Countdown rules out election signs
Countdown is asking local government election candidates to move their signs off its fence in Palmerston North, over-riding earlier permission granted to some of them.
The vacant Pioneer Highway site earmarked for a new supermarket has become a de facto sign farm in the lead-up to October’s council elections, after the council closed off a former sign farm at the entrance to the urban area.
Mayoral candidate Andy Asquith said he had approached Countdown after seeing other signs go up on the fence at the proposed supermarket site.
The answer he got back was a ‘‘no’’.
The word from Countdown’s property team was: ‘‘We would prefer to be politically neutral. So apologies, we do not want to have signs up.’’
Asquith said he did not doubt other candidates believed their signs were permitted.
‘‘But given the fact that I have been denied permission and that there are currently 13 candidates displaying signs – including the two Labour candidates – there seems just a smidgen of inconsistency here.’’
One of those whose sign was on display at the site was deputy mayor Tangi Utikere, who is seeking another term on the council.
He had sent an email asking for permission after seeing other signs there.
He said he had an email from a Countdown representative in Auckland indicating he could put his sign there so long as it complied with the city council’s bylaws.
‘‘I certainly don’t put up signs unless I have asked for permission.’’
Councillor and candidate Susan Baty said the person who put her sign up also had permission from Countdown.
But a Countdown spokeswoman said no such consents were valid.
‘‘We understand it may be a little confusing for people to know who to contact about it, being that it’s a vacant site.
‘‘But we’d respectfully ask candidates to remove their signs.’’
She said it was entirely possible Utikere, or other candidates, spoke to someone else from the business.
‘‘We’re only aware of requests through to our property team and generally anything of this nature would likely come through to our property or comms team.
‘‘To clear up the confusion, we’ll get in touch with the candidates to let them know directly.’’
Utikere said he would wait for Countdown to contact him and if it wanted his sign down, he would comply.