ELECTION SPECIAL

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 5, 3 July 1984, Page 1

ELECTION SPECIAL

This month 's snap election is only the second time during this century that an elected government in New Zealand has not seen out its full term of office. The only previous occasion was in 1951 following the waterfront dispute. Whatever the reason for this year's snap election — a decision which was made on 14 June — : depends on who or what you believe. Certainly there's no shortage of speculation. It will be a different election in many respects from the last one in 1981. This year 95 parliamentary seats are being contested compared with 92 in 1981. There have been several electoral changes including our own here in the King Country and our new northern neighbour Tongariro which has absorbed some of the 1981 King Country voters from National Park and Whakapapa. What effect these boundary changes will have on the final outcome of the election time alone will tell. CANDIDATES There are five candidates contesting the King Country seat, in this month 's General Election. Mr James Bolger (National) of Te Kuiti has represented the King Country as an MP since 1972. During these 14 years he has held a number of different posts including

Parliamentary Under-Sec-retary to the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, to the Minister of Maori Affairs, andlto, theMinister in Charge of the Rural Banking and Finance Corporation. From 1978 until the dissolution of Parliament last month he was Minister of Labour and from 1978 to 1481 he was also Minister of Immigralion. Mr Derek Mason (Social Credit) is a sheep and beef farmer from Oparue who has unsuccessfully contested the King Country seat on three previous occasions. He is 50 years old and is married with three daughters. Mr Graham Short (New Zealand Party) is a 45-year old farmer from Pureora Forest who is entering the political ring for the first time. He is a Justice of the Peace and is married with four children. Mr Jim Simons (Labour) is branch secretary of the Meatworkers' Union at the King Country Works south of Taumarunui. He is aged 33, married with four children and lives in Owhango. Mr Peter Winter (Values) is a 64-year old farmer from Motunui in Taranaki who has unsuccessfully contested the Taranaki electorate on several previous occasions. He has been the Values Party agricultural spokesman for some years.