Warning over pro-merger messages

Damon Harvey

Amalgamation lobbyists have been warned about messages they may send during the Hawke's Bay local government reorganisation poll following an email distributed by a founding member of the group promoting the merger.

The email was sent last week by public relations and marketing company director Damon Harvey, one of 10 people listed by A Better Hawke's Bay as having "initiated" the organisation when it was formed.

Mr Harvey stood down from his position on the ABHB Trust last October to focus on sports management roles, but pledged ongoing support for the amalgamation campaign, which he expressed again in last week's email to business contacts urging them to encourage employees to vote "preferably to vote for a positive change".

Napier Mayor Bill Dalton responded by accusing the lobbyists of arrogance and "telling their mates to tell people what to do."

Chief returning officer Warwick Lampp said yesterday Electoral Act (s218) covers "Undue influence" but is specific about influence during the "act" of voting. It's illegal to standover someone and tell them how to vote while filling in the paper.

The comments in Mr Harvey's email were "pretty general," he said, but added: "I have contacted those involved and suggested they should be more careful in the way they go about it, but that's where it ends. It's not really much of a big deal.

"Anyone can send something to a group of friends espousing their view. What they shouldn't do is mention anything that could provide an undue influence."

Responding to suggestion the act could have been breached, Mr Harvey said: "There was no threat implied, the main focus was just to get people to have their say. The general election rules also has a clause that says employers can provide time off to vote and I wanted to help spread the word."