Alex Clark says Citizens callous

Press, 20 August 1986, Page 4

Alex Clark says Citizens callous

Labour’s candidate for the Christchurch mayoralty, Cr Alex Clark, was last evening critical of Citizens’ members of the City Council, accusing them of callous disregard for people’s needs. Cr Clark said public credibility of the Citizensdominated council was being stretched to the limit

Councillors had snubbed local residents by refusing to appeal to the Planning Tribunal about the northern motorway; they had refused to listen to the pain of low-income families over the uniform rates charge; and they wanted to inflict a national sports stadium on a community that did not want it

“They are acting with callous disregard of people’s needs,” he told those at the. South Ward opening of the Labour local body campaign.

Citizens had thrown in the towel, he said. They had refused to campaign until the week before the election in October and they had refused to allow candidates to appear to answer people’s complaints. “They have no policy.

They are devoid of any constructive idea,” Cr Clark said. “We have a Citizens’ council that cannot face the election. Their candidates are angry and confused that they have no policy and no role to play in this election.” They were in a "Clayton’s campaign" not of their own making, he said.

A Citizens’ councillor seeking re-election, Cr John Burn, dismissed Cr Clark’s statements as "blatant electioneering.” Cr Clark was searching desperately for subjects to make a fuss about to run the Labour campaign, said Cr Burn.

“If you look carefully at his statements they are over-generalisations. He gives no specifics.” Labour and Citizens’ councillors had worked harmoniously during the last three years on most issues and Cr Clark was simply trying to “kick up a storm because it’s election time.”

“I recognise his problem. He is trying to get some impetus for his campaign and he has no real grounds to go on," Cr Burn said.