Vacant Seat Not To Be Filled

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29824, 17 May 1962, Page 12

Vacant Seat Not To Be Filled

The vacancy on the City Council caused by the death of Cr. W. S. Mac Gibbon will not be filled. The council agreed last night to. leave the seat vacant. The motion was I " ove “ J’-' Cr. G. A. G. Connal “in view of the fact that an election takes place within four months of the next council meeting.”

Under the Local Election* and Polls Act. the council had two choices —to fill the vacancy by appointment or leave the seat vacant. The act provides these choices where a vacancy occurs within six months of an election The council received a letter from Mr L. Christie, who was next on the list of candidates at the last municipal election after Cr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.. who headed the list of defeated candidates and was elected unopposed to the vacancy caused by the death of Cr W. J. Cowles “No doubt the council wiU want to follow the precedent of 1956 when Cr. H. P Smith was appointed by a Labour council to the vacancy created by the death of Cr. J. E. Tait a few months prior to the 1956 municipal elections." Mr Christie said. “On this occasion, there is one fortunate aspect which will not have escaped the notice of councillors. As the close runners-up at the last elections belonged to the same political group, there is no question of making a selection between two run-ners-up of different political groups. Hence there need be no temptation to consider the present vacancy on a partisan basis. ’’ Mr Christie said he would accept appointment "Not only would it be my civic duty to do so. but I would welcome the opportunity to resume my civic service as a councillor ”

The Mayor (Mr G Manning) said that as some councillors had leave of absence and at times others were not able to attend meetings, it would be a good idea to have an extra man Cr. Macfarlane said the council would be following precedent if it made an appointment

Cr. J R Smith: On a point of principle, I believe the vacancy should be filled immediately Cr. W. P. Glue said that in the past there bad been times when there were four members of Parliament cn the council who were away for “six months of the year ” Mr Manning: They always attended council meetings This was met by cries cf "Oh, no." Cr. Macfarlane said that when he was Mayor he had missed only one meeting in about five years. Cr Glue: There is a lot of work apart from council meetings They’re the easiest The motion leaving the vacancy was carried on the voices Appointments Other appointment* to All vacancies created by the death of Cr. Mac Gibbon were:—

Christchurch Regional Planning Authority. Cr Connal; town planning committee. Cr. T. D. Flint; electricity committee chairman. Cr. W E. Olds; electricity committee. Crs G D Hattaway and Glue; Canterbury Museum Trust Board. Cr. Glue. Cr. A Schumacher wrs appointed to succeed Cr Olds as chairman of the art ga - lery committee The council deferred until its next meeting an appointment to the Lyttelton Harbour Board to replace Cr. Mac Gibbon.