Hon Dr Nick Smith MP National Party Local Government Spokesperson

08 October 2004

Nick Smith predicts record low poll

"Tomorrow's local body elections are on track to post a record low turnout which can be largely blamed on Labour's confusing mix of voting systems," says National Party Local Government spokesman Nick Smith.

"The latest return figures are about 5% down on the same time during the 2001 local body elections. This year's nation wide turnout will be lucky to reach 50%," says Dr Smith.

The turnout figures show a range from as low as 26.67% in Waitakere City to as high as 57.49% in Waimate district. The average turnout New Zealand-wide as at October 6th was 39%.

"The low turnout should come as no surprise. The Government's policy of allowing a mix of FPP, STV, and MMP-style council elections was inevitably going to cause voter confusion. "This mess needs fixing. The Government must review its botched law and provide for a single system of voting in future local government elections," Dr Smith says.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>