PAIRS AND PROXY VOTING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25227, 4 July 1947, Page 8

PAIRS AND PROXY VOTING

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION IN LOBBIES OF HOUSE (From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, July 3. With an apparent deadlock on the question of granting pairs, the prospect of the introduction of oroxy voting to the House of Representatives to onset the Government’s narrow yoting margin is again being discussed in the lobbies. It now appears that the Government, in existing circumstances, may not be completely happy to carry on the “gentleman’s agreement” reached last session, under which pairs were granted in cases of unavoidable absence, with each case considered on its merits. So far this session there has been only vne division and a pair was not granted then to compensate for the absence f rom the Government benches of Mr A. S. Richards (Mount Albert) because it was not asked for. After that division the Opposition agreed to grant a pair for Mr Richards, for any further divisions in that particular debate. but as it happened no further divisions were called for and the pair was not exercised. Another matter under discussion between the two parties is the balance of representation on select committees. It is certain that if any Government plan to introduce proxy voting comes oefore the House the Opposition will strongly oppose it