mayor, Nobby Clark,
is running in in the Cargol as Andrew Clark, but
he's also running in Tasman as Maxwell Clark, and he's
with us now.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hello mate, good evening, Thank you Na.

Speaker 1 (00:21):
So what do I call you? Are you Andrew Maxwell today?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Well, I'm Andrew Iams. That's my normal name. I've always
been known as My first name is Andrews. You're well aware.
Since my school days I've been known as Maxwell locally.
All my business and correspondent's come to me through Andrew
Clark and Nelson. I'm known as Maxwell, so I think

(00:46):
it's appropriate to use that name locally. And Andrew, as
I said, as my preferred name in this I'm known
locally as well. So it's I've made a full disclosure
to the electoral officer. That's you know how it goes.
I don't see the issue with it. I'm quite surprised
that it has become an issue.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
No, I think it's probably more of a quirk than
an issue. But the issue is why you're running in
two different places at the same time. Is this you
just hedging your bets?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
No, it's not. I look at things logically. When I
put my application and a Tasman here, the Tasman mayor
was undecided whether you'd stand or not. So really speaking,
you think there's a reasonable opportunity. It's very rare for
standing mayor to be, you know, up in the elections.

(01:36):
If he's done a reasonable job, and if he's not standing,
there's a better chance to stand there. But when he nominated,
he was standing, and so there were four candidates. And
locally here I was approached by business people from Vaccadle
and some local rate paths have known me for a
long time, and at the last minute they suggest to me,

(01:57):
why didn't I put my name forward? The and the
vacancy and then the cargo. And I quite honestly, I'm
very passionate about the people and in the cagole. I
think that the economic situation is very good, and I
like the environment, and I'm generally very impressed with the place.
So I thought, well why not, So.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Then why don't you put out of the Tasman race
If you're going, If you're going for the cargo race.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Now, well, you can't do that once once the nomination's
closed unless you can get a medical certificate to you can't.
You can't withdraw your nomination.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Okay, So you don't want to run in Tasman, you
don't want to win Tasman, you want to win in
Vicgo now.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
I'm very keen to winning the cargole. I'm standing in both.
If I got both, well, it would be a very
good position to be in. It's quite interesting because in
both places there's a similar size council and I think
the knowledge you gain from one that's got an advantage
to the other. And when you stand in the council

(02:55):
position at a mayor's level, you've got access to knowledge
which an information which is very helpful for both counties.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
Does it what you're telling me right now? It sounds
like you're actually planning to if you were to win both,
do both jobs.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
I would have to consider it at that point in time.
Use I would.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Have you got enough energy for both?

Speaker 2 (03:16):
Jeuz?

Speaker 1 (03:16):
I don't know if I have enough energy for both?

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Do you? Oh? I have? I've got many advantages, you know,
and I've done well. Basically my background is in the
health industry. I've worked a long time. I own an
ambulance company. I'm an intensive care paramedic and emergency care nurse.
I've got a lifetime commitment to helping others and it's
my belief that I can help both both counsels. One

(03:40):
of the critical things is what comes into the equation.
It's the government's policy towards councils this day that they
want you to share knowledge, they want you to share
resources and everything else. And if you looked at them
for Cargol and you looked at Tasman, that quite opposite
in a lot of directions, and a good good example
would and then Vercagol are very keen to bringing a

(04:03):
water charge and put meet us and then charge the locals.
They currently charge eight hundred dollars per per household for
water rates. Now talking to my brother with when he
was talking freely to me and other counselors, they're very
keen to introduce its water meeters and charges. I've had

(04:23):
I've had the experience in Nelson to realize what it means.
I have a bill a normal charge of five hundred
dollars or five hundred and fifty dollars in my property
and my rate my water charges in the last six
months was six hundred and fifty dollars. Now there's three
of us in the household.

Speaker 1 (04:41):
Now well, okay, Andrew, I'm gonna have to stop you
there because like this, this is fascinating, but also a
lot of detail for everybody else, So I can I
get the vibe you're going to share your knowledge from
one part of the world to the other. Thank you
for your time, Andrew Clark Tasman and in Vicago meural candidate.

Speaker 2 (04:55):
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