MOVE TO END “TICKETS” SYSTEM FOR LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 October 1950, Page 4

MOVE TO END “TICKETS” SYSTEM FOR LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS

A move to eliminate party“tickets” in local body elections is being made in Greymouth. If it succeeds, next month’s elections will be the first for many years in which groups sponsored by the Citizens’ Association and the Labour Party do not put forward opposing lists of candidates. The proposal by the Communist Party to put forward two candidates for the Greymouth Borough Council for the first time in history, does not materially affect the position, except, perhaps that should insufficient individual nominations come forward, the Communists would gain one or two seats without the need for an election. Talks have already commenced with a view to abolishing the “ticket” system, the Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge, revealed today when inquiries were made. “And I will be quite happy to see the system go,” he added. “There is no room on the council for party politics.” Mayor’s View The Mayor pointed out that though “tickets” had been put forward in past elections, it could not be said that many councillors allowed their party politics to interfere with the work of the council, and. both sides had been willing to work only for the benefit of the town itself. If negotiations which will be carried out during the next week or so succeed, councillors will be nominated for the next election as individuals, said the Mayor. Of the present council, all were elected on a Citizens’ ticket with the exception of two Labour candidates and one independent. A third “ticket,” sponsored by the Ratepayers’ Association failed to win a seat. As a rule neither the Citizens’ Association nor the Labour Party nominates a full ticket, but only sufficient candidates to obtain a majority on the council if all survive the ballot.

Though the two organisations have sponsored candidates for other local bodies in Greymouth, the main clash has been over seats on the Borough Council. In actual practice, however, the clash in interests on the council has been negligible and in recent

years there has been little that savoured of party support. First “Ticket” .

The sponsorship of “tickets” for seats on the Greymouth Borough Council, though made particularly prominent in the last 15 years by strong attempts by the Labour Party to obtain control of local bodies, began, it is believed, in 1923. This was when a Ratepayers’ Association was formed for the purpose of providing “new blood” for the council, which was then engaged in some contentious negotiations. Politics did not enter into this move. The 1923 “ticket” followed a controversy over the policy being adopted in connection with the Recreation Ground, which was then being used for Rugby League matches and a portion of which was also wanted for a site for a fire station.