MAORI VOTING METHOD

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21243, 15 August 1934, Page 12

MAORI VOTING METHOD

* REFERENCE BY PRIME MINISTER | "NO WORKABLE ALTERNATIVE TO PRESENT SYSTEM" fFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, August H. Reform in the voting system for the Maori elections has frequently been adveated, particularly by Mr E. T. Tirikatene (Southern Maori), but the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes) said in the House to-night that no workable alternative to the 1 present open voting methods had been found. | "I have gone into the question with the chief electoral officer," said Mr Forbes, when speaking on the Electoral Amendment Bill, "but no system that has been suggested so far would be an improvement on the present one." Mr R. Semple 'Lab.. Wellington East): You could not possibly get a worse one. Mr Forbes: We arc still willing to do all we can to improve the present system, to make it as simple and as secret as possible. Mr D. W. Coleman (Lab., Gkbome): Why not let them have scrutineers? Mr Forbes: Wo have looked into that, but there arc objections. If wo can get a workable scheme, wc will be quite prepared to consider it. "The Prime Minister says he can see no way of improving the electoral system of the Maoris." said the leader of the Opposition, Mr M. J. Savage. "I cannot imagine a more stupid method than the present one. Maori voters have to stand in queues telling the electoral officer the name of the candidate for whom they wish to vote. How many Europeans would like to vote under thoste conditions?" Mr H. M. Rushworth (Ind.. Bay of Islands*: Shouldn't there be electoral rolls for the Maoris'' Mr Savage: There should be. but the Prime Minister evades that. Ho speaks of the Maoris as if they were cave men—as if they were men and women without the qualifications of ordinary el'ectors. They are just as capable of voting in the usual way as anyone else. There is no reason why ttwy should not vote in the same way as Europeans. The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates: It can't work. Mr Savage: That is the end of it, then, because the Minister for Finance say?; it o'Sn't work. Mr Coatee: Yon would fVv* Ih.it nut if you discussed it with the Maoris. Mr Snvirje: T hive done that, and T fhinlc the Maoris know whnt they want. I havV> heard a reorcsentative of the native race in this House asking for sonr" alteration. Doe* hj» not know what his own race needs? we have to send certain European electors into a booth with someon's to sunervise voting, that could be done for iU'Writ" Mioris. Mnor's r>r" n l -.<-.<-.rl in +V' '-"-.sit'V-n nf nnt rt«ri"-' '-. t.-/„o against th? Government candidate.