Both camps promise full poll ticket

Press, 13 July 1989, Page 7

Both camps promise full poll ticket

By

KAY FORRESTER

Neither the United Citizens Association nor Mrs Margaret Murray’s Waimairi team expects any difficulty finding 24 candidates to contest the new Christchurch City Council election in October. v

Each group intends to stand a full ticket of candidates to back its respective mayoral candidates after their alliance blew apart on Monday.

The United Citizens chairman, Mr Dennis Rich, said names were coming in to the group since Mrs Murray’s defection. The association had not had to seek candidates.

“We have had people come forward who say they did not come before because of Mrs Murray’s involvement,” he said. United Citizens could now select candidates best able to represent the needs of the new city in both territorial and regional areas; Mr Rich said.

The Waimairi group’s hidden agenda had caused much disruption within the organisation, he said. The Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay, said it was good to work in an atmosphere no longer plagued by division.

He had been pleased by the messages of support he had received. Sir Hamish is the United Citizens mayoral nominee. Mrs Murray, the Waimairi District Council chairman, wanted an agreement in writing that United Citizens would

back her to be deputy mayor.

When she failed to get that she split the alliance and now says she will put up a full City Council ticket and advocate good candidates for the regional council. Her team might not stand 10 candidates in the Canterbury Regional Council constituencies that cover the Christchurch area.

She denied any campaign to “poach” candidates from the United Citizens camp.

Mrs Murray said she was delighted with the calibre of candidates coming forward, particularly women. She objected to her team being referred to as the Waimairi group.

“It’s a Christchurch team. Call it the Murray team because that’s what it is,” she said. Asked if Mr Philip Carter, who played a significant part in creating the United Citizens merger and is a chief adviser of the Waimairi chairman, would be her campaign manager, Mrs Murray said it would be a team effort. She would spearhead the campaign herself. Mr Carter would be part of the team. Mr Carter, a former Waimairi District councillor, said he was reviewing his position. He is deputy chairman of United Citizens.

He would not comment on whether he would be a candidate for the Margaret Murray team, or what role he might play in it.