Hopefuls keeping wallets closed

Green Party candidate for the Palmerston North City Council Brent Barrett looks set to be the biggest spender of the campaign.

While many candidates for council seats are running low-cost, self-funded, recycled campaigns, the Greens are spending about $17,000 in an effort to have Barrett elected on October 8. The spending comes in well below the $50,000 allowed for Palmerston North.

Barrett said he supported calls for candidates to disclose their donations and expenses before the election.

The law only requires them to declare campaign spending and donations, naming donors who provided more than $1500, after the election.

Barrett said he was pleased to shed light on what had historically been ‘‘a shadowed corner of local politics in Palmerston North’’. More than 200 local supporters had contributed to his campaign, with Barrett himself the largest single contributor of $4459, and underwriting the full cost.

The local Green Party branch contributed $2500 from its funds and through fundraising and donations. There was $6420 from campaign fundraising events, $2271 from online campaign donations, $1350 from other local campaign donations.

The largest other individual donation was $500 from a campaign supporter in Palmerston North.

The money was being spent on billboards, bookmarks, flyer and poster printing, social media, online and print media, sponsored posts and advertising.

The Labour Party’s four candidates, Zulfiqar Butt, David Chisholm, Sheryll Hoera and Lorna Johnson worked together to pay for a campaign, likely to work out around $5250 apiece.

‘‘We have received no funds from the central Labour Party for our campaign,’’ Johnson said.

Of the other candidates, some of the newcomers are planning to be among the bigger spenders.

That follows the pattern of the 2013 council election, where the four successful new councillors were among the top six spenders.

While Grant Smith was elected mayor in a 2015 by-election, the other three have toned down their spending.

Aleisha Rutherford will be spending $3500, Leonie Hapeta $2781 and Rachel Bowen $3000.

Few candidates said they were accepting monetary donations.

The exceptions were Adrian Broad, who had some ‘‘small’’ donors to his $1800 budget, and Duncan Mccann was receiving about $800 for his $3500 campaign.

Sue Pugmire said she had donations of $1500 for signage in her $4000 to $5000 campaign, and Martin Egan, spending less than $1000, received two pairs of shoes worth about $200.

Those spending only their own or family money were Susan Baty ($1600), Gabrielle Bundy-cooke ($2500), Darryl Cleland ($2000), Vaughan Dennison ($1500), James Etuale ($6000), Lew Findlay ($2000-$4000), Jim Jefferies (less than $1000), Billy Meehan ($2000), Karen Naylor ($1408), Elizabeth Paine ($6500), Joseph Poff ($6000), and Tangi Utikere (up to $2000).

Gavin Edwards, Tony Mclaughlin and Abi Symes had not replied by deadline.