Labour is Concerned

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 7, 29 September 1977, Page 2

Labour is Concerned

by

Jim Anderton

The Mayor of Auckland, the city council and other authorities such as the regional authority, power board, hospital board and harbour board often seem far away from ordinary people.

Yet the decisions they make affect our lives very directly — through building and health regulations, health care, the cleanliness of our streets, power charges, water supply, parks and other recreation facilities, sewerage, bus transport, etc.

You will vote for people on all these local bodies on Oc-

tober 8. The Labour Party is standing candidates for all of them and these people have your interests at heart. They know something of what it’s like to have housing and transport difficulties, to be an immigrant in a strange city, perhaps to be out of work and to have few people to turn to. Labour has policies which show concern for the lives of ordinary people. As Labour’s mayoral candidate, I am very much aware of your needs. I fought hard for the rights of Polynesians during the overstayer crisis. I called a special meeting of the city council to protest against those terrible street arrests. The present mayor and the Citizens and Ratepayers Council would certainly not have met to protect the rights of Auckland citizens if I had not acted.

I have likewise protested over the Government’s plan to cut up part of Bastion Point for housing for the wealthy.

I want you to make sure that you get out and vote Labour on Saturday, October 8. You will not get the Labour mayor and council you need if you don’t vote.

I am well aware of the fact that Polynesians form a large group of people in the city and region. I have met many of you canvassing in Auckland City. I have been welcomed into your homes. I want you to feel that you know me. I will go out of my way to help you with your problems. I will certainly look after your interests when I am mayor. I am ably assisted in matters concerning the Polynesian people by Maori candidates Syd Jackson and Anne Tia and Samoan candidate, Pua Sofi. I want to tell you that Labour candidates stand for better housing for those on low incomes, reasonable and subsidised rents in council houses and flats, lower charges for the basic electricity a family needs, better bus services with reasonable fares, better community services and a system of electing city councillors by wards or districts.