Part-time secretary for the Mayor

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32847, 22 February 1972, Page 18

Part-time secretary for the Mayor

Mr J. G. Power, a retired businessman and unsuccessful Labour Party candidate at the recent municipal elections, was appointed a part-time secretary to the Mayor (Mr N. G. Pickering) by the City Council last evening. He will be paid at twothirds of a fixed salary.

The recommendation] for the appointment to the Town Clerk’s depart-! ment was listed as I being in committee as] part of the staff committee’s report; but Cr H. G. Hay said it was unusual to have such an appointment, particularly when the council had only recently decided that there should be no appointments to the staff until there was a report on the establishment. Cr Hay said that as there was a matter of policy the clause should be taken in open meeting, although he did not think details of salary need be disclosed.

Mr Pickering: All right, as long as you don’t mention his name or salary.

In the discussion it was obvious who was being appointed, particularly as Mr Power has voluntarily done some of his new duties since Mr Pickering was elected. The committee said Mr

Pickering needed additional secretarial, as opposed to typing assistance in his office. This would include research of matters likely to be the subject of speeches and many other duties. Cr M. R. Carter said he did not see how the council could increase the staff in direct conflict with a previous decision that it be held. It was unusual for a candidate who stood unsuccessfully at an election to be appointed to a position of some stature in the Town Clerk’s department when it had not been advertised and no members of the staff had been given a chance to apply. “I daresay you would hold that the appointment is justified because in your view the Mayoralty is a full-time position,” Cr Hay said. "I question that. I don’t think the

legislation governing municipalities envisaged that. “This is my full-time job.” Mr Pickering said. “I made it public that I would be a full-time Mayor and the electors accepted that.”

The job of the Mayor was equal to that of a Cabinet Minister, Cr A. F. Orme said, and he had seen Ministers with three male secretaries. There was no increase in staff because the departments establishment was 22 and, there were only 20 on the staff. Mr Power resigned as a council representative on the Christchurch Milk Company, Ltd, the District Roads Council and the Mona Vale Management Committee, his places being taken by Crs M. Batchelor, W. Massey and R. J. Cunningham respectively.