Stipulation for Govt aid

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33141, 3 February 1973, Page 18

Stipulation for Govt aid

(N’.Z. Press Association! AUCKLAND, Feb. 1. Local bodies would have to make sure they were running themselves as economically as possible if they expected i financial help from the Government, the Minister of Local Government (Mr May) said this evening. ! Speaking at a meeting of, the Auckland Local Bodies’ Association. Mr May said he was concerned about some of the things which had been allowed to go on in local government. “We have local-body offiicers receiving almost as [much in salary as the Prime i Minister.” he said. “But the i public knows what salary I every person in Parliament gets. How many local bodies [can claim the same?” Mr May said "he would not (be a party” to recommending (Government aid to local bod ies without making sure that , the local bodies were carry , ing out their operations as i economically as possible.

However, this did not mean that the new Labour Government was opposed to giving

[financial aid to local bodies. ["But you cannot ask any (Government to keep turning the handle and pumping out , money without looking to see I how it is used." he said. i Mr May also criticised [councillors who did not make themselves readily available [to deal with the problems of 'local government. “From the amount of mail [ we get in Wellington dealing ! with local-body problems, I sometimes think that mem- [ bers of Parliament must be more accessible to the public ■ than their local councillors,”! ! Mr May said. He queried the value of holding local polls of ratepayers to determine whether or not local-body amalgam-! ations should take place. He : quoted an example in Wel-| I lington where only four per-]

. sons had been on the roll for . a poll on amalgamation be i tween part of Hutt County i and the City of Upper Hutt. ;l "When I look at this sort ' of thing. I wonder if we are I perhaps not carrying democ- • racy to a farcical level," Mr ’i May said. ! “Is it democracy when a small minority like this can 1 dictate to the majority?” L Mr May suggested instead 1 that if a poll on an amalgai mation Was called for, all "ratepayers within the whole [area to be amalgamated should be able to vote on the : issues. This would give everybody involved a chance to express an opinion, rather than leaving it to a smaller group : within the proposed amalga- | mation to say whether or not 'they wanted it.