Howick ward

Your Candidates

Matthew Cross

David Hay Independent

Ian Colin Ireland

Gynandry Kumar Labour

Tofu Mamedov Labour

Olivia Montgomery

Dick Quax Independent

Sharon Stewart Independent

Paul Young Independent

Julie Zhu Green Party

Click below to see the Spinoff endorsements

ENDORSIFY

A blue S denotes a coveted Spinoff endorsement; a grey S = a capable candidate who didn’t quite make the cut. Click here for our general backgrounder.

First we need to talk about Dick.

The Slender Man of East Auckland backtracked faster than the Finnish running demon Lasse Virén at the Unitary Plan hearings, going from density-hating villain to urbanist hero quicker than you can say “Olympic silver medal”. Bizarro Quax’s first act of the hearings was advocating to immediately approve 422,000 new homes in Auckland. When that failed, he proceeded to vote in line with our War principles.

But can a few weeks of good behaviour redeem years of grumbling and obstruction?

More importantly, can it make up for his weird moustache, which exists in a theoretical space just shy of reality?

The answer is no.

While there was some heated discussion on the editorial board about chucking Quax a grey S, we’ve decided simply to endorse Matthew Cross and Julie Zhu. Both these young candidates want density, public transport, and pedestrian-friendly policy.

Quax will probably get in anyway.

Sharon Stewart, a sentient vestigial limb who Metro editor-at-large Simon Wilson once brutally admonished for being a “sock puppet of Dick Quax”, is more vulnerable. Vote Zhu and Cross!