Super City mayoral candidate Simon Prast wants to bring back the Hero Parade, as he believes it would inject both fun and cash into Auckland. The founder of the Auckland Theatre Company is running against current Auckland regional mayors John Banks, Len Brown and Andrew Williams in a bid to lead the city. The openly-gay candidate, who has gone from acting in the 1980s soap Gloss to spending years on the theatre stage as an actor, director and producer, believes Auckland has lost some of its fun. He recalls judging the last Hero Parade. "Ponsonby Rd was pumping, if you will pardon the pun. It had so much life, there was so much joy. And I think Auckland has become, in my recent memory, a very mirthless place." Prast points out that thousands of tourists visit the Sydney Mardis Gras and spend millions of dollars. He says Auckland bars and nightclubs could get a slice of that financial action with the return of Hero. "Let alone an opportunity, and we need as many as possible, for us to come together as Aucklanders and celebrate the full spectrum of our diversity. Any opportunity we have to do that, we should embrace." Prast says there is an existing major events budget and once all the regional authorities merge the city will be able to nominate major events and give them adequate support, creating a new annual Auckland calendar of events. "I think that's a very smart use of existing resource. I think it's a very good way of attracting tourism to the city. And that's of course what our Prime Minister has been on about and I have to say I'm on exactly the same page as him," he says. Prast agrees Auckland is the nation's gay capital, something he says the return of Hero could see celebrated once again. "It's a great night out not only for the gay community but also for families, entire families come out. As I say, in my recent memory of Auckland, this place has just become mirthless. And that's not the place that I was born in and that's not the place that I want to live in." His sexuality has barely been mentioned since he announced his candidacy and Prast hopes the fact there has been little fuss is a positive sign of the times. "If anything, I think that my sexual orientation has given me a much greater empathy with people. And isn't this what we're supposed to be mulling on and electing – someone that is good with people?" There has been a cloud around his recent admission he has used P in the past, something he is actually disappointed hasn't been debated more, as he pushes for reform of drug laws. "This is one of Auckland's great unspoken secrets ... this is something which effects people from every sector of society. And I have to say that even the unwillingness to debate the issue has been of a surprise to me." GayNZ.com will have a full feature on Simon Prast, along with many other candidates running in the October local body elections, over the next three months.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Tuesday, 13th July 2010 - 11:43am