ELECTORAL SURVEY Southern Seats To Stay With Holders

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31225, 24 November 1966, Page 6

ELECTORAL SURVEY Southern Seats To Stay With Holders

The South Canterbury electorates of Timaru and Waitaki will not change their politicians on Saturday. In Timaru, Sir Basil Arthur has a comfortable majority for Labour. In Waitaki, Mr A. D. Dick can count on similar support for National.

One other South Island electorate which extends its boundaries to the North Island, Southern Maori, will remain loyal to Labour.

The National Party used to look on Timaru as a marginal seat, but that was a few elections ago. The late Mr C. L. Carr held it for Labour against all comers, and some of them were strong opponents. Part of his success lay in his dilligent attention to the needs of his electorate which were constantly before Parliament in the form of questions. Sir Basil Arthur, aged 37, the only baronet in Parliament, won a by-election in 1962 with a majority of 1307. Following Mr Carr’s example, he gave close attention to his electorate. He has continued to do so since his re-election three years ago with a majority of 2831, and this will stand him in good stead on Saturday. He is being opposed this time by Mr N. S. Brown, a 45-year-old Pleasant Point farmer, who has made a dogged run for party selection. He sought nomination twice in Ashburton, once in Waitaki and his successful bid in Timaru was his third. The Social Credit candidate is again Mr M. J. Hayes, no stranger to the electorate, but he polled only 729 votes three years ago.

Timaru has had a minor increase in the number of its electors—l7o, making a roll of 18,190.

With Waitaki and Ashburton, Timaru shares one important local issue—the fertiliser works and who will run them. There is strong feeling in all districts, and it can only react against the Government, but it will not be a significant reaction. Waitaki

Mr Dick favours a farmers’ co-operative fertiliser works. That helps him and if there are any murmurings on other local issues they will be minor ones.

He went into Parliament at a by-election in 1962 after the death of Mr T. L. Hayman, the Minister of Agriculture, with a majority of 402. At the General Election in the next year he won with a handsome 2019 majority.

Opposing him for Labour is Mr S. J. Rodger, an up-and-coming young member of the Labour Party who contested Otago Central in 1963. He has a family tie with Oamaru, but is now an administration officer in the head office of the Ministry of Works in Wellington. The Social Credit candidate, Mr B. R. Milmine, a Hilderthorpe farmer, is a newcomer. Three years ago Mr W. J. Julius polled 1184, at that time a respectable total for his party. Waitaki’s roll has dropped by 291 to 17,206. Some of the decrease results from the moving of workers from the Waitaki river hydro-electric power projects, moves that will help Mr Dick consolidate his hold. Southern Maori

The Southern Maori electorate, New Zealand’s smallest numerically and biggest geo-

graphically, taking in all the South Island and the lower part of the North, will continue to support the 71-year-old Sir Eruera Tirikatene, who has held the seat for Labour since 1932. Three years ago the 6065 votes he polled gave him a majority of 4978 over his National opponent. There has been a big increase in the roll number—now 11,845 compared with 10,281.

Filght Lieutenant, M. B. P. Pere. aged 33, of Wigram. is the National Party’s candidate.

Social Credit has chosen Mr J. H. MacDonald, of Blenheim. In 1963 Social Credit polled 299 votes, 88 fewer than a Young Maori Party candidate. ,

All the candidates were invited by “The Press” to contribute a personal message to the electors. Only Mr MacDonald replied. He sent an advertisement and said a further statement would be made from 1 his Wellington headquarters, but none arrived.