Candidate tally rises to 12, including breakfast radio host
The More FM Southland breakfast radio host was officially confirmed as a candidate .
Broadcaster Steve Broad has put his name forward for the Invercargill City Council’s looming by-election, with the total number of candidates now at 12.
David Hicks, Carl Heenan, Graham Lewis, Andrea Murrell, Lisa Tou-McNaughton, David Pottinger and David Meades had all been confirmed as candidates by Tuesday.
On Wednesday they were joined by Broad, 21-year-old Sebastien Fabre, who is an Ascot Park Hotel employee and was a star at last year’s Rocking with the Stars charity rock ‘n roll dancing event, former policeman and supermarket manager Ian Reeves, a former councillor and Southern District Health Board member in Terry King, and Southern Institute of Technology tutor Rob Te Maiharoa.
While Broad is best known in Southland as a broadcaster with More FM Southland the 37-year-old had previously gained a profile as an accomplished singer.
Broad competed in NZ Idol, where he placed third, X-Factor, and Pop’s Ultimate Star.
Prior to working in radio, he was a secondary school teacher.
Broad told The Tribune he has always been interested in council happenings and has a politics degree.
He actually stood for the Invercargill City Council a decade ago but missed out.
If elected Broad said he was ready to muck in and support those already around the council table.
“We’ve got to have a council that’s connected, it’s not a time for passengers, it’s not a time for napping.”
Broad said it would take great time management for him to make it work if elected but he was confident he could juggle his job as a broadcaster with council duties.
“The great thing about my job is I’m often working when everyone else is sleeping. It would just mean I would need to shift into another gear and then sneak off to bed slightly earlier than other people.”
The by-election has been prompted following the resignation of second-term councillor Nigel Skelt last month.
Nominations close on Thursday at noon.
Once the nomination period ended the election period would begin, with voting opening on 13 July and Election Day held on August 4.
In the lead-up to the election, The Southland Tribune will provide all candidates with an opportunity to outline their hopes/plans/ideas etc if elected to the Invercargill City Council.