More enrolment aid wanted from council

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 9

More enrolment aid wanted from council

The Christchurch City, Council should be doing 1 more to help residents get, on the local body election] roll, according to the Labour Party Mayoral candidate (Mr Alex Clark). “Successive city councils : in Christchurch should be castigated for leaving the job of enrolment to political and other interested groups,” Mr Clark said. “It is the responsibility of local government to enrol people, not < the job of candidates.” For the October elections, the city’s main roll will ■ close on June 30. A supple-] mentary roll will close on ] September 9. Mr Clark cited the Ham-] ilton council which for the i first time is making a sus- * tained enrolment effort. Volunteers will man stands at, shopping centres, where;:

(residents can check to see if * they were on the roll. If not, ithey can enrol on the spot. j Stands will also be manned at sports grounds, taverns and the T.A.B. in Hamilton. Hospitals and other institutions will be visited. Hamilton council staff will also telephone homes to ensure no-one is missed. Later, secondary school pupils and other volunteers will conduct house-to-house checks at the week-ends. “The large number of] Christchurch residents not * on the roll will not be easily] I contacted by the methods* ] the council intends adopting: ;later in the year,” Mr Clark: said. “Relying on widespread* I television advertising by the ] Internal Affairs Department* is an abrogation of the city’s responsibility.”