WAIMAIRI COUNCIL

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32678, 6 August 1971, Page 10

WAIMAIRI COUNCIL

Sponsorship by party

There had been numerous requests from Waimairi residents and ratepayers for the Christchurch Citizens’ Association to sponsor candidates for the Waimairi County Council, Mr H. P. Smith, chairman of the association’s general committee said last evening. It was difficult to understand the concern of Cr A. A. Adcock, who Mr Smith said he understood to have strong Labour Party affiliations, at the decision, Mr Smith said. Cr Adcock’s comments would probably produce another batch of requests. “These, of course, have been generated by recent events in the county which have given rise to a considerable amount of criticism,” he said. "All the Citizens’ Association does is to invite persons thought to be suitable to stand and offer its support in their election campaign. If they are elected the association takes no further part in their activities, nor does it ever give instructions.

“There are at present three members of the association on the Waimairi council and Cr Adcock may check that none has ever been approached by the association on how to vote on a particular issue. “There are, of course, three or four Waimairi councillors who owe allegiance to the Labour Party.” Cr Adcock’s . suggestion that he had been careful not to face the Waimairi ratepayers himself was irrelevant, particularly as he had faced the . ratepayers of Christchurch on a number of occasions in the last 25 years, Mr Smith said.