Labour Party Opens Election Campaign

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30855, 14 September 1965, Page 18

Labour Party Opens Election Campaign

The master transport plan, particularly as it affects the proposed motorway across Hagley Park, the re-design of Cathedral square, and the home addresses of candidates, emerged as main issues for the local body elections when the Labour Party held its opening campaign meeting last evening.

“Hands off the park” was the theme of all the candidates who spoke, and Miss M. B. Howard, M.P., who is standing for election to the City Council and described herself as the “queen of Sydenham,” said the master transport plan would wreck the city.

Sixty-seven persons were in the Hastings street hall for the meeting, but 27 were candidates, and some of the others were candidates’ wives.

The Mayor (Mr G. Manning) introduced Ml the candidates and opening the meeting with a criticism of the present City Council and recollections of forward moves he said had been introduced by Labour-controlled councils.

“We have tn go back nine years to find a Labour council,” Mr Manning said. But he went back further—to 1937 —to mention that a Labour councillor had introduced the idea of pensioner cottages. A Labour council in 1927 had introduced a loan for £220,000 to improve the reading of the city, he said. Then in 1953 or 1954 another Labour council had proposed ripple control of water heating, which had saved thousands erf pounds. Underground wiring had also been proposed by a Labour council.

Mr Manning said that a new Labour council would improve street lighting. On the town hall, he said that had the Labour council’s decision on a site been implemented “we might have been basking in a town hall tonight.” Instead Christchurch was still waiting for a town hall. The site chosen as the overseas consultant’s second choice was Labour’s first choice.

On the Square, Mr Manning said his party stood for “the historic significance and veneration of the Cathedral and its precincts.”

Park Protection

It also stood for the protection of Hagley Park so that future citizens would have the enjoyment of the park that present ones had. Several of the present Citizens' Association councillors lived in Waimairi and wanted a high-speed motorway into the centre of the city, said Mr R. Jones, a City Council and Harbour Board candidate. A Labour council would want to spend money for the benefit of the people, he said, but without going continually on the loan market and committing future generations.

Cashm quay, Which he said was a £4.5m investment, should be brought into operation much quicker than the present board seemed to want, he said. He also proposed that dredged harbour spool should be used to reclaim land around the harbour.

Talking on traffic control, Mr Jones said there was too much attention paid to the policing of regulations and not enough to educating motorists and other road users.

City Clean-up

Mr R. J. Cunningham, a City Council candidate, aaid an important part of the Labour policy was a sixmonthly clean-up week in the city. This might require some private contractors’ work as

well as the council staff’s efforts.

The present Cathedral square plan was a grandiose one, which could cost up to £500,000, he said. A Labour council would revert to the original prize-winning design for the Square and make sure that it was not simply a business venture with underground shops.

We don’t believe in this regional planning scheme,” Miss Howard said, "and If we are elected we won’t have any regional planning.” Regional planning was not operated by the eity but by a man called Bradshaw from Waimairi—“well, Riccarton,” she admitted after an interjection. “We want a metropolitan board of works, some body that will co-ordinate the work and not have this digging up of footpaths or roads by everyone one after another.

"Anyway the streets are in a shocking condition; but do our present Citizens’ council-

lors care? No, they don’t live in the city.” Miss Howard complained that the present council had been split Into small committees so that every Citizens’ councillor could be a chairman, and that when the council met it was presented with accomplished facts. “One-man Band” “We have a one-man band and he plays the drum all the time, and that is Cri Smith,” she continued. "He is on all the committees."

Miss Howard also proposed a “look at” the master transport plan, which she said would cost £Bom, and would go through many workingelass houses. She added that the council would take the advice of Professor Colin Buchanan, which she was sure would be better than that of “those sitting on the other side of the table.” It “hurt” the Labour Party that £500,000 was to be spent on the Square to “muck it up,” she said. “We should never have allowed the State Fire building” (she meant the Government Life Insurance building) and now you have the darned old bank wanting to go higher. We have to put a stop to all these high buildings round the Square.”