Labour bias seen in ward proposal

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33101, 16 December 1972, Page 2

Labour bias seen in ward proposal

I he ward system proposed by the Christchurch City Council represented a basic change in the voting system, and, to be democratic, its introduction had to be completely free of political control, said the chairman of the Christchurch Citizens and Ratepayers’ Association (Mr M. O. Holdsworth) yesterday.

"This is not the case with our local scheme, and it is the people’s rights that are at stake,” lie said.

“At present, it is in es-j sence the Labour Party that I is setting the boundaries and,] while the scheme is open to] public scrutiny for 28 to 701 days, it is the same people who will decide whether toi listen to any objections or comments.

"This is wrong and opens the way for a political slant to be given to the move. To be fair to all the electors there must be an independent body to hear the objections and make a final decision.

“The Labour Party has had its say in designing the scheme, and if it believes in democracy, the party must be prepared to have the scheme judged fairly on its merits,” said Mr Holdsworth. STRONG OBJECTION

This was the principle that the Citizens’ Association had objected to most strongly from the start, he said. At the last council meeting Citizens’ councillors had been offered a minority position on the special committee for the scheme, but had reI odkas back Iron Curtain vodkas have again become available in New Zealand after many years absence from the market, according to the magazine of food and wine, “Accolade.” Small quantities of both Russian and Pdlish vodka are being imported, the Polish range including! flavoured vodkas as well as] the plain rye-based vodka.

fused to take it “because they rightly claimed that both they and the Labour Party members could not be conjsidered unbiased.” “It has been suggested that J the Citizens’ strong northjwest area is to be the ward (with only three members ] and that the central area, ’which also gives strong support to the Citizens’ candidates, is to be divided among ; Labour-dominated areas. I “If this proves to be the case, it is hard to accept that ] the Labour Party has not been looking after its own ini terests first and the democratic rights of the people seclond,” said Mr Holdsworth. 1 It was also strange that

Christmas Eve was chosen for introducing such an important step. People w’ere distracted and, for anyone conscious of the weakness of their own position, this would certainly be the time to move, he said.

Naval training. — Seventy young naval men including seven officers from the Maritime Command of the Singaport Armed Forces will pass out from the Navy’s training establishment, 'H.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki, Auckland, this afternoon. They include 15 officertrainees, 10 artificer apprentices, and 45 ratings who have completed basic training.—fP.A.)