THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24712, 1 November 1945, Page 4

THE COUNTRY QUOTA

Second Reading OfJOl LONG DEBATE IN HOUSE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) -; ■ ,: -WELLINGTON, LV The second Reading Debate on the Electoral Amendment Bill followed an unusual course in the House of Representatives last evening, when urgency was taken from the beginning, no extensions of time were . granted, and Government members stopped speaking after 10.30 p.m.; when the Houseowent off.the air. The debate was continued *>y Opposition members until the early hours of this morning. Dealing-with objections which had been raised to the bill's pajor PKK visions, the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser).said it was interesting to realise that the Representation Act of 1881 was introduced with only the scantiest warning to the country by Sir John Hall. It was not, however, intro? duced without a keen fight, which cut right across party affiliations as they then existed. Mr Fraser quoted Mr D. Stewart, father of the . Hon. W. Downie Stewart, as saying that "the country quota was conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity ■. In 1888 Sir Robert Stout introduced a. bilLto abolish the country quota, "but there -was a, stonewall, and the' only' result; was to reduce the quota from 25 per cent, to 18 per cent. However, an election followed, and .in 1889 Sir Harry Atkinson introduced a bill extending the quota to 28 per cent., which had obtained since. The country quota was the last attempt of landed interests to I offset the. principle of one man one vote. Men' such as Sir George Grey and . John" Ballance did not hesitate to oppose:it. ';,' ■■■;'.'■. "Numerous Precedents" ,| ;j It had been alleged that the present 'Government was acting 'xinconstitu-1 tionally, but there were numerous | precedents of a Government bringing down an important measure and later asking the country to express its opinion. ' Gladstone did that with his Home Rule Bill in 1885. That was what Atkinson did when he ; "introduced the present country quota without consulting the country, and what was._good enough to usher in the. country quota was good enough: s to usher-ji .but.. The life of Parliament was extended in the same way' in 1931. Mr D. C. Kidd (Opposition, Waitaki): But you opposed it: -^ .Mr Fraser: Sure, and I am not complaining that the honourable member is opposing this bill. Let him fight it, and I will respect".him, although I■ do not agree with hisN outlook/ Mr Fraser said the country had started off with . the adult population as the electoral basis.

Mr A.'S. Sutherland (Opposition. Hauraki): That belongs to the , dark ages. , Mr Fraser: And the honourable gentleman still believes in them (Government laughter).

Mr Fraser was declaring that there' should be no. difference between town and country when the bell rang to indicate that he - had five. more* minutes speaking time.

Mr H. E. Combs (Government, Wellington Suburbs) moved' an extension of the Prime Minister's time, to which the Opposition protested, and Mr Fraser, concluding, said the fact that he was not given an extension.' was proof that the Opposition had grasped .what he was trying to point out. He declared that no ssction of the country was going to dictate to the Government (Opposition- laughter). No section was going to move the Government by its threats. To use the country's economy for political purposes was rebellion. (More' Opposition laughter.) ".

The i country quota, declared Mr Fraser. was never right, was fundamentally wrong, was the antithesis of democracy, and had been on the statute book too'long. The pony arid buggy days had gone altogether. Farmers had done wonderful .service, but that did not mean that they deserved 28 per cent, more value, in voting,'nor was the country returned soldier entitled to a greater voting power than the town "returned soldier. He then moved the second reading of of the bill, "hoping that a blot on the statute book -will be removed forever." "No Reasons Given** The Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) said the Prime Minister had not given one,single reason for the abolition of the country quota. ' The legislation had been designed to benefit one section of the people only—supporters of the Government; There was a deep sense of justice in the heart of every New Zealander, and an equally deep resentment'against the misuse of. justice. He always thought it cheating to play the fifth ace in the pack and this was the Government's fifth political ace. What did one vote one value mean he asked when it was realised that the member for Southern Maori, with 741 of 1120 votes cast in the last election, held a seat, and the member for Remuera had 11,000 votes. He-be-lieved there was no mandate for the Government to justify this legislation. The people of the Dominion hated anything that suggested cheating or unfair practice. That was why townsmen as well as country men opposed the bill. Mr Holland challenged the Hon. E T. Tirikatene that if he was- not prepared to apply the principle of the bill to his own people he should abstain from voting on its application to European electorates.

An Opposition voice: Hear, hear. Mr Holland said the abolition of the country quota would adversely affect production for export. That would be a bad thing for the country, particularly for manufacturers, who were wholly dependent on our foreign trade Mr Holland said that the Prime Minister did not actually believe in one vote one value. In the Prime Minister's own case more votes were cast against him at the last election than for him, but he had not refused the emoluments pf office. Another instance of, the fact that one- v6te one value did not apply to the business of the House was connected with the decision to send a force to Japan. If'that proposal had been submitted to a free vote of members of the House, said Mr Holland, the force would have been a voluntary one only. Let the Prime Minister deny that if he would. Appointment of Commission The Minister of Health (the Hon. A! H. Nordmeyer) said no objection could be taken to the method of appointment to the boundary commission. The appointments would be referred to in Parliament. ' *' Mr A. S. Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki): But that is no good. You will have your orders from the Trades Hall. ■ . . Mr Nordmeyer said if, would be time enough to object to the appointments when they were announced. Mr K. J. Holyoake (Opposition, Pahiatua) said he had received • many telegrams protesting against the bill. Mr J. Thorn (Government, Thames): Organised. Mr Holyoake said the country quota was not peculiar to New Zealand. It operated in Western Australia, Victoria, and the same principle applied' in the United States Senate elections, and to a lesser extent in England, Canada', in the last elections, rather than perpetrate an injustice when so many people were displaced because .of the war, had its constitution altered so as not to interfere with the electoral boundaries. Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga) said the purpose behind the bill was the desire of the Government to prolong its own life. The Opposition fought for a principle. Mr Thorn: A principal. (Left Sitting.)