DATE CHANGED FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 21 September 1946, Page 5

DATE CHANGED FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

♦ AMENDING BILL COMES BEFORE PARLIAMENT WELLINGTON, Sept. 20. The timo for tlie holding of eleetions for local autliorities is changed from May to November and a reversion made to mid-week polling, by the Local Eleetions and Polls Amendment Bill which was introduced aml read the lirst time in the House of Representatives this afternoon. The Bill provides that next year and in future, the elections shall be held on the last Wednesday in November. The present position is that the next elections are due to be held on the third Saturday in Mav, 1947. Vriffiere is also provision in thetjBill '-cdhcefnin'g-.enrolnients. It •is,;pjcppnh'ecl toiftuthdj'ise lQ'c&i . body jds^' tlil parliftilifeiit-afy' -r'olls LfdK th#=" coful piiation. of- lo'cal body rolls. Tliis will apply only in those cas'es whfere the residential franchise operates. Thd Bill also gives the right for a residential elector to make a declaration vote if his name is not 011 a local body roll but is 011 the parliamentary roll. It is also proposed in the Bill to abolish the occupiers ' qualilication and luisband and wife qualilication. It is stated this provision will mainly affedboroughs and certain specially consti tuted local autliorities. A further provision lixes a uniform elosing -day for all local body rolls and a uniform nomination day for the elections. Following the reversion to Wednesday polling, the elosing hour of the polJ is exteuded in all cases to 7 o'clock in the afternoon. Hou. W. E. Parry, who is in charge of the Bill, said it was a simple one. Mr. S. G. Holland asked If the Munieipal Association agreed with the provisions. Mr. Parry replied that he did not ■ tbink there would be much disagreement. He had received many represen tations on the matters proposed in the Bill. Opposition voices: Who from? Mr. Parry: From various sections of the community. Mr. K. J. Ilolyoake said it was represented to him a fortnight ago by a local body, that some such Bill was: pending and that it was the policy of the Government to bustle through legislation. Local bodies would 1'ike to took at the Bill. It seemed obvioits that it had been in stoek for some time. Did the Minister intend to send the Bill to the Loeal Bills Committee of the House and also to give local bodies ample opportunity to make representations? Mr. Fraser said whether the Bill would be sent to tlie Committee woiild be eonsidered. It was not a loeal Brll. Local Bodies' AssoeiationS, hotVever^ were entitled to an opportunity to study'the Bill an'd that should he possible as it was not likely to eoffie before the House until after Oetober 2,