Values may brighten city poll

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 1

Values may brighten city poll

By

STAN DARLING

The Christchurch City Council election later this year is shaping up as one of the dullest — and most predictable — in years.

Even the continued interest of the Values Party in contesting some seats is not likely to make any difference — Values will not act as spoilers of a Labour Party opposition, because there is not much left to spoil. Except for the leadership of Sir Robert Macfarlane and Cr David Caygill—and the constant social welfare proddings of Cr Nancy Sutherland—the opposition has been largely ineffective since the Labour-dominated council lost in 1974. Citizens’ councillors with policies to push have often faced more effective opposition from within their own ranks. Much of the criticism from the other side has been confined to

silly remarks made — and passed off—during council meetings. The Labour Mayoral candidate (Mr Alex Clark) says that this can be changed by conducting a community campaign on the issues. But the Citizens’ council has been careful not to create specific issues, leaving the field open to generalities. Concrete issues will be hard to grasp and make relevant. Motorways, deteriorating neighbourhoods, imbalances in recreation facilities, and community influence on council decisions have been the old standbys — and they will be again. They are valid- issues, but not when opposition candidates go off halfcocked in an attempt to dramatise shortcomings of the present council majority.

In the 1974 campaign, Labour’s critics made a point of saying that the party had gone too far, too fast, in providing facilities and services. Queen Elizabeth II Park stood as a shining example.

This year, Citizens will be painted as a council that has done too little, too slowly. However, in reaching for a concrete issue, the Labour Party will try to blow the “unseemly haste” in building a Centennial Park sports stadium into a minor Q.E. 11 argument, hoping it will get the same results. The Mayor (Mr Hamish Hay) will be shown as a man who never faces up to any city need, avoiding

conflict and progress in favour of a balanced budget. Even though the charge is nonsense—as were opposite charges against the former Labour Mayor — candidates will have to make it stick if they expect to overcome

the Citizens’ Association majority.

Labour will have some untested new candidates, but the only one who stands out as a likely councillor is the veteran Sir Terence McCombs, aged 71, in the East Ward. Mrs Noala Massey, aged 48, couid also be a strong choice in the Labourdominated Pegasus Ward. She is the widow of the late Cr William Massey.

All three parties will

undoubtedly be praising the value of communitybased government, a catchword these days and a system that is working more and more overseas. And each party will say that the others don’t have the right idea, or are not close enough to the people.

By advertising for candidates this year, the Citizens’ Association claims to be widening its contacts with community organisations.

The association has always said it is nonpolitical, which is nonsense. However, it is too early to say whether the candidate-selection move will be seen as genuine, or just a public relations Ploy.

It is also too early to tell whether the Values Party will have much of an impact on the campaign. Standard political reason-

; ng says that it should take votes away from Labour, which can scarcely afford the loss.

Values failed to make much of an impression in 1974, but is the party getting continually stronger? It might be widening its local base, or it might be an upstart that was interesting when it started and is now losing appeal, apart from a hard core of supporters. Successive elections are needed to see which way it is going.

The Values Mayoral candidate (Mr Peter Heal) is the only old face from the 1974 campaign, when he polled a distant last of nine candidates in the South Ward.

This year, going for a seat tn the East W’ard as well as the mayoralty, he might have at least a chance of gening on the council.