Please say it isn't so...

There's talk of Michael Laws throwing his hat in the ring again to be mayor of Wanganui; the Herald on Sunday reports:

Former shock jock Michael Laws - once an MP and mayor of Wanganui - is thought to be considering a rerun for his old mayoral job.
A source told the Herald on Sunday Laws has been sending more emails recently about civic affairs.
Laws was weighing up the position, but would not announce he was standing until the last minute, the source said.
"It certainly wouldn't surprise me."
Current mayor Annette Main, whose husband John Blythe died this week, said she would stand again and was not concerned by talk of a challenge.
Laws told the Herald on Sunday: "I haven't given any thought to local body elections whatsoever."

We've heard slightly differently to what Laws told the Herald on Sunday. The whispers reaching us are that the former mayor will not only very likely stand for his old job, but will have a "ticket" of council candidates as well; rather like his former Vision Wanganui ticket, but without a name.

We're not denying that Michael Laws did a reasonable job as mayor; he certainly got Wanganui into the nation's consciousness. And as we have blogged previously, we supported 100% the Gang Insignia Bill that Laws and Whanganui MP Chester Borrows promoted, which until the High Court intervened was working just fine.

But we do not believe that another term with Mr Laws as mayor will benefit Wanganui. We had misgivings when Annette Main was elected, but we have been pleasantly surprised by her willingness to engage with the business community. After six divisive years under Laws' leadership, she has been like a breath of fresh air.

There don't seem to be too many possible challengers to Ms Main. Cr Ray Stevens is possibly stepping down from council, Dot McKinnon has moved away from local body politics, and young Cr Jack Bullock knows that he needs a longer apprenticeship. Whilst a contest of ideas and policies is always good, a contest based on personalities and talkback hyperbole would do our city more harm than good.

Cr Laws has come under plenty of criticism for his attendance record at Council and District Health Board meetings in the last year or so. We wonder if another bid for mayor would be attempted for the right reasons. Michael Laws excels in self-promotion but what Wanganui needs at the moment is a mayor whose primary focus is making Wanganui a great city to live in. We're not convinced that Michael Laws is that person.