POPULAR RULE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 296, 10 September 1919, Page 5

POPULAR RULE

f—.— THE REFERENDUM AND INITIATIVE A LABOUR BILL DISCUSSED

"If Labour, instead of fiddling about with ideals, would direct its attention to the practical politics of the country and bring forward a practical programme that would appeal to tins country, it would do very much better work," euid ill - . J. Payne (Grey Lynn) in the liouso of Representees yesterday. He 'was condemning Mr. J. M'Coinbs's Popu. lar Initiative and Referendum Bill. Mr. M'Coinbi argued that the people ought to have direct control of legislation, ,any ten per cent, of the electors having the right to demand a referendum on- any subject at any time. Mr. Payne ro. torted that the idea would bo utterly unworkable. No Lalxmr Government could mako progress uuder such conditions, since a ten par cent, minority of tne people could continually stultify tho Government and Parliament by requiring plebiscites on cleverly drafted pro. posals. Mr. Payne advised the Labout Parfcy to adopt "all the - tricks and subterfuges of -toe older politics," to make office its objective and to show the people when it gained office that it was worthy of contidence. Mr. 11. Holland (Grey) assured tho House that the Labour Party stood tru» to its high principles and was never going to adopt the tactics of the older parties. He gave unqualified support to the initiative and reierendum, so that tho pooplo might hare direct, control of tho lams of the country. • Mr; W. D. Stewart (Lunedin West) said the right of tho initiative and referendum followed logically from tho franchise. . It was lieing increasingly favoured by constitutional authorities. Mr. Payno: Where is it in operation? Nowhere. Mr. Stewart replied that Parliament ought to welcome every additional means of giving eft'ect to.tho -nil of tho people. The present Parliamentary system was placing increasing power in the hands of Cabinet, and it appeared that the course of safety and of democracy was to put moro direct power at the-dis-posal of the people.. Sir John Pandlay (Bawke's. Bay) said, the previous speaker had echoed the ideas of practically every thoughtful student of constitutional government. Swiss experience had nut proved that tho referendum and the initiative meant recklessly rapid change:). Tho influence bad been in the other direction. Thoso who witnessed the Cabinet system from the point of view oIV/abour overlooked the fact that wherever Labour gained office it adopted the caucus .system, which was open to tin; samo objections as the Cabinet system in that'it meant government outside the view of the people. Some measure of initiative and referendum was essential in any well, ordered democracy. The Hon. J. A. Hanan 6aid the House had moro than once passed legislation for the introduction of the referendum with initiative, but the Upper House had blocked the way. Support of the refer, endum was.a test of democratic principles. Tho people had a right to be con. suited, and he saw no reason why any party should be, afraid to trust the electors. Mr. Hanan thought the time was opportune for the abandonment of the worst features of tho party system. The party 6ystoin was responsible for tho present situation of the political parties, which were bidding against one another with reckless proposals for 1 the expenditure of loan money. Mr. C. H. Poole (Auckland East) 6ur>. ported the principle embodied in the Bill. There has been a phenomenal submission to tho oppressive legislation passed in this country during the last five years," ho 6aid. The war had made necessary drastio action by a few representatives of the people. Domestic legislation, in the meantime,, had been neglected, and the result had been general discontent. The replacement of Cabinet Government by the people's direct control of legislation would not involve danger, and ought to be given a ohanco to prove its effectivenes;-. The Bill was introduicd and read a first time.