THREE-YEAR TERM

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22251, 16 November 1937, Page 10

THREE-YEAR TERM

LIFE OF PARLIAMENT

BILL INTRODUCED IN

house

SECRET 15ALLOT FOR MAORI VOTERS

IFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

WELLINGTON, November .15

The Government's pledge for the restoration of three-year Parliaments is to be redeemed -by the Electoral Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day by GovernorGeneral's Message.

In keeping with the statements made previously by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) the bill also extends to Maori voters the privilege of a secret ballot. The provisidn made in the Electoral Amendment Act, 1934, for extending the life of Parliament to four years, is repealed in the present bill, and the new clause states that the present House of Representatives, and every House elected in future, will hold office for three years unless the General Assembly is dissolved during that time. The term of three years Is to be computed from the day fixed for the return of writs after the General Election.

Maori Elections

Alterations have been made in the method of conducting elections for Maori electoral districts. A Maori voter will be required to apply to a deputy-returning officer for a voting paper and at the same time to answer a set form of questions establishing the fact that he is a bona fide resident of the electoral district concerned, that he has attained the age of 21 years, that he has not voted previously at the election, and that he is not registered on any European roll or otherwise disqualified from voting.

Providing these questions are answered to the satisfaction of the deputy-returning officer a Maori voter will be supplied with a ballot paper and will be entitled to cast his vote in secret and in the same manner prescribed for European elections. Directions to voters on the

ballot papers must appear in both

Maori and English. Polling hours ' for Maori elections are to be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hitherto the polls at 4 p.m. The provisions for the appointment of scrutineers at Maori elections are also brought into line with the practice at European elections.

In all elections the deposits of candidates are to be paid immediately by the returning officer into the deposit account of the chief electoral officer at the Reserve Bank, instead of being retained by the returning officer until after the official declaration of the poll. The bill was read a first time.