An Invercargill mayoral candidate says he is still fit for office despite past events landing him in both the headlines and court.
Andrew Clark is contesting the position currently held by his brother Nobby in a move which has surprised and irked his older sibling.
In Tasman, where Clark currently lives, he is also running for mayor under the first name Maxwell.
The business owner made headlines for a range of incidents following the early 2000s including a land dispute, receiving money from a gang affiliated event, and spreading misinformation through pamphlets.
Clark said he gave a lot of voluntary help to people, and the issues were “out of perspective” compared to what normal life had been for a long time.
“We’ve dealt with everything that comes up in a fair and reasonable basis, and I don’t see any issue there whatsoever,” he said.
In 2004, Clark faced legal action after the purchase of a neighbouring estate went awry.
Problems arose when Clark and his partner presented a written agreement which was signed by all parties, only to be later contested for not reflecting the verbal agreement.
The elderly neighbour — a trustee — said it was clear they were retaining the house and a parcel of land, but Clark and his partner maintained the $300,000 price tag included everything.
Judge Ronald Young said in his judgement he did not find Clark to be “a credible witness at all”.
“I had the distinct impression throughout his evidence that if he had no recollection of a proposition he was prepared to construct the happening and timing of it to suit himself,” Young wrote.
He believed Clark knew he was getting a “remarkable bargain” at $300,000 — a figure which was at least 50 percent under market value — and ordered the written contract be corrected.
Clark told Local Democracy Reporting the neighbour “begged” them to buy the property with the sale only falling through after the other party pulled out thinking they could get more.
He said the judge did not like him and he would have challenged the court ruling if he had money at the time.
“Very unfortunate. I’m very saddened by it all . . . I wish I could undo what had happened, but that’s not possible.”
Between 2012 and 2018, Clark was linked in media reports to a controversial Nelson biking event called Poker Run.
Stuff reported the event was traditionally run by motorcycle gang associates with money raised going towards Clark’s ambulance business Medimax.
The events were monitored by Police.
Clark is still running Medimax, and confirmed it operates as a business and not a charity.
There were never any problems with the motorcycle group, which was charged like any other organisation, he said.
“These people, whether it’s liked or not liked, they live in the community, they work in the community.
“For us it was just a professional role, do a professional job. That’s all that was.”
In 2018, Clark featured in a 1News bulletin as the man behind a pamphlet drop warning of a potential 8m tidal wave if the proposed Waimea Dam failed.
Two thousand leaflets were distributed in Brightwater, a move labelled “dirty and sneaky” by then-Nelson MP Nick Smith.
Former Tasman mayor Richard Kempthorne said a catastrophic failure would see water going through houses at levels between 50cm and 100cm.
Clark confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting he personally delivered the brochures and said he was just trying to share a risk which he thought hadn’t been fully considered.
The information included contact details for elected representatives.
Clark is one of eight candidates contesting the Invercargill mayoralty this year and said he would move south if elected.
He will be in attendance at Tuesday’s Southland Business Chamber mayoral debate.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
