Candidates not given chance to meet voters

People wanting to vote for Horizons Regional Council and the MidCentral District Health Board in next month's elections are not getting opportunities to meet the candidates.

Horizons is not holding any candidate meetings, nor is the district health board, and no community groups have organised an opportunity for potential voters to meet the people who will be making decisions about the region for the next three years.

Horizons Regional Council candidate Amey Bell-Booth is frustrated at the lack of opportunities candidates have been given to meet with the public.

She said Horizons should organise public meetings to give the public the chance to meet the candidates, especially for those who are new to the process.

"It makes it hard for me as my name isn't out there, like the incumbent councillors," Ms Bell-Booth said. "I'm just surprised no one wants to question the candidates and share their views on how things are being run.

"What's happening to the level of interest and importance in our great region?"

And district health board candidate Pat Kelly said he was appalled that there was no forum where new candidates could front up and have a fair chance against the better known incumbents.

It was hardly democratic, he said.

Palmerston North City, Manawatu, Rangitikei, Tararua and Horowhenua have all had candidate meetings organised by community committees, boards and groups to introduce each constituency's candidates.

But as yet, no meetings have been held for Horizons' candidates.

Electoral officer Warwick Lampp said councils and their electoral officers did not organise candidate meetings, but rather relied on community groups or committee boards to hold a meeting. "It's just considered good practice to keep out of the campaigning process," he said.

Mr Lampp works for Elections New Zealand and is the electoral officer for Rangitikei, Horowhenua, and Manawatu district councils.

Ms Bell-Booth questioned the electoral office's stance on the meetings.

"Just because it's something they've done in the past, doesn't make it the right thing to do."

Ms Bell-Booth had been invited to two women's only candidate meetings for later this month, but was yet to be invited to a meeting of all the candidates.

Horizons deputy electoral officer Kay Booth said it advised all candidates of how the campaigning process would work at the beginning. Candidates were told that they would have to approach community groups if they wanted to hold a meeting.

"As electoral officers we have to remain neutral," Mrs Booth said. "We have been approached by a couple of people in the Palmerston North area about getting the candidates details for a meeting but we haven't received any dates as of yet."

Incumbent councillor Murray Guy said the candidate meetings weren't the best medium to get your message across.

"Horizons did hold one meeting last year, but from my experience they aren't very well attended," Mr Guy said. "My suggestion to the candidates would be to get out and about and come to a few more council meetings."

He said he was lucky as he already had his name out there, but the lack of interest in the council was a concern.

"It is frustrating that people just aren't as interested about this council and the DHB, as they are about the city and district councils."

- © Fairfax NZ News