Close candidate for Christchurch mayoralty

Press, 3 November 1988, Page 6

Close candidate for Christchurch mayoralty

Labour’s first aspirant for the mayoralty of the new Christchurch City is a Christchurch City councillor, David Close. Cr Close’s name is the only one that the chairman of the Labour regional committee has as definitely interested in the job. Mr Peter Dyhrberg said yesterday Cr Close had advised him of his availability for nomination as the Labour candidate. Another councillor, Vicki Buck, will “very probably” put her name in the mayoral hat also but at this stage she has not done so. Cr Close is in his twelfth year on the council. He says he has made himself available because of the many approaches from people from all parts of Christchurch.

He believes the configuration of the new city —

with urban Paparua and Lyttelton — will make his task as a Labour candidate for the city’s highest office easier. “Without urban Paparua and Lyttleton I think the balance was in favour of Citizens (Association), but with those areas I think it will swing to Labour,” he said. Cr Close said he had not talked to Cr Buck recently about her interest in the mayoralty. “I think people know Vicki’s views and mine on most subjects. We seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum sometimes,” he said. He acknowledged that if he were chosen as Labour’s representative and his opponent was Sir Hamish Hay, the incumbent Citizens’ Mayor, his task would not be easy. “Sir Hamish has a strong personal following

and he has done the ceremonial things well and generally not upset people. But he has not taken strong stands on certain issues. Certainly it is always more difficult to beat an incumbent Mayor.” (Sir Hamish has already declared himself available for nomination as the Citizens candidate.) Mr Dyhrberg said selection of the Labour candidate would not be made until the ward boundaries of the new city were known. That made selection early next year most likely. Cr Close said he believed all parts of the new city should get a fair deal. He hoped Lyttelton would be part of the new city because an enlarged city should be. able to coordinate development more effectively.

“Most people know I’m opposed to privatisation' or corporatisation of local government assets. It’s terribly important for us to retain public control of the M.E.D. and the waterworks for example. When public bodies are corporatised, there is no direct accountability.” Cr Close said the new council must attend to the basics and not allow itself to be hijacked on to "grandiose projects.” Like Labour the Citizens Association will probably select its candidate early next year. The chairman of the association, Mr Dennis Rich, said last evening he doubted a choice would be made before Christmas. As well as Sir Hamish, a Christchurch City councillor, Ron Wright, has indicated his availability.