Mr. Holland Protests Against Arrangements

Chronicle (Levin), 22 October 1949, Page 5

Mr. Holland Protests Against Arrangements

Press % Association )

(Per

WELLINGTON, Oct. 21. The Prime Minister 's statement that provision had been made for New Zealanders overseas to record their votes in the General Election gave a wrong inipression of the position, stated the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) this eveniiig. He added that though there were a large number of New Zealanders overseas, particularly in England, the Government had so far failed to make any speeial arrangements for recording their votes. No facilities mother than the existing provision for postal voting had been provided, said Mr Holland. This was in marked ' contrast to the initiative shown by the Australian Government which was reeently reported to have installed a speciai recording officer at Australia House, London. Australians who wished to vote while in England would be able to apply to this officer, but New Zealanders in England would be exc-luded from voting uniess they made written applicationbeforehand to their returning officer in | New Zealand who would send them the necessary document by airmaii. Vot. , ing papers could not be sent until the writs were issued and had to be return ed to New Zealand by 7 p.m. on polling day. Thus the time allowed for the procedure was approximately 21 days. 1 Though New Zealanders in the United , Kingdom were not precluded from voting much would depend on airmaii conneetions. A recent cable message from the Press Association representative iu London stated that hundreds of in 1 quiries had been received in New Zeaj land House and considerable irritation | was being felt at the lack of informa1 tion available. If the Government had . appointed a returning officer. in London I as the Opposition had repeatedly re- | quested the whole procedure would | have been simplified. The postal vot1 ing procedure also applied to New ZeaI land voters in Australia, -but in That case the frequeney of the airmaii service made it a simple matter for postal votes to be east.