Rangitikei by-election

Press, 23 February 1978, Page 16

Rangitikei by-election

Sir, — It is time that compulsory voting was introduced in this country. We have compulsory registration of electors, and to get the true feeling of electors, voting should be compulsory too. Rangitikei’s 65 per cent vote is not a true indication. Local bodies are very much worse in this respect — and the grizzlers are often those who do not bother to vote. This is the type of legislation that should suit Mr Muldoon’s Government. — Yours, etc.,

W. FOOT. February 21, 1978.

Sir, — I am at a distinct loss to understand how your leader writer (February 20) could say, “Had Social Credit not won this seat the movement could have aspired no. higher in the 1978 General Election than in the 1975 election: New Zealand's fourth political party ranked after the Values Party.” The League, since turning political, has always been the third party, was so at the 1975 election, remains so today, and has no intention of relinquishing that position at -the 1978 General Election unless to the Labour or National Partv. — Yours, etc., SHIRLEY R. DAVEY. February 21, 1978.

The correspondent’s memory is more reliable than ours on this point. The Social Credit candidates polled more votes than the Values Party candidates in 57 of the 87 electorates in the 1975 General Election. — Editor.