LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10714, 5 October 1912, Page 5

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

PRIME MINISTER'S RFSOLU- j TiOXS. AN Avi'NDMKXT I'RO POSED. ' (By Tth'jiuj'h—f:,sa Association.) IXC iOX, Last Xi-ht. iii the of .Ko'^vspntativi'rt •this r.ftcrnw:;, i!:e Prime 31i;:i.-u<tr W. F. AJassey) moved the motion of which ho had pr< iously given iL" tin- effect tlinL it is desir- j a hie that a change in the constitution of the Legislative Council shall b? effected by the present Parliament; that "the alteration bo from appointment by the , L '•.em or to election by direct vote at j polls of the electors qualified to vole j at the sienerai election for n\oin!)'M'!< of tlio House; that the election be on the proportional system, and therefore by large electoral divisions ; l.hr.t .tho number of elected members oilier "iu V,a;:-rN he HI. of whom 20 shall be elected at each general election for the House of Representatives, every member to sit for two Parliaments; than :ii! elecinval division for teh Coun■cil shall be made co-terminus with the 1 •aggregate of a number of existing electorates Fori he House; and that, provision hi- made for preserving: to tho TTouso tho exclusive control of all matters of fina.iee and also for cases ' where tho Council and Ho" r -:e i.:];imntely fail to arrive at anv nereenierit on any proposed legislation. Mr

Massey stated that the lats> <ir '"George orev had always advocated an elective Upper' House. Such was ono of the planks of the platform <>;. which they liar' won the list. i-lei-'tion. Ho believer! the reform would'

bo brought about by them. He point- ' od out that a large number of mcm~l)ers of the Council had voted for i the Pill introduced there, which j showed that th<\v affirmed the principle. His revolutions did not alios the present franchise. Some of the ' country's wisest and ablest men liad expressed 1 the opinion that Mio Coun- • oil should be elective. The system which obtained now was almoin - o!y wrong from the point of view of Parliament and the people. Tlky could not get good results. They w-re not wedded to the principle of .•.;<■!> Island being an electorate. He bo"lieved they would have to divPo the country into four electorates, rolu'>:~ing forty members. They hear I a l.ot«. >f tho proportional system being onnplicated,. It was n r»tbinr?" of the sort. Tt was more simole than the present system, and f on: into operation ho was convinced there "would he a. less number of informal | ' votes than at present. ' Tho system would do away with parish numo politics and the professional politici.iii He honed that when the time came | some of tho present members ( ,f the Cor/neil would 1>" candidate:-'. and would be elected. Provision 'ronM he. made for th° election of i vn Ma"ri members. The Council would rot ' T)e able to 'nitiate any dealing with finance. 11' tho Council met- the House in Confceneo on . • «i matter, and no agreement was arrived at, the Governor would he asked to grant a dissolution. He believed that in time the system of proportional representation wonVl apply to the Lower House. They had promised a reform of the Upper 1 House, and. that would be put into effect beforo the next election. He felt sure that his resolutions would bo carried hy a huge ma.jorUv of the House. AN AMENDMENT. Mr G. W. Russell said the carrying • of tlio resolutions would bring about a huge revolution in the Government of the country. He moved as an amendment to omit all words after the word "That," and to insert the following words in lieu thereof: "Til the opinion of this House it is desirable that the Government • should state its proposals for the electoral reform of the House of Representatives was indicated on page 1> of the Budget), prior to the discussion of tho proposals fon the alteration of the constitution of the Council, "the two questions being insuperably connected." Mr Russell held tint a reform of the mothod ol election of the Lower House should precede- reforms in the Council. Ihe 'Opposition party had for years fully recognised tho necessity for reform of the Council, but the real question was. was there necessity for a Second Chamber? Throughout the Dominion there was a large body of opinion against its continuance. Even the Premier regarded tho Council as being chiefly a revisory body. He contended that if tho proportional representation scheme had been in force during the last election, the LiberalLabour Government would have been on the Treasury benches now. If that system were adopted, there would bo no need for a Second "Chamber. .The Premier should say what he would do in tho event cf the country deciding in fivour of proportional representation for both Chambers. THE QUESTION DEBATED. Mr Sidev said he would vote for the resolutions as against the present system. The Hon. J. Allen contended that tvhile Mr Russell's amendment was an indirect challenge to a policy mea-