LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LX, Issue 11044, 18 February 1933, Page 2

LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

RELIEF WORKERS INELIGIBLE,

Wellington, Feb. 17 There were some lively interjections to the House yesterday when the Prime Minister replied to an urgent question by Mr F. Jones (Labour, Dunedin South) as to whether a relief worker wad eligible to stand for any position in connection with the forthcoming local body elections, and if not whether provision would be made to enable him to do so. Mr Forbes replied that a person was not ineligible for election to a local body by virtue of the fact that he was a relief worker, but he could not become a member of the local body by which he was employed. A person who was employed by a local body as a relief worker and was drawing pay from it would be ineligible. Mr W. Nash (Labour, Hutt): Does that not debar every relief worker from standing for election? The Prime Minister: It will while he is drawing pay. Mr P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington Central); Does the pay come from the local bodies? The Prime Minister: That is the law. A Labour Member; It is a pretty rotten law. The Prime Minister said the money was being drawn through the local bodies and it was held to be paid out by them. . Mr W. E. Parry (Labour, Auckland Central): You will have no candidates at all, yet! Mr Jones: The answer is pretty unsatisfactory.