“No Caucus Direction” To Citizens’ Councillors

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 18

“No Caucus Direction” To Citizens’ Councillors

Citizen Association candidates were free to vote as they wished. There was no caucus direction on any particular issue, said Mr H. P. Smith at the annual meeting of the Christchurch Citizens’ and Ratepayers’ Association last evening.

Mr Smith said that he regretted that one Christchurch newspaper saw fit to mention that on the master transportation plan voting appeared to have been done on a party basis. There was no discussion on the issue, as a group, for at least four months, he said. When it came to the final vote Citizens’ Association councillors walked into the chambers not knowing how their fellow councillors would vote, said Mr Smith. “Our candidates are free to vote as they wish. There has never been a caucus direction to a Citizens’ Association team, certainly not in the last 12 or 15 years,” he said. Mr Smith said that Mr A. E. Armstrong was thrown out of the Labour party on a voting matter. No one was thrown out of the association because of the way they voted, said Mr Smith.

The Labour Party was fond of suggesting that the Citizen's Association was affiliated with the National Party and was under caucus rule. This was not the case, he said. Mr Smith said the association had entered into another term of majority membership on the City Council and on other local bodies. One of the rewarding features about this he said, was that the association continued to do so although it did not

have caucus rule. Mr Smith’s comments were considered “good horse sense” by the president, Mr W. P. Glue. Mr W. R. Campbell said accusations about caucus rule in the association were heard from time to time. While he was no longer a sitting member and therefore had “no axe to grind,” Mr Campbell said he had not once been told how to vote during the three years he sat on the city council. Another point which Mr Smith raised was the great scope for women in local body work. “Any local body is better for the presence of a proportion of women present. I

would like to see the association have two women elected councillors in its team at the next election,” he said. Mr L. G. Amos said he favoured postal balloting and considered there was cause for reflection on the issue by the association. An expression of opinion should be sought “It might be expensive as some say, but at least its worth a try.”

The following officers were elected?—president, Mr Glue; vice-presidents, Miss B. Momson, Mrs D. Radley, Dr. L. C. L. Averill, and Mr W. R. Campbell. A general committee of more than 30 was elected.