By-election costs queried

Press, 2 December 1985, Page 7

By-election costs queried

PA Timaru The New Zealand Party’s declaration of candidate spending during the Timaru by-election has been questioned by the Labour, National and Democratic Parties.

But the rival parties say they will not challenge the amount.

The declaration has only recently been filed and it shows that $4872 was spent* s ; just below the $5OOO

allowed. This compares with $4900 spent by Labour, $4787 by the Democratic Party and $4668 by National.

The New Zealand Party president, Mr Graham Wiggins, said that he believed that the spending details were factual.

But National’s electorate chairman, Mr Dave Walker, said he was sceptical of the New Zealand Party having kept within the $5OOO limit. He said NationaWept a

record of New Zealand Party advertising and he found it “unbelievable” that the party kept within the limit. Labour’s electorate chairman, Mr Alan Aldridge, said he thought the New Zealand Party would have been “pushing its luck” to stay within the $5OOO. The Democratic Party’s by-election candidate, Mrs Lynley Simmons, said: “From the glossy pamphlets

and full-page newspaper advertisements I don’t see how it can come within. $5000.” It is an offence under the Electoral Act for a candidate’s spending to exceed $5OOO, but none of the spokesmen for the other ' parties intends challenging the declaration. The by-election returning officer, Mr Jack Warner, , said matters were finalised /as far as he was concerjtd A