Disappearing Post Boxes Add to Flag Vote Farce

new-zealand-first-party

Wed Feb 03 2016 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Disappearing Post Boxes Add to Flag Vote Farce

Wednesday, 3 February 2016, 1:10 pm
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
3 FEBRUARY 2016

A postal ballot at the same time as New Zealand Post is removing thousands of post boxes is another farcical feature of the government’s flag referendum, says New Zealand First.

“One person told us he drove to 11 post box sites in his town but the boxes had gone. He didn’t want the hassle of trying to find a car park near a postshop, so he gave up and threw his voting papers in the rubbish,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“It’s a case of disappearing mailboxes all over the country giving the postal ballot fossil status.

“Only under a National government could this happen. It’s like something out of Monty Python.

“With thousands of boxes gone this is surely the argument for referendums to be conducted at election time.

“In Mr Key’s haste for legacy glory he didn’t do his homework.

“Some people have told posties that boxes are too hard to find so they won’t vote in the referendum.

“Posties report that frustrated and confused residents even hand them mail to post.

“The Prime Minister’s only hope of his flag winning might be if Kiwis who want the present flag retained become complacent while the minority supporting his flag will be more determined to hunt down a post box.

“Unfortunately we have a government with a bizarre sense of logic which prefers to waste $26 million of taxpayers’ money on such things as a flag postal referendum, at a time when there are far too few boxes for the referendum to be a simple exercise for voters,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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