Recount confirms Burwood results

Press, 20 December 1989, Page 7

Recount confirms Burwood results

By

KAY FORRESTER

Cr Mike Stevens keeps his Burwood ward seat on the Christchurch City Council after a District Court recount, but the battle is not over.

The Canterbury Labour candidate who sought the court recount, Mr Arthur Adcock, may yet take further legal action. Although the recount changed the vote tallies for all candidates in the ward, it did not change the result.

Cr Carole Evans topped the

poll followed by Cr Stevens, still two votes ahead of Mr Adcock. The amended result from the recount is: Carole Evans 4461 (down four from the official result given in October), Mike Stevens 3183 (down three), Arthur Adcock 3181 (down three), Alister James 2540 (up 11), Judith Bruce 1767 (down five), Colin Russell 1442 (down three), Roger Maaka 1363 (up three), Butler Graham 1099 (up two) and informal 432 (up 29).

The result was released by the Court yesterday. Judge Erber, who was responsible for the recount, has required the returning officer, Mr Max Robertson, to give an amended declaration. Judge Erber reserved costs, directing counsel for Mr Adcock and Mr Robertson to make submisions on costs before the end of January. Mr Adcock, a Canterbury Labour candidate, will discuss further legal action with his advisers. He has said he owed it

to his supporters in Burwood to challenge the election result. Counsel for Mr Adcock, Mr Denis O’Rourke, said the probable action the party would take was to petition for an inquiry by the Court into the conduct of the election. Similar action, under the Local Elections and Polls Act, 1976, was filed in the Papanui ward but later withdrawn.

Under this part of the act, the court may declare the election invalid and call for a new election.