Shambles forecast for by-election rolls

Press, 13 July 1979, Page 1

Shambles forecast for by-election rolls

The Christchurch Central by-election appears to be shaping up for a repetition of the chaos of the General Election last year, says the president of the Labour Party (Mr J. P. Anderton).

In spite of this, Labour was experiencing a new mood of competence and endeavour within its organisation and would approach the by-election in “top gear,” Mr Anderton said in Christchurch last evening. Campaign techniques developed for the byelection could well become prototypes for future elections and the party was bringing in observers from ail seats it considered marginal to study them. Mr Anderton, who is in Christchurch for a two-day fund-raising drive among Christchurch business houses, gave no details of the new techniques.

But he did elaborate at some length on his disquiet over the state of the rolls, and what he said were unnecessary difficulties being put in the way of voters. The “electoral shambles,” as he described it, showed that the computer programming used in the preparation of the rolls was faulty.

“The Chief Electoral Officer (Mr J. L. Wright) and the Minister of Justice (Mr McLay) have both tried to gloss over the central issue and that is that the new printed rolls, which will cost $l,

will not be available until after the rolls have closed.

“They say that the rolls will be available two weeks before the election, but that is still two weeks after the rolls have closed and is useless for people wanting to check whether they are on the rolls and useless for assisting people to get on the rolls,” Mr Anderton said.

“The computer printouts, which are the only recourse and cost $2O to $25, are available in only five or six places in the electorate and then only between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. which also prevents manv people from making a check whether they are enrolled.”

The Government and the Electoral Office seemed bent on making it as difficult as possible for the voter.

“The Government has a clear responsibility in this and should have ensured that sufficient clean rolls would be ready before it set the date of the byelection. Returning officers should have a clean and up-to-date roll available at any time,” said Mr Anderton.

“It is a blot on the political landscape,” he said. The uncertainty created by the state of the rolls undermined voters’ confidence in the whole electoral process.

Nominations of those seeking to be the party’s candidate in the by-election must be lodged with the party’s Dominion office in Wellington a week from today. Although it is obvious that the candidacy will be keenly sought, Mr Anderton would not be drawn on the likelv num-

ber or nature of hopefuls to go before the selection committee, of which he is chairman. “Whoever is chosen will be the best possible candidate. It is not a question of local interest versus national interest,” he said when asked about the rumoured interest of party “heavies” from outside Christchurch and talk circulating within the electorate of “carpet-baggers.” “It is important to get the best member of Parliament because he could be there for a long time,” said Mr Anderton, The Labour Party will open its campaign on August 6, 12 days before the by-election. It is known that the party will hold only four public meetings but intends to have a big team of Labour members of Parliament campaigning in the electorate.