"Colourful" candidate

Here's an interesting character running for Mayor in South Taranaki. Has spent time in prison for cultivation of cannabis (though he never used it himself), has three drink-driving charges and one charge of assaulting his wife (I only pushed her into a chair). Too many excuses for my liking. BUT why is he standing for Mayor? I don't know. And I'd like to.

The newspaper is under no obligation to tell us. He went to the media to lay his past out before someone else did. They were not seeking an interview with him. Do you think that whoever wrote the story up might have sought to give us something beyond all the reasons why people shouldn't vote for the guy?