SWING AGAINST LABOUR IN MAIN CENTRES

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33664, 14 October 1974, Page 1

SWING AGAINST LABOUR IN MAIN CENTRES

(New Zealand Press Association) . WELLINGTON, October 13. The upset defeat of Christchurch’s Labour Mayor, Mr N. G. Pickering, and the apparent defeat of the long-serving Labour Mayor in Wellington, Sir Francis Kitts, were the highlights of Saturday’s local-body elections in New Zealand.

Several other sitting mayors were ousted as voters went to the polls in the triennial elections —but the results in Christchurch and Wellington were the most significant.

Mr Pickering, who had led Christchurch; t hrough the Commonwealth Games, was not expected to lose and Sir Francis Kitts looked even more deeply entrenched in Wellington. In Wellington, Sir Francis has not yet conceded defeat,

) but his chances of holding l( the mayoralty look slim, and depend on special votes fav- ‘ ouring him heavily. t His huge 1971 majority of C 10,000 was demolished by Mr I Michael Fowler, aged 44, an 1 architect, who on Saturday ‘ night was left in the lead by more than 300 votes. Mr Fowler stood on the s Citizens’ ticket, and his group • will dominate the Wellington ~ City Council, as will the Citizens’ party in Christchurch. In Auckland and Dunedin, sitting Mayors retained their grip on office — Sir DoveMever Robinson, an independent, easily beat Labour’s Mr J. Anderton, outpolling him 1 ! 18,310 to 11,634 for a fifth • | term, and Dunedin’s Mr J. ;G. Barnes being returned for qa third term. ’ Labour defeat But Labour was dealt a comprehensive defeat by I voters for the Auckland City Council. With the results of . only one polling place to '[come, the Citizens and Ratepayers’ Association has 'gained one seat and will now 1 have 19 members on the > ! council. Labour has lost one j I seat, and will have two mem>bers. The only sitting memjjber defeated was Mr A. J. R. , Dreaver, a Labour candidate ’iand the longest-serving councillor with 21 years service. J The Dunedin City Council iis expected to contain the

same political representation as before — seven Citizens, four Labour, and one independent. Dunedin voting showed a 3 per cent swing from Labour, mostly to the Values Party and independents.

The Labour Party’s failure in the elections showed a tremendous tide of feeling against the Government, 'said the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) in Auckland today. The feeling was based on concern about the direction that Labour policies were taking New Zealand rather than on personal factors, he said. It was usual for Labour not to fare well at the polls when it was in Government — but this time the antiLabour swing was stronger than in the time of the Nash Government.

When a popular Wellington Mayor, Sir Francis Kitts, was beaten by a candidate who frankly had not expected to win, it was clear that Wellington people were disillusioned with the Government, Mr Muldoon said. “For the first time since World War 11, none of the major cities has a Labour mayor. This is very significant,” he said. No comment The Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) declined this evening to make immediate comment on the election results. He spent most of the weekend in his Tasman electorate, and returned to Wellington only late this afternoon. He had not had a chance to study the election results, he said, and any comment would be "precipitate.” He might comment tomorrow.

i The Minister of Local Gov- , ernment (Mr May) said he ■ could discern no clear pat- ; tern from the results. “I- -; can’t see any political signis ficance in them,” he said. Among defeated sitting mayors in other parts of New

Zealand were those in Onehunga, Mount Maunganui, Masterton and Mosgiel.

In Mount Maunganui, voters chose undoubtedly New Zealand’s youngest mayor, Mr K, O’Hara, aged 26, in place of Mr R. Owens, who is also Mayor of Tauranga. Mr O’Hara had a landslide win. Mr Owens was unopposed in Tauranga.