Council Appointment To Hospital Board

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 12

Council Appointment To Hospital Board

Miss Betty Webb, a Citizens’ Association candidate who was at the top of the unsuccessful candidates at the last election for the North Canterbury Hospital Board, was appointed to the board by the City Council last evening; but only after a heated debate.

The vacancy has occurred through the resignation of Miss M. B. Howard, a Labour Party representative who is now the Minister of Social Security.

The Mayor (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.), supported by the Labour councillors, proposed that Mr B. H. Stilwell, who was 131 votes behind Miss Webb and at the top of the list of unsuccessful Labour candidates should be appointed.

Moving that Mr Stilwell be appointed, the Mayor said that the

election had been contested by party groups. He contended that unless the appointment was made from the party represented by Miss Howard the wishes of the people would not be met. Miss Webb was nominated by Cr. W. E. Olds, who said she “was next in public favour.” Her nomination was seconded by Cr. A. Shumacher. “1 think the representation should be left to the hospital board, but the act says we must make an appointment,” said Cr. W. P. Glue. No election was involved he said. At present there were five Labour members, five Citizens, and 10 country members, “so party politics don’t come into it.” Miss Webb was 131 votes ahead of Mr Stilwell, and the council had a moral right to appoint the candidate who was at the top of the list of unsuccessful candidates. Of council procedure in the past, Cr. Glue said a representative of the party from which the vacancy had occurred had been appointed to save the cost of a by-election. The Hospital Board was one of the few bodies that had no party politics; it had a Citizens chairman and Labour deputy chairman. Had Miss Howard not stood, there would have been another Labour representative on the board, said Cr. H. E. Denton. Party Politics “The people over the table say they don’t want party politics,” he said. "They are party politics from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads. Don’t tell me there are no party politics on the hospital board. I know. I have been a member.” Cr. G. Manning said that night after night Citizens’ Association councillors attended a caucus, yet they were always talking against party politics. The Citizens councillors had been most generous in agreeing to the appointment of Cr. Manning as deputy-Mayor, said Cr. L. G. Amos.

Cr. Manning: I agree with that. “If I had my way, there would be no party politics in the council, hospital board, or anywhere else,” Cr. Amos said. “Party politics came directly into the Citizen’s Association here, and the same would apply on the hospital board,” said Cr. M. A. Connelly, M.P. Half and Half At elections for the hospital board, many persons voted for half Labour and half Citizens, he said, and the public’s wishes ought to- be preserved. “It was only an accident of democracy that Mr Stilwell had not obtained many more votes than Miss Webb,” he continued. “The number of informal votes was substantial. I am informed — and I spoke to an official scrutineer —that 600 to 700 Labour tickets were voted, plus one independent, Mr Brownlee.” Cr. W J. Cowles said the Citizen’s Association council had been charged with not being generous. It had given the Labour councillors representation on the Christchurch Fire Board and on the Christchurch Milk Board —“something you didn’t ever give us,” he said. He could not follow the reasoning of those who opposed voting for the person next on the list. Cr. L. Christie, deputy-chair-man of the hospital board, said there were no party politics on the board at present, but two parties went before the electors and the electors thought fit to do as they had at the previous election and elect five members from each party. “This has been an example of party politics,” said the Mayor, in reply. “I believe this matter has been discussed by a committee of the Citizen’s Association, and I have no doubt that the decision is a decision of the association.” Cr. Glue: You are absolutely wrong. “Miss Howard was elected to the board by thousands and thousands of persons,” Mr Macfarlane continued. “Those who voted for her are being deprived of their vote. Change in Law “I propose to ask the Minister in charge of this department to amend the law to see that where the party system does prevail, the person to be appointed to a vacancy shall be the next unsuc-

cessful candidate from that party. “I will go further. I am going to be very careful with regard to appointments the Government may make . . . Cr Amos: Is that a threat? “I am going to say that if the principles of democracy are violated, as far as I am concerned I am going to be very careful. . . . The Citizens’ Association is using the weight of numbers to deprive the Labour Party of a seat on the board. “This will clearly convince people who have any doubt about the Citizens’ Association being a party.” The division was then taken. Those who voted for Miss Webb were Crs. Glue, Amos, M. McLean, A. R. Guthrey, Cowles, R G. Brown. W. L. F. Utley, Olds. Schumacher, T. B. Burtt and M. R. Carter. Those against were: Crs. Manning, Christie, Connelly, Denton and Forbes and the Mayor.

“You look very sour about it too,” commented Cr. Amos when the Mayor voted.