Chathams elections stand

Press, 5 December 1989, Page 3

Chathams elections stand

A District Court judge has overtuned a challenge to the October elections of the Chatham Islands County Council. A petition by 10 electors seeking that the election be declared void because of alleged irregularities prompted the three-day inquiry at Waitangi before Judge Lee. Notice of the election under the Local Elections and Polls Act was inadequate, but the petitioners were not able to show that this had disadvantaged anyone or affected the result of the election, the Judge found. The act requires newspaper publication of a notice calling for council nominations. Counsel for the petitioners, Mr Dayid Howden, argued that the locally produced “News .and ;Views” Should have carried the notice. The returning officer for the election, Mr Robert McCabe, said as a monthly

publication “News and Views” lacked the quality of a newspaper in reporting current events. Representing Mr McCabe was Mr Nick Davidson. The Judge held that it was a proper newspaper and should have carried the notice. I Potential nominees were said to be , disadvantaged by Mr McCabe’s late ' decision that notification by telex would • have been accepted until 11.15 a.m. on > the closing day of nominations. Two would-be candidates were passengers on a Safe Air flight which turned away I from the airport at Karewa on August , 31, not returning until after nominations • closed on September 1. '• > ’ The returning officer had received i proper advice from the Department of ■ Internal Affairs, the Judge found. The i election results were upheld.