TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 129, 14 July 1941, Page 4

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

I \ LET us endeavour to be fair! The prospects of an election this year appear to be somewhat vague since the Hon. Walter Nash stated that the whole question would .be held over pending the arrival of the Prime Minister. It would be rather unbecoming for the present Government to talk of postponing the eleation after the mass of criticism hurled at.the old Reform house, for daring to take a similar line of action during the depression. Granted, there; is a real emergency existing to-day, but with Labour s steadfast refusal t£> form a Coalition,, there must surely be the right of the country to determine its future policy. In fact the more* crucial the time, the greater the need for the unfailing vote of the masses per medium of the ballot box. This is fundamental democracy, unless a combined, Government of all parties has been effected to meet the emergency. The position of the Whakatane electorate is one which is probably without precedent at the present time. While not seeking to detract in any way from the splendid example set by Lieut. A. G. Hultquist, now serving with the forces overseas; and nobly doing his duty to humanity, we: feel that we owe a duty to the people of his electorate in taking pains to point out the very singular and somewhat invidious position in which they have been placed by the further enlistment of Mr A. F. Moncur, M.P. for Rotorua, who had undertaken to watch over their interests during Mr Hultquist's absence. Our warmest congratulations to Mr Moncur, but the other side of -the picture portrays something like 15,000 people whose political representation has virtually ceased to exist. Mr Moncur states that he has arranged for Mr Coleman, M.P., to foster the interests of the Bay of Plenty electorate:. With all due respect to Mr Coleman. we feel that he cannot possibly do anything like justice to the huge area now Jeft vacant. Granted again, that war conditions are not conducive to the same amount of responsibility for the average M.P. but when two adjoining electorates are suddenly deprived, of their representatives, and a neighbouring M.P. is cited as being willing to shoulder their interests along with his own, we wonder what he could have been doing before so lightly undertaking the triple load. Experience tells quite definitely, that the arrangement was purely one of convenience to tide over the position,until the return. Until however, electors can be told for just how long this state of affairs is likely to reign, the fairest and most obvious thing to do is to give them the right of an election, whereby some candidate, Labour, National or Independent could be returned to watch over their interests. How can it be possible for a man living a hundred miles away, whose primary duty is to his own electorate, who lacks completely all local knowledge and colour; and who already has his hands full with his own affairs, to be able to attend to the political needs of an electorate the size of ours. Let us emphasise here again, our determination to be strictly fair and impartial. It has been the policy of the BEACON to refrain from taking sides in all questions political and had, the same position arisen relative to a candidate we would have had no hesitation in .making the same observations. We are merely taking the side of the; electors generally. Furthermore, we feel that should the M.P.'s now doing their duty overseas, be asked for their honest opinions on. the point, that they to would be with us in saying "If there is to be an election let there be a complete coverage of the country, so that the people of all electorates are given the chance to voice their opinion, and indicate their desire as to what shall be the future policy of the country.'*