PARLIAMENT

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3668, 21 July 1927, Page 4

PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. YESTERDAY’S PROCEEDINGS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 19. In the House of Representatives this evening the following hills were introduced by Governor-General’s message: Lands for Settlement Amendment Bill (Hon. A. D. McLeod) ; Child WelfareAmendment Bill (Hon. R. A. Wright) ; Inspector of Machinery Act Amendment (Hon. G. J. Anderson) ; Shops and Offices Amendment Bill (Hon. G. J. Anderson) ; Noxious Weeds Amendment Bill (Hon. 0. J. Hawken) ; Horticultural Diploma Bill (Hon. 0. JHawken); Samoan Bill (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) . _ LEGISLATURE AMENDMENT BILL

In moving the second reading of the Legislature Amendment Bill, Hon. A. D. McLeod said that the most important change proposed in the bill was the setting up of a Permanent Electoral Boundaries Commission consisting of the Surveyor-General, the Government Statistician and the chief electoral officer. Separate North and South Island commissions were to be abolished. By this means he hoped to save some £7OO on each occasion on which the boundaries were altered. After each census the commission would be required to divide the Dominion into electoral areas by the same method as at present. Urban areas were defined as cities or boroughs with a population of over 2000, and in the case of the four chief centres such additional area as the Governor-General might determine. Outside those areas the country was regarded as rural, and when the commission worked out the necessary quotient to enable 76 European members to be apportioned to the constituencies they shall add to the actual rural population an extra 28 per cent. So far as possible the commission was to fix the boundaries, so that no licensed premises were placed in a nolicense area. Provision was made in the bill for electors to exercise postal votes if on polling day they were absent from New Zealand or would not be within, five miles of the neai'est polling place. Similar facilities would be extended to ill or infirm persons and to lighthouse-keepers and their staffs. A number of other amendments to the present electoral law were designed with the object of improving the system. The Minister explained that toe provisions with regard to enrolling electors had been tightened up, and when the bill got into committee lie was prepared to give every consideration to a number of suggestions which had been thrown out by members. Several points of the bill were discussed by members, and the Minister in reply said that he had instructed liis officers to prepare a • bill dealing with two vital points, viz., the size of the commission and the system of postal votes. The clause dealing with city and urban areas was put in at the request of the chairman of the. Representation Commissions and had no purpose except to aid the commissions in their work. Personally, he did not care whether the clause was retained or not. No exception had been taken to the proposals regarding postal voting except as regards the regulations to be made, but that was a matter that could be easily adjusted. The electoral rolls of the country were in an excellent condition and the country could, if necessary, go to an election in three weeks. The position of compulsory registration was also good now. At first there was a little laxity, but a few convictions in each electorate had brought the people to a sense of their duty. He was quite prepared to accept an amendment on the subject of an election petition if a suitable one could be put- forward. He knew that there were disadvantages in all systems of absent voters’ permits, and he did not know how those disadvantages could be got over. He was, however, prepared to consider this and other points on which he had an open mind when the bill was in committee. The bill was read the second time on the voices and the House rose at midnight till 2.30 p.m.