ELECTORAL LAWS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25300, 27 September 1947, Page 10

ELECTORAL LAWS

AMENDMENTS LIKELY NEXT SESSION

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 26. Mr T. C. Webb (Opposition, Rodney), speaking to the vote for the Electoral Department in the House of Representatives to-day, asked if any steps had been taken toward preparation of a Maori roll. He said he did not raise the matter in any party spirit, but he knew members of both parties were anxious to see the roll established.

He also asked if anything had been done to prevent a recurrence of honest mistakes such as those which had been revealed during the hearing of the Raglan petition. Counsel on both sides in the Raglan case had suggested to him that consideration should be given to the adoption of the English law which called for close investigation of a person’s qualifications to enrol, but which held that once his enrolment was accepted his right to vote was beyond challenge, said Mr T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton).

The Minister of Finance (Mr W. Nash) replied that preliminary work for compiling the Maori roll was already under way. The preparation might require a year. An amendment to the present electoral law as to residential qualification was also being prepared, he said, and legislation might be brought down next session. The amendment would remedy defects revealed at Raglan and elsewhere, and consideration would be given to following the English precedent mentioned by Mr McCombs.