Proportional Representation.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 May 1914, Page 3

Proportional Representation.

ADDRESS BY MR J. McCOMBE I m.p: i Under the auspices of the Social Democratic Party, Mr J. McCombe, the member for Lyttelton, gave an address on "Proportional Representation" last evening in tho Oddfellows' Hall, Levin. Mr J. Robertson, M.P., occupied the chair, and in a few brief Vemarks introduced the speaker. Mr McConibe, m opening his address, stated that it was to the glory of .England that site was first among the nations in giving the people representation through Parliament. It had not come all at once. Magna Charta was a barons' chatra - not a people's charta. That yet remained to be written, and as far as New Zealand Avas concerned they would write it as soon as fhey had a party holding the reins of Government, animated by a democratic spirit. In his opinion they would never get rid of parties. There would always bo two: one that wanted to move fonvard and the other that AA-ould be content to remain as it Avas. Tn New Zealand they had a method of election that was bad, Avhereas they should have had a good one, as they had the experiences of other countries to profit by. Tho Second Ballot Bill was better than the ofcT system, and Mr McNab's Absolute Majority Bill would have been a great deal better, a'e it secured the same result as tlie second ballot, I with the expense of only one election, and saved fhe intriguing that, occurred bet-Aveen the two ballots. The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher's majority Representation Bill, proposed some years ago, did not give majority representation, but encouraged electors to give dishonest votes. Proportional representation Avas something a good deal better than any of these: it meant that instead of Parliament representing half the people, it Avould represent the avliolo of the people. It did not do this hoaa\ At the last election 414,000 vo'tes were cast. Of this number 236,000 votes secured representation and 178,000 did not. Proportional representation aimed at the representation of all parties, and Avas the only system .that Avould secure majority rule. Either the majority must rule or the minority must rule, and he strongly upheld the right of the majority to rulebut the minority must be heard. Even if Parliament was elected on the proportional system, it Avould not be democratic Avithout the initiative and referendum. The sovereign poAver should be in the hands of the people, and they should have the right to review hnrs passed by their representatives or bring- up doav I,'uvs for them to consider. The ideal system under proportional voting Avould be to poll tho Avhole country as one electorate, but it Avas found expedient to start Avith electorates with five or seven members and not less than three. The electorates could be* enlarged later. Every considerable minority would have representation under the proportional system, and they AA-ould have a House of Represontativps Avorthy of the name. A r ote splitting would be impossible under it : they would get rid of praneTiial politics and get bigger atiTl better men.

At flip conclusion a number of questions were asked and -were answered by Mr McCombe, who elaborated different points.

On the motion of Mr Robertson n vote of thanks was accorded Mr McCoinbe for his address.