REFORM PROPOSALS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1543, 12 September 1912, Page 5

REFORM PROPOSALS.

■ ;. ♦■ . ■ • j THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. BILL TO BE INTRODUCED, A SERIES OF RESOLUTIONS, In the House of Representatives yesterflay afternoon the Prime Minister intimated that on the next sitting day he Unuld move the following resolutions:— 1; That it is essential that an alteration- in the constitution of the Legislative Council shall be effected by an Act to bo passed by tho present Parliament. 2. That such alteration shall be from the existing method of appoint'ment by the Governor to election by direct vote at the polls of the electors qualified to vote for members of the House. , ; ■ > 3. That such election shall be upon the proportional system, and, therefore, by large electoral divisions. i. That the number of elected ' tnembers of the' Council, other than Maoris, shall be forty, of whom twenty ghall be elected at each general election of the House of Representatives, every-such member to sit for the period of ,two Parliaments. 5. That an'electoral division for election to the Council shall be coterminous with the aggregate of a number of existing electorates for this House. ■-..'.■'. ■6. That provision be made similar ■ to the provisions of the constitution of the Commonwealth pf Australia for preserving to' this House, exclusive , control in all matters of .finance, and also for cases.where the Council and this House ultimately fail to arrive at agreement on any proposed legislation. •' The Prime Minister gave notice to introduce the Legislative Council Bill. • -. Mr. G. W. Russell (Avon) asked whether the Prime Minister intended to have [two separate discussions, one on the resolutions and one on the Bill? i Tht> Prime Minister: Yes. He was quite ' frilling, he, added, to have the two dis- ■''; (Missions at one time if tho House so de- . leired, but he considered that it would be inecessary to have 1 two ' discussions. The ißill'and the resolutions dealt with different points.. ■ .- Mr. RusselJ: Will the Hon. gentleman ieay which is the policy 'of the Government, the resolutions or the Bill? ; 'The Prime Minister: One is just as touch a part of the policy of tho Government as the other.-The-House would be, jasked to affirm, by resolution the principle Tof an elective Legislative Council. '■ | ■■' Mr. J. C. Thomson: Is that not fish- , sng?V ■'■' The Prime Minister: No. One objection Wised to the Bill recently introduced iu Another place was that tho House of Representatives had never affirmed the prin)ciple of an elective Upper House, Mr. R. M'Kenzie: It has been done. ■ ; The Prime .Minister: I am'asking the House now ,to affirm tho principle of an {elective Legislative Council. ' Mr! ,T. K. Sidey.. (Dunedin South) asked .what the Government proposals were with ■KgarStx) the ejection of (he Lower House. STheso proposals might affect the attitude , Nof members towards tho proposals for the Ireform of the Upper House. Tho Prime Minister : said that the pro- 1 px>sals of the- Government,* so--far! as the . julouse.of Representatives was concerned, lyoitld be brought down lioxt session. ..,- .Mr!.-: G. Witty' (Riccorton): - Will the jfton. gentleman tell us which he means to '<jpass, tho Bill or the resolutions? The Prime Minister: Both. The Hon. R. M'Kenzie (Motueka) said /that a good many members were in favour of, abolishing the Upper House altogether and setting up a. committee. [ ' A member: How can you do it? , } Mr. M'Kenzie said that it was very easy #0 do it. All that was necessary was to Jet the. nnmber of members of the Legislative Council fall below 12, Then the .Council could not hold a.sitting. He was ■lather surprised that tho Prime Minister had not allowed a private member to introduce this resolution. He would hav» i£ot the. feeling of the House much better. • : (Laughter.) The Prime Minister: Is that a joke. The Bill in connection with Legislative ■Council reform, of which Mr.'Massey gave 'Notice in the House yesterday, and which was considered at a caucus of the party yesterday morning, is said to bo a short pleasure of one or two clauses, It is understood that the purport of the Bill is to considerably reduce the term of office in the case of future appointments to the Council. At present the terra is for seven J 'ears. It is conceivable that with such a engthy term there might be some difficulty in carrying the Government's main i3ill through the Council.