Citizens prepare for new strategy

Press, 22 August 1989, Page 1

Citizens prepare for new strategy

Who will succeed Sir Hamish Hay as the United Citizens’ candidate for the Christchurch mayoralty? Will the association stand a candidate? Its executive will meet this evening to plan its strategy in the wake of last evening’s announcement of Sir Hamish Hay’s withdrawal, which sent its campaign plans reeling. The United Citizens chairman, Cr Dennis Rich, sees no reason why the association will not put up another candidate. Sir Hamish Hay believes a Citizens candidate can beat Cr Vicki Buck and Mrs Margaret Murray. He has given his opinion on who his successor should be but would not make it public last evening. At least one senior Citizens councillor has already been approached to replace Sir Hamish. Cr John Burn, who only weeks ago announced he would not stand for election to the new council because of work commitments, confirmed he had been asked and was seriously considering it. Cr Burn was one of the United Citizens people who knew of Sir Hamish’s decision before his announcement at last evening’s council meeting. Other potential candidates did not know until, or just before, the meeting. Others whose names may be in the mayoral hat are Mr Newton Dodge, long tipped as a successor to Sir Hamish, Cr Morgan Fahey, Cr Ron Wright, and possibly Cr Clive Cotton. The association will opt for someone from within the United Citizens ranks rather than an outsider — and that probably precludes any chance of a reconciliation with Mrs Margaret Murray and her Christchurch Action team. Sir Hamish’s replacement needs to be someone with a high profile, able to be accepted as a candidate in his or her own right without seeming to be second best. Most money last evening was on Cr Bum. Cr Fahey would not confirm nor deny his availability for the job. Nor would Mr Dodge. Cr Wright’s mayoral aspirations have been stated before. It was only Sir Hamish’s wish to stand again that stopped a stronger challenge from him earlier this year. Sir Hamish said he would give what advice he could during the United Citizens campaign. He said it would be a tough assignment for the United Citizens candidate but that candidate could win. The leader of the Labour team on the City Council, Cr Alex Clark, said Labour would not be changing its stance on the mayoral race. “We won’t be putting up a late entry,” he said. It is unlikely that United Citizens will follow the Labour lead of not standing a candidate when the association has criticised that policy already in the campaign.