THE BALANCE OF POWER
MUNICIPAL CONTROL CHANGES UNDER VOTING SYSTEM The “first-past-the-post” system of voting in the municipal elections has, ever since its introduction for the entire city—as distinct from separate wards—borne a reputation for bringing about marked changes in the balance of power on the Christchurch City Council. The system of voting was introduced in 1925, and on every occasion on which it had been used, up to last Saturday, it had resulted in a change in council control. On this occasion it has brought an extraordinary accession to the strength of the Citizens’ majority on the retiring council.
In 1925 the Citizens' Association had a strong majority on the council, although under Christchurch’s first Labour Mayor, Mr J. K. Aicher. At the elections in 1927 Labour gained an equally substantial majority. Until 1935 the “first-past-the-post” system was discarded in favour of proportional representation, and in the intervening period there was rarely mope than a difference in voting strength between Labour and Citizens’ councillors of two or three, with Labour holding the balance of power at the end of the period. , In 1935, however, under the reinstated “first-past-the-post” system, the Citizens' Association gained a 12 to 4 majority, although again under a Labour Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan. In 1938 Labour won 10 of the 16 seals, and in 1941 the pendulum swung back again to the Citizens’ candidates, who won 12 seats to Labour’s four.
Under proportional representation such a majority as that gained by the Citizens’ Association on Saturday would be almost impossible. Of the 517,636 votes cast for councillors, the 16 Citizens’ candidates gained 277,122. or 53,5 per cent., the 16 Labour candates 207,122, or 40 per cent., and the 14 others 33,392, or 6.5 per cent. In 1941 the 14 Citizens’ candidates gained, out of a total of 404,070 votes, 50.5 per cent., the 15 Labour candidates 46 per cent.,, and the four other candidates 3,5 per cent.
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Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 2
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323THE BALANCE OF POWER Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 2
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