8 November 2019

Court Action to Appeal Christchurch City Council Election Result

A petition to appeal the recent local body electoral process in Christchurch’s Central ward, will today be lodged in the District Court.

The central council seat was won by first time People’s Choice candidate, Jake McLellan, who ousted Deon Swiggs.

A group of voters who represent a diverse range of business and community leaders, will be filing the court proceedings on the grounds that the Central ward result was seriously compromised.

Group spokesperson, Hayley Guglietta, who nominated Deon Swiggs for his candidacy, says many in the community are deeply unhappy with how a number of issues impacted the election result.

“Our motivation is uphold the principles of just and democratic process,” she says.

Hayley adds that the Canterbury Youth Worker’s Collective complaint letter being leaked to media was unjust. She says many believe it was deliberately timed to sabotage the campaign of Deon Swiggs.

“There are questions that need asking and answering. People need to remember too, that these complaints have not been investigated. The investigator merely looked at summaries of them, that were provided by the Canterbury Youth Workers Collective. The complaints have not been substantiated, there’s been no independent interviewing undertaken of the complainants nor have they been cross-examined. That is bizarre in a country that prides itself on having a robust justice system,” she says.

The group says it doesn’t want to say too much more at this stage, as the matter is now before the courts and that is the proper place for it.

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