POLITICAL SUICIDE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 12, 15 January 1926, Page 6

POLITICAL SUICIDE.

The Labour members of the Legislative Council in New South Wales have been compelled to sign a pledge that they will vote for the abolition of the Council to which they belong. Formal notice of the introduction of a bill to abolish the Council has already been given, and the measure will probably be proceeded with in the Upper House at the end of next week. The question of the abolition of the Council has not been placed before the electors as a' definite issue, although it was included in the general Labour platform at the last election. It is a very vital matter, and involves far-reaching changes in the Constitution of the State., The electors are clearly entitled to abolish the Council if they will, but its abolition ought to rest on a clear and unmistakeablc mandate from the people. The function of an Upper House is to delay legislation which it believes does not rest on the express wish of the people. It is always possible for a Government in power to introduce measures which are purely party in , their nature, and it is possible that such measures, when they have not been made a definite issue at an election, might not meet with the approval of the -majority of the electors. In any case there are numerous political matters which require time for their consideration and debate, and an Upper House frequently provides this opportunity by rejecting a measure when it is first introduced. If an Upper House were to be merely an echo of the Lower, there would be no reason for its existence. Queensland, in 1021, abolished its Legislative Council, and is now governed by a single Chamber. This was accomplished by the process of swamping, the nominee Legislative Council with Labour members, without any clearly-expressed mandate from the people. Indeed, strong petitions were addressed "to the Crown against the grant of the Royal sanction to the measure. The Crown, however, refused to interfere, and the actions of the Government, including the abolition of the Council, were approved by the electors at the general election of 1923. It is possible, therefore, that the New South Wales Government -wrill receive a similar endorsement at the next general election. But there is no certainty that it will do so. • .