THREE YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 272, 16 November 1937, Page 9

THREE YEARS.

LENGTH OF PARLIAMENT.

AMENDMENT BILL. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Permanent reversion to the three-year term of Parliament is provided for jn the Electoral Ameiidine-nt Act. which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day by Governor-General's Mortgage and read a first time. The measure also makee alterations in the Maori system of voting to bring it into line with that employed for European elections.

The main operative clause of the bill prescribes that "every House of Representatives hereafter elected ehall, unless the General -Assembly ie sooner diesolved, continue for a period of three years, computed from the day fixed for the return of the writs issued for the general election, of members of the House of Representatives, and no

longer."

The section in the Electoral Amendment Act, 1934, which introduced the four 3'ear term, ie repealed.

The remainder of the bill sets out the form of Maori voting to be adopted in the future. It ensures that there ehall be secrecy at the Maori elections. The voting forme will be the eame as those used by Europeans, except that the directions are to appear on them printed in Maori and English. Another clause extends the time of the closing of the nolle on election day from four p.m. to five p.m.

A clause ie inserted providing that returning officer* shall lodge the candidates' deposit* at the Bank of New Zealand to the credit of the Chief Electoral Officer, instead of retaining them until after the official declaration of the poll.