Candidate answers to a mayoral debate question about choosing a slogan for Tauranga best sum up the campaign platforms of five mayoral hopefuls.
The Wednesday night Priority One Mayoral Debate question asked the five present candidates; Stuart Crosby, Bill Faulkner, Mark Groos, Hori Leaming and John Robson (absent: Murray Guy), to name the slogan they would like to see attached to Tauranga in lieu of how the city has traditionally had the reputation of ‘$10 Tauranga' and as ‘A place where old people go'.

First to answer this question was Mark Groos who describes Tauranga as 'The affordable jewel of the North Island.” Throughout the debate, which included a four minute opening address from each of the candidates and one minute answers to a following series of questions, Mark argued that he was the best choice for mayor owing to his proven track record at TECT where he is an elected board member.

'If I am elected mayor I will bring business practices that I brought to TECT,” says Mark. He says he has achieved greater value for money in TECT community contributions since he was elected to it and says this is about having vision.

'Can you achieve a vision, and will you do it?” was the challenge he laid to other candidates – and is something he answered himself when saying Tauranga is, 'The affordable jewel of the North Island.”

He explained this was about how there is much cause for people to live in, and move to, Tauranga and with a ‘best value for money approach' to governance, as he has shown he can do with TECT, he is the best choice for mayor.

Second time mayoral candidate John Robson answered the slogan question by commenting that a key to Tauranga's success was through sustainable growth. It was to this notion that featured in much of John's comment throughout the debate as he took the opportunity to impress his support for economic development agency Priority One upon the audience, consisting of Priority One invited people.

He described Priority One as 'underfunded” and if he were elected mayor he would find more funding for the organisation.

'I support Priority One and I will fight for more funding because they are underfunded,” says John, who noted in doing so he would carefully check the money was well spent. To prove this he described himself as, 'the biggest brain, but also the biggest pain”.

John showed agreement with much of Priority One's work and highlighted its work to advance tertiary education in the Western Bay of Plenty as critical to the region's development.

'We don't have the youth we need to keep them here and to do that we need the tertiary institute.”

He believes by attracting young people to the region, it will assist in the development of other sectors of the economy.

'Let's do something to keep our youth here and they will find something to do.”

He says the basis of the city must be commerce, as it is, and has been in all major cities around the world, and just as with young people and a strong tertiary institute, with adults a strong economy will deliver a diverse and culturally rich city.

'We need the wealth to play and the playground to play in.”

Despite John's comments targeted to a mainly business orientated audience and were largely greeted with warmth, the candidate which drew the greatest reaction was Hori Leaming.

While conceding he was an unlikely winner of the mayoral race, it was his choice of slogan which became the talking point of the night.

He believed with the success of Gold Star Bakery's Pat Lam at the Bakel Supreme Pie Awards in recent years, the best slogan for Tauranga was: ‘Home of New Zealand's Champion Piemaker.'

Hori's main message throughout the debate was the need to build a rugby stadium in Tauranga. Aside from Hori's charisma and ability to draw a laugh from the crowd, his passion for a stadium set him apart from the other candidates at the debate as he was predominantly the only one to speak in specifics and not theories.

'Next year we are not hosting any world cup games,” says Hori, who pointed out each game was conservatively estimated to generate $15 million.

Hori believes the correct place for a stadium in Tauranga is not at Baypark, and while grateful for it, he believes there is good reason to build a stadium at Tauranga Domain.

'The city centre needs a revamp. Bringing back the ground to the Domain will bring people to the city.”

The other candidate to speak in specifics, and at some length, was Bill Faulkner. In his opening address he focused on the need to deliver on infrastructure.

'My focus is on infrastructure,” says Bill.

He listed some services that were getting 'on track” – parking, stormwater, water supply, wastewater and the Southern Pipeline.

He recognised that there were funding problems for the city, but believed there was now a plan in place to handle it.

'Debt is the way we have chosen to fund the city because there is no option for a big city.”

He said this was critical and keeping on top of infrastructure must be the new council's priority.

'Let's not be in catch-up mode, let's get infrastructure working.”

Bill did not deliberately offer a slogan for the city and said it wasn't really needed, but he did comment that anyone who knew about Tauranga already knew, 'it's a great place to work and play”.

Current mayor, Stuart Crosby, was quite damning of the idea of spending time and money on forming a slogan for Tauranga.

'It doesn't need one,” says Stuart, 'People will come here for the place. If we need a slogan we are weak.”

He said to think the city was still perceived as ‘$10 Tauranga' was wrong, and to work on writing a slogan was a waste and a long involved and unnecessary process.

'You can't have some brains trust just choosing one.”

The crowd was predominantly from the business sector, with many of its members aware of the benefits of branding, yet Stuart's comments were warmly received by the Priority One invited audience. This appeared to be the case as these business leaders are aware of the financial tightrope the city council has walked in recent years and their applause and murmurings to Stuart's comments on slogans and other economic issues showed the room's consensus of support was for him.

Stuart says his economic platform is based on strategy and commitment and is conducted in a style befitting the modern era.

'My style is a collaborative style and that is the style of modern business and that is the style of local government,” says Stuart.

The audience was largely in agreement with this and Priority One's support of leaving Tauranga City Council chief executive and agency board member Stephen Town, as noted by Priority One chief executive Andrew Coker prior to the debate, was evident.

It appeared Stephen's steady partnership with Stuart over the years paid off for him in this debate as he drew the most applause and support from the crowd – barring that reserved for Hori's comments about pies and how Tauranga is missing out in the Rugby World Cup, but it's not too late, 'Let's get their two sheds on our wharf.”