Wellington Central to National

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 1

Wellington Central to National

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 6. The third Labour Government will have a final majority in Parliament of 23 seats. Labour’s election-night majority of 25 was reduced to 23 tonight when the Wellington Central seat, held tenuously by Mr D. A. Shand for Labour, swung to National when all the votes were counted.

Labour has 55 seats in the new House, National 32. Mr Shand held a slender 51-vote margin on election night but when counting of special votes ended tonight this was eliminated and Mr K. M. Comber took the seat for National with an even narrower 27-vote majority. Final voting figures were: Comber 8088, Shand 8061. Of the special votes counted, Mr Comber took 1262 and Mr Shand 1189. Mr Shand beat Mr Comber in special votes cast overseas (190-152) but lost the internal tally (999-1110). Wellington Central was the only seat in doubt in the 1972 selection.

The results were true to the tradition which usually sees the sitting member, or in this case, the party in power, receive the majority of special votes. The 3500 special votes were opened at 1 p.m. but the counting did not begin till 5.30 p.m. after more than 600 votes were disallowed The returning officer, Mr G. F. Soper, said ballots were disallowed because either voters were ineligible by not being on this year’s roll or the 1969 roll, or because voters’ declarations were not in order. The Labour Party scrutineer at the counting session said there would probably be no call for a recount because of the precision and careful procedures followed in counting the special votes. Later, Mr Shand said he could not comment on the possibility of a recount but a decision would be made by the end of the week. He said that he was disappointed to lose by such a small margin. “But it’s a moral victory for the Labour Party in having reduced the National Party’s majority in Wellington Central from 2800 votes in 1969 to 27,” he said. He said he would continue to work in the party and planned to be Labour candidate again in 1975. Mr Comber said he was elated by the outcome. "The closeness of the voting didn’t really surprise me,” he said. "I believed all along that if I did win, it would be by less than 50 votes. “But at least I’m there, and I hope to make the best of it for the next three years.” Mr Comber said he was told of his victory while attending a kindergarten Christmas party for his daughter. “When I got the word, it felt as if someone had pricked me and all the anxiety of the past 11 days came out. “My feelings were tinged with some feeling for David (Shand) who had been going through the same thing for the last 11 days.” Finals results for other candidates for the electorate were: K. A. Brown (Independent), 22 special votes, total 87; W. R. Hill (Social Credit), 68, 455; D. K. Mitchell (New Democrat), 16, 97; R. V. Overend (Values), 216, 1232.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Sir Keith Holyoake) tonight expressed pleasure about the electioin of Mr Comber—his son-in-law.

“Naturally the whole family is very excited and relieved,” Sir Keith Holyoake said. “It has been a nerveracking 10 days.” He said he was looking forward to working with his son-in-law in Parliament in the next three years.