LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10700, 22 August 1912, Page 5

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM

BILL BEFORE THE"COUNCIL

SECOND READING PROPOSED

(By Telegraph—Press Assnri'iiinn.) WELLINGTON, Last Night. In the Legislative Council this afternoon, the Hon H. .1). .Bp!I. Minister of Internal Affairs,, moved the second reading of the Legislative Council Elections Bill. He said that the proposed change was from'a selectee! to an elected Second Chamber, a chamber responsible to "the direct vote of r.iio people at the poll;;. If the principle of the change was approved, all i!se was the definition of the method by which the change should be effected. and on that high level he honed the debate would be conducted. The details of the Bill were a proper subject for debate, but not as a factor of the vote of any member oil the second reading. It was 011 the principle of election against nomination, and not 011 the method, that the Government at this stage sought the vote of the Council. The Minister then proceeded to give a summary of the efforts to vary the .Constitution. An explanation of the principles and details of the measure, and the reasons which had led the Government to introduce the Bill, was also given. Incidentally, the Minister declared that the change made in 1891 from life tenure to seven years was in its essence unsound, and he pointed out that so far back as ISB3 the Whittaker-Atkin-son Government declared that "public opinion was fast coming to the conclusion that an elective should be substituted for a nominative chamber." Since 1891, the question of council reform had been constantly debated i" the country, and in.both branches of the Legislature. Throughout the past twenty-one years the party now led by Mr Massey had been in favour of an elective council, and at the last election the change was advocated by men of all parties. The present state of affairs was wholly improper and jinomalous. It did not create a chamber independent of the Government that I appointed it. nor did it create a revising chamber, except in detail. Certain matters had been designedly omitted from the Bill, to be dealt with at a later stage. One was Maori representation, and another the method to be pursued in connection with disputes between the two branches of the Legislature. As it was impossible to have scrutineers at 3000 booths, it was proposed that the Government should appoint, on the nomination of the Council, four scrutineers, two to

iict for each island, on behalf of all candidates. The ordinary term of tenure of iho Council would be six years. If the House required to so to the country in the interval, then half the Council would also go to the country This offered a L>i«; opportunity for introducing new blood. The ideal of the proportionate representation was a body representative of all sections of the community. That was the proportional representation they sought. He would be prepared to accept reason able amendments, and even a complete alteration in some of the sections, but the Government would not accept any method of secondary election. It was part of the Government policy to discard patronise. Tt was their desire to administer the affairs of State for the benefit of the country, not for the benefit of a party. They would either pass the measure, or be defeated at the polls. What he proposed was for the dignity of the Council, as well as in the interests of the country as a whole-. The Hon Mr George moved the ad- , iournment of the debate, and the Council rose.