Rapid, radical changes promised for Chch under Labour council

Press, 15 September 1977, Page 6

Rapid, radical changes promised for Chch under Labour council

A Labour city council for Christchurch would make radical changes in a structure that no longer meets people’s needs, the Mayoral candidate Mr H. A. Clark) said at the party’s campaign opening last evening.

It would initiate changes instead of being forced into) them, and some of those, changes might not be popular! in the short-term, Mr Clark 'aid in a hard-hitting attack' on the Citizens* Association 1 council majority.

There would be more room for people to participate in their own affairs — through special neighbourhood committees — and less dependence on a “cost accountant” approach to city government. A new council would make decisions based on what the people wanted, and according to human needs instead of I mechanical ones. So far, the Citizens’ council had not revealed any new ideas except those suggested by the Labour Party, Mr Clark said.

The people of Christchurch have woken up to the fact that the days when the •'Establishment” of the city c ontrols their daily lives from the golden quatier-mile of Tendalton have got to come to a stop.” he said. '“We aredetermined to see that all the city is properly represented. | “If necessary, we may have, to discriminate against the' advantaged and suffer pos-' sible political consequences in; doing so. We will want to deal with the causes of prob-; lems in our community —; social, cultural, and economic

— rather than work solely j with the symptoms.” Labour policy would “provide a real alternative to the' people of Christchurch, and

not a pale imitation of thei ,cost accountant, conservative! approach we have witnessed for 21 of the last 24 vears.” J Mr Clark said. ; Over the past three years, ‘the Citizens’ record has taken them from one disaster • to another.” he added. “They avoided rates relief to the re-

sidential ratepayer until their last financial year in office, an obvious political ploy to avoid upsetting their supporters in the world of big commerce. They failed.

“The Citizens’ Association has taken a record amount in rates, and spent the lot, yet our streets and footpaths maintenance has deteriorated even further.”

■| Mr Clark said that the -(present Mayor (Mr H. G. Hay) was more interested in 'balancing the books than in | how money was spent. “From the day it was returned, the Citizen's Council ' has been like a ship in a calm sea without a rudder — going nowhere very fast,” he said. “It has limped from one piece of indecision to another. It has been unable to cope with social or contentious issues. “The Mayor has been the main culprit by not giving any leadership, whatsoever.” There had been “great procrastination” over many matters “until a sudden burst of activity over the last two weeks’” Mr Clark said. Queen Elizabeth II Park had been “left to fend for itself, with all thoughts of further development apparently permanently shelved,” he added. “Promotion of the park has been allowed to wither away, part of the determination of the present Mayor to write down bis predecessor’s contribution to this city.” At the same time, Labour’s policy of developing the Cashel and High Street malls had been “gathering dust in the engineer’s office,” Mr Clark said. Citizens’ councillors had also introduced “an invidious ‘user pays’ principle,” he said. “You name the charge for a council service, and] they have increased it sub-i stantially. “Rents have doubled and!

more over the three years; pensioner units have become a profit-making service rather than a social welfare service in this council. Families have been hit by rapidly-increased sports ground fees.

“If the residents of Christchurch have had their teeth knocked out by rate increases, they have had their faces pushed in with increases in charges and fees. In each and every case, this Citizens’ council has taken the maximum increase allowed for.”

Thej - pushed the policy that everything must pay for itself, Mr Clark said, and seemed to have forgotten the principle of service for rates.

He said that residents were fed up and angry with rates, bureaucratic control of the council, a deteriorating and expensive bus service, and “buck-passing by all concerned over what have now become chronic and acute drainage problems within the city.

“They are angry about the rapid deterioration of their suburbs, especially their roads and footpaths. They are fed up with a council that doesn’t care.” Specific Labour policy had been formulated over two years, and not all candidates approved of each point.

“But, of course, the wide divergence of views between people within the Labour Party is the strength behind its policy-making procedures,” Mr Clark said.