Mr John Kirk

Press, 3 October 1983, Page 20

Mr John Kirk

Sir,—ln spite of bad timing, Labour goes on politically colonising Christchurch from the North Island. Once it tried its secretary; now its president on Sydenham. With unsolved problems piling up, no wonder your reporters found a poor Labour image ■ among our voters. Though never wanted by the Labour hierarchy, John Kirk is no better when he uses his seat in Parliament to work off personal grudges. He needs a sharp reminder that he represents an area held by the same party for 64 years and people count, not petty ambition. Too many power-seekers are in Parliament already, while the country flounders under unsolved problems. Both old parties need a holiday. New problems will arise with the rapid rise of new technology. Private ambitions can wait and personalities do waste time.— Yours, etc.,

A. M. COATES. September 30, 1983.

Sir,—l take exception with D. McGregor (September 29) who states that he is unhappy with views expressed by Mr John Kirk against the Labour Party. If Mr McGregor exercised his vote Labour’s way at the last election, he has no recourse now to start castigating Mr Kirk for his views that he has made known. At a conservative estimate, I would think that 50 per cent of the Sydenham electors who put a tick beside John Kirk at the last General Election, only did so because the word'/ Labour appeared after his nama So what, if John Kirk votes

against the Labour Party? If a true elected representative of any electorate wishes to uphold his integrity every vote in the House should, in effect, be a conscience vote, whether or not it is party policy. That representative is in the House as a result of the faith that people in his electorate have placed in him. So, let Mr Kirk speak forth.—Yours, etc.,

M. R. BRUCE. September 30, 1983.