Parliamentary Voting.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 440, 1 September 1904, Page 5

Parliamentary Voting.

Mr Bennet made the follox-jtjg speech on the Proportional Representation and Effective Yoting Bill:—" I wish, sir, to make just a few remarks, more particularly in regard to what fell from the honourable the senior member for Dunedin City (Mr Bedford). He stated that 3,800 votes is all that is required to secure his election. Well, Ido not know how he arrived at this conclusion. No doubt he considers that what took place at last election, when he got 1900 p'umpers, will occur again, but he is hardly likely to secure that this time. He also considers that anyone could secure that in his own district; and if that is so, I would ask him what is the necessity for a change in the system. He went on to say that under this proposed system the Government would be returned in a majority, while the Opposition would be in a minority. Well, the Government have got a majority now under the present system and I do not think a change is at all required. Then, the honourable member for Grey Lynn, who introduced the Bill, says that under it, minorities would be represented. Well, they may be represented under this Bill, but can he say that minorities are not represented now f So far as lam concerned I know that it will make no difference to my district. lam always ready to attend the wants of my constituents, no matter whether they are for or against me. If a man wants anything done for him I do not ask him whether he voted for me or not— \ and, in fact, J am not supposed to know, and I think that any member who has the welfare of the colony at heart will do the same. For ray part, therefore, I believe that minorities are as well represented now as they are likely to be under any other scheme of voting. There was one thing, that seemed rather strange to me. We know that the member for Grey Lynn had some difference at last election either with the Registrar of Electors, or with the Returning Offieer, and he felt aggrieved because his majority was not larger than it was, so that I do not think his utterances at the present time are very consistent. Naturally, I am always pleased to get a majority, just as.the member for Grey Lynn is. Now, it has been said by the hon member for Waikouaiti that this measure would play into the hands of the wealthy men, who would be able to get through the country more freely than a poor man. Well, there is something in that; but there is another class into whose hands it would play, and that is the large centres. They, would have as big a say as the capitalists. The large centres would, of course, vote for the men who advocated the measures they approved of, and, although they have only one vote each, they would all vote in a block in one directien, and I believe they would play a prominent part in an ejection. It is for these reasons that I shall give my vote against the Bill."