Hunua voters ‘subjected to fear anti degradation’

Press, 26 May 1979, Page 2

Hunua voters ‘subjected to fear anti degradation’

PA Auckland] Voters were “subjected to, fear and degradation” after I | the Hunua election, said Mr] yesterday. The damage done by the ■ “election saga” might never] 'be repaired, he said. Mr Douglas lost his seat I :in Parliament on Thursday] 'after Electoral Court evidence that 800 votes cast in! Hunua were invalid. 11 He said that he was not] so much worried about los-|i ling his seat as he was con-! (cerned abou’ the treatment;i !of some voters, many ofj: (whom were Islanders voting] lfe„ the first time. “‘They were nervous because it was the first time! ithey had voted, a strange I j experience for them,” Mrj Douglas said. ■> “When we managed to getu

ithem to the polls several of them were challenged at the i booths by National Party ■workers and had to form ‘queues to answer a lot of (questions. ’ “They were harassed after ■ the election by persons callling on them at all hours of ithe day and night. Some] families even had persons] (knocking on their doors at! ] midnight or later. ] “Some were dragged off] Ito court and did not really ! understand what was going (on, and were generally in (fear,” Mr Douglas said. ] A Labour Party official, IMr H. McCarthy, said: (“Some people were so (frightened by persons comling round and asking quesI tions about their votes that Ithey refused to answer their doors.”