By-Elections Likely For Council And Mayoralty

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28450, 3 December 1957, Page 14

By-Elections Likely For Council And Mayoralty

Christchurch city electors will have to go to the polls again next year, but it will be to vote for city councillors and possibly a mayor, as a result of the General Election.

The City Council has three members of Parliament on the Labour side of the table as well as the Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.). Two of the councillors and Mr Macfarlane are serious contenders for higher office in the new Labour Government. Miss M. B. Howard, Minister of Health in the last Labour Government, and Mr J. Mathison, Junior Opposition Whip, for several years, are regarded as almost certain of having Cabinet rank. Mr Macfarlane’s name has been freely mentioned for the position of Speaker. It is a post he would like. His only opponent would seem to be Mr C. L. Carr, member for Timaru and a previous Chairman of Committees, but Mr Carr would not command the same support from the whole. House as Mr Macfarlane. If Mr Maclarlane is not chosen by the Labour Party caucus for Speaker, then he will almost certainly be a nominee for the Cabinet, the portfolio of Internal Affairs his niche. If he becomes a Cabinet Minister, Mr Macfarlane will resign the mayoralty, to which he was returned with a convincing majority in November of last year. A similar position arose when the late Mr D. G. Sullivan was appointed a Minister while Mayor of Christchurch. As Speaker, Mr Macfarlane thinks he could remain Mayor. That is his personal opinion, but tradition holds no precedent of a Speaker combining his duties with that of first citizen of a metropolitan area. Out of session, the Speaker’s duties do not require him to be in Wellington, other than for the not onerous responsibilities of the General Assembly Library and of Parliament buildings. During a session, however, the Speaker is an essential part of the House’s sittings. While it is not essential, it is usual for the Speaker to 1 remain a semi-permanent resident of Wellington in the flat provided for him in Parliament Buildings. But Mr Macfarlane considers that even during a session he could get away from Wellington to attend meetings of the City Council, held every third Monday. He would not be able to attend so many committee meetings, nor could he give so much time to the many functions he has been able to fit in in the past with his duties as an ordinary member of Parliament. “Wait and See” Mr Macfarlane’s attitude is to “wait and see.” He said yesterday that he had not given much thought to the possibilities of the future. Since the election his time had been taken up with ordinary duties and replying to his many congratulatory messages. In any case, he said, he was in the hands of his party. Apart from the mayoralty, a byelection for the council is a certainty. Christchurch, on the voting for the Labour Party and on a geographical consideration, will have at least two members of the new Cabinet. On experience and length of service, Miss Howard and Mr Mathison, with Mr Macfarlane. are the logical choices Miss Howard’s return to the Cabinet would also mean a byelection for the North Canterbury Hospital Board, on which she is one of the representatives of city electors. The Municipal Corporations Act and the Local Elections and Polls Act provide that if a vacancy for a mayor or councillor occurs earlier than one year before the date fixed for a triennial election, a by-election must be held. Party Problems A by-election for the mayoralty would pose a problem for the local branch of the Labour Party. Mr Maclarlane won the nomination again last year, and won handsomely against his Citizens’ Association opponent (Mr W. S. Mac Gibbon). Amanf thnsp whn soneht t.hp

Among those who sought the party nomination were Miss Howard and Mr Mathison. Without those two well-known members, the Labour Party may be hard put to find a candidate who

could take Mr Macfarlane’s place as a Labour mayor who can win office when the electors return a Citizens' Association council. One man who could probably do so is Cr. G. Manning, the deputy-Mayor. He has polled consistently well, frequently topping the poll at council elections; but he has shown no inclination for Mayoral honours in the past. The Citizens’ Association had Mr Mac Gibbon as" its candidate for a second time last year. Since then he has taken on the responsible task of chairman of the Christchurch-Lyttelton Road Tunnel Committee. He is a year older, and his age was held against him by Labour Party candidates at the last municipal elections. The association may look to a younger man, and Cr. H. P. Smith, chairman of the council’s finance committee, could well be the choice. Both the Labour Party and the Citizens’ Association are considering the prospect of by-elections; but their official thoughts at present are those of Mr Macfarlane—“wait and see.”