Editorial One
Issue 363 February 15, 2017
An Indian Newslink investigation, revealed in conjunction with Radio Tarana at the latter’s ‘Sunday at 5’ programme on February 12, 2017, has once again brought to the fore the importance of ‘cleanliness of candidacy’ on the part of those keen to contest the upcoming general election on September 23, 2017.
Our investigation, as discussed at the radio programme and as reported on the front page of this issue, has shown that Vin Tomar, the candidate of New Zealand People’s Party (NZPP) at the forthcoming by-election at Mt Albert Constituency in Auckland on February 25, 2017 is facing charges of family violence at a New Zealand Family Court.
Family Violence charges
It took us more than seven weeks to complete our investigation, during the course of which we learnt, much to our surprise that Roshan Nauhria, Leader of the NZPP was not aware that Mr Tomar was facing the above-mentioned charges. For, it would have been untenable for a Party that has been campaigning on what Mr Nauhria called, ‘deteriorating law and order situation in New Zealand.’ Family violence is one of the worst nightmares daunting our communities, and its incidence is increasing among families of Indian origin.
Women are the worst affected victims of family violence and in recent years, law enforcers including the Police and Law Courts are keen to ensure that this menace is eliminated from our society.
Our expectations
New Zealanders have set exacting standards for their politicians and follow zero tolerance approach towards their behaviour. It is therefore important that political parties, their leaders and those supporting them are assured that the candidates being proposed for election do not have any issues that would haunt them later.
Clearly, Mr Tomar should have taken his Party Leader and those who selected him to contest in Mt Albert by-election into confidence and informed them of the charges that he faces.
Case pending
To be fair to Mr Tomar, there is no verdict yet on the charges and hence he has not committed any legal offence in contesting in the Mt Albert by-election. An Electoral Commission official told us that “at the point of nomination the only requirements for candidacy are to be a New Zealand citizen and enrolled to vote.”
However, in New Zealand, we consider and expect our politicians to be role-models. They must be honest and open to scrutiny. There can be no conflict of interest, most of all in what they do and how they behave in their homes. Family values are of utmost importance.
Allegations against an electoral candidate become matters of public debate and hence it is important that people have the benefit of their opinion; this is even more relevant for the constituents of the constituency concerned.
In this case, it is Mr Tomar and Mt Albert Constituency that are in question.
We are not at liberty at this stage to deliberate on a case that is before a Court of Law but the moral aspect of the issue looms large.
As Sir Winston Churchill said, “Politics is not a game; it is an earnest business.”
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