STANDING FOR TV

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33060, 30 October 1972, Page 1

STANDING FOR TV

The New Democrat candidate for Lyttelton, Mr R. R. Scarth, a 55-year-old rubber worker, said that the only reason he was standing for Parliament was so that his party could have 87 candidates and gain time on N.Z.B.C. television.

Mr Scarth last evening declined to be included in “The Press” series “Speaking to Candidates” and said he was only a stop-gap. “What would I know about politics?” he said. “I only agreed to become a candidate because the N.Z.B.C. told our leader, Mr John O'Brien, that unless we had 87 candidates we would not get television time.

“I would be most grateful if in the series you could leave a blank,” he said.

The man originally announced as the Lyttelton

New Democrat candidate could not continue as he is a public servant, and another possible candidate pulled out. Mr Scarth said that he would not be appearing on television — the party leaders, Messrs O’Brien and T. K. Weal, were the best people to take advantage of what little time would be made available. Mr O’Brien confirmed from Nelson last evening that he had objected that Social Credit, with only 8 per cent of the vote, was to receive 20 per cent of the television time available. The New Democrats were to receive no time, and the Director-General (Mr L. R. Sceats) had made it clear that unless 87 candidates were put up there would be no television time granted. “However, ever since May we have said we

would put up a full ticket, and I am waiting for confirmation of the last two of 87 from the deep south,” he added. Asked about Mr Scarth’s attitude, the New Democrat leader expressed surprise, but said that people had various reasons for standing, and if that was Mr Scarth’s reason, this was his prerogative. Mrs A. C. Begg, wife of the former Federated Farmers president said yesterday she had decided to “quietly withdraw” from contesting the Rakaia seat for the Liberal Reform Party.

She said that she did not want to discuss the reasons for not continuing with her candidacy, but conceded that removal of the compulsory acquisition clause from the Wool Marketing Bill “might have something to do with it.”