THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1929, Page 7

THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

PRFERENTIAL VOTING. PROSPECTS FOR LEGISLATION. WELLINGTON, June in. It is possible that Parliament during the approaching .session will lie asked to consider Government proposals dealing with an alteration of the present electoral system. Accord;ng to the manifesto issued prior to the general election by the Prime Minister ''the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) “tlie United Party disfavours the present unfair system of electing parliamentary members. It will make provi.«:on to ensure that candidates represent an absolute majority of the electors by the adoption of the system of preferential voting, and to give the Maori electors a roll for the four Maori electorates. In the absence of such a roll the scrutineers will be allowed in the polling booth.” The first step the Government has taken towards implementing this policy plank was the sending to Australia recently of the Chief Electoral Officer (.Mr G. T. Hodgkins) with directions to inquire into the operation of the preferential voting system in the Commonwealth, and also into matters concerning representation commissions. Mr Hodgkins returned to Wellington to-day, and the result nlf his inquiries will be embodied in a report to the Government.

Should an electoral measure along the lines indicated collie before Parliament this session its late will he highly problematical. It is fairly well understoon that the Opposition is content with tlie present first-past-the-post method, but ufliile the Labour group have consistently advocated electoral reform it remains to he seen whether they will be satisfied with preferential voting. A private member’s measure introduced in the last Parliament by the Labour member for Lyttelton (Mr J. M’Combs) aimed to establish preferential voting in referenda where more than two issues were involvd, but this, according to a replv given by Mr M’Combs when questioned, on the subject in Wellington last December, had no reference to geiicral parliamentary representation. The only reference to electoral proposals in the 1928 manifesto of the Labour Party reads: “In accord with its policy, as provided in its Preferential Voting Bill, the Labour Party will make provision for. preferential voting at all referenda when move than two issues are on the ballot paper.” As far as parliamentary representa-

tion is concerned. Mi’ jll’fmnNq v- ■ known to be an ardent supporter of proportional i , eprt..-._i.. , .. >o ly different system from preferential voting, and one tne adoption of winch has previously been reported against, in view of the diversity of opinion oil the subject, any Government measure dealing with the electoral system is likely to have a harassing, if not embarrassing, time of it on the floor df the House. The Prime Minister will, no doubt, follow the policy of making basic slow!v in the matter.