Media Release

30 September 2007

From Cr Dick Quax - Mayoral Candidate for Manukau

Quax accuses council officials political meddling

Manukau mayoral candidate Dick Quax is outraged that Manukau City Council has run a radio advertising campaign that has the potential to invalidate this year's local body election in Manukau.

He claims that the advertisements are a gross interference in the elections by Manukau City Council officials.

The advertisements have been playing on two Auckland youth radio stations claiming "having things like free youth events could change depending on who gets voted on to our local council".

"It's an outrage that the Council is using rate payer's money to attempt to panic people into voting a certain way and to push a political view point", said Cr Quax.

"It's an example of Council officer activism that I have been fighting against for the last two terms on Council. People elect Councillors to represent them and this is being overridden by bureaucrats who have taken it upon themselves in an endeavor to influence the political process".

"Our democratic processes are important to us and the very idea that people who are paid by the rate payer interfering in that process by pushing a political line should not be tolerated".

"Could you imagine the Council running a series of ads claiming that if you were to vote for a certain candidate that your rates would increase"?

Cr Quax said that he will be taking the matter up with the returning officer.

"In my view this advertising campaign run by the Council and paid for by the rate payer has the potential to invalidate the election result in Manukau".

ENDS

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