By-election extension endorsed

Candidates for the Motueka byelection are pleased with the decision to extend the voting deadline, although some suggest more could have been done to ensure a fair process.

Seven candidates – Jennifer Beatson, Maxwell Clark, Tania Corbett, Barry Dowler, Nick Hughes, Elisabeth Siegmund and Gary Watson – are vying to win the seat vacated by first-term councillor Claire Hutt after she resigned from her position in February.

The voting deadline was initially set for midday on May 12, but following low ballot return numbers and the revelation that some voters had not received ballots as late as May 4, the decision was made to extend the final day of voting by two weeks to May 26.

Siegmund said while she agreed with the decision to move the deadline back, the ‘‘damage had probably been done’’.

‘‘As soon as we went into lockdown, the election should have been immediately shifted by two weeks down the track, letting things settle down so we could see how the situation was going to evolve.

‘‘That is the gripe [with council], they immediately had the opportunity to shift it so people could get to know the candidates.’’

Siegmund said she felt she had not been negatively affected in her campaign, because she was able to get her message across through social media.

‘‘It wasn’t disadvantaging me that much, but as an election it was totally botched – it was undemocratic.’’

Clark said ideally the election should have been cancelled and put off to a later date, because of the difficulties of running a campaign during a pandemic.

‘‘Honestly it’s quite inappropriate in this stressful situation to contact people, I think they need the time to reflect on other more important things.’’

Clark said it was disappointing there had been no public meetings, where the public could have got a clearer perspective on candidates’ views on issues such as the Waimea Dam.

‘‘No-one could have anticipated this – but this is quite a critical election from my view.’’

Dowler said the voting extension was necessary given the length of time it had taken for people to receive their voting papers.

‘‘I don’t have a problem with the extension at all ... the only thing I’m really disappointed about is the way NZ Post has handled it.’’

With public meetings not able to go ahead, Dowler said he had to branch out to do some campaigning on electronic media.

Watson said he didn’t believe the extension would have much of an effect on the way the election turned out.

‘‘It affected all candidates equally anyway, so it doesn’t really bother me either way if it was going to stay as it was or if it was extended.’’

Beatson said with the delay in getting voting papers out, the extension was probably the only decision that could have been made.

‘‘The country is in lockdown and we’re in a pandemic – I don’t think anybody could have mitigated the situation.’’

First-time candidates Nick Hughes and Tania Corbett both agreed with the extension.

Hughes said while the lockdown conditions had made it more difficult to build his public profile, there was not much more that could have been done.

‘‘It is what it is – but we’ve got to do the best we can with it.’’

Corbett said the situation had presented an additional challenge for people to get to know her as a candidate.

‘‘I personally don’t feel aggrieved [by the process], I feel that everybody in the world is under pressure to do things differently – and running a byelection is no different’’.