WELLINGTON TOPICS
PARLIAMENTARY REFORM.
BETTER REPRESENTATION.
(Special Correspondent).
WELLINGTON, Septembe 10,
Both the Wellington dai.y newspapers notice encouragingly Mr Norton Francis’s suggestion, at the annual dinner of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, that the number of. members of the Dominion’s House of Representatives should be substantially reduced.. “The direct saving by such a reduction,” the “Post” says, “would be worth making; but the indirect saving would be even more valuable With fewer members the time spent in aimless debating would be shortened Bui the greatest benefit of all would be in the effect that the enlargement of electorates would have in compelling members in concentrating their attention on the bigger issues instead ,of running hither and thither on little errands for electors. • • • Members
themselves are mainly responsible for this continued attention of pett affairs They are willing because it all means votes, and even those who are unwilling are compelled to follow suit.” This is no exaggeration of the situation as it is known by regular lookers-on, and it seems that itlie remedy suggested by Mr Francis is the only one available. • OTHER CRITICS. The ‘Dominion” does not refer so confidently to the shortcomings of the House of Representatives as- does its evening contemporary but it realizes there is something lacking in the government of the country. “If Parliament had fewer members,”' it says, “they might be better representatives; if they bad larger interests to watch they might take the larger view. At present members are tied too closely to the parish pum.” While the local newspapers were discussing this matter the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce was preparing a “remit” fir its annual conference urging the Government to appoint “a commission of experts to go into the whole question of the constitution and proceeding of Parliament;” to “reduce the numb-: or of representatives by lia'f;” to “double their stipend;” to “reduce diisticnlly the time limit upon speeches;”’anil to “length the term-of Parlament ‘to five years.” The Pa merston North Chamber would have no half measures. It would go the “who e hog” with a thousand a year honorarium and an assured seat for five years. mending pa rlia.ment. Coming hack to practical .reforms Mr Francis is to be congratulated upon having awakened the newspapers, at any rate, to the need for very drastic parliamentary reform. Just what reductions lie would make in the number of members of the House of Representatives he does not state and, the problem of, the Legislative Council, he does not approach at all. It has been suggested by one of the Chambers of Commerce that the number of. Legislative Councillors should be reduced t' l twenty and kept at that number,' but this would involve a readjustment., of the powers and functions of the nominated branch of the parliamentary, system. As matters . stand:, the twenty, members of the Council might hold up the whole business of Parliament, the Government of the day, however large its majority in the elected chamber might be, having-no authority to override the obstinacy of the nominated twenty survivors of the existing system. Probably it is with this difficulty in view and with the prospect of a revison of the Constitution that Mr Forbes during his term of office has refrained from reappointing councillors whose terms have expired.
DIFFICULTIES IN WAY. Jto may be true, as Mr Francis says, that with much larger electorates the numbers of Parliament would rapidly become better statesmen; but it has to b > remembered, that, fuly, hall .nl the reduced number of members of the House would be city and suburban lepresentatives whose conditions would not be greatly, affected by the change. Tlie rural representatives certainly would have their conditions changed. If the number of members were ‘halved fi. as suggested in several quarters, the representative of the West Coast of the South Island would have to lie constantly on the move to meet Ins constituents once a year. Several other scattered districts would pres; nt the same difficulties and it would be only fair that their representatives in the House should bo specially considered in this respect. The suggestions tlhit have been made, however, are worthy of serious consideration, and tliopgh a smaller Parliament might not cost a great deal less than a ’arger one i* most" likely■ would b? more capa-.e and effective.
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Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1931, Page 3
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720WELLINGTON TOPICS Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1931, Page 3
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