Committee Amends Original Provision For Merger Polls

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 16

Committee Amends Original Provision For Merger Polls

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 15. Schemes issued by the Local Government Commission will, in future, be more difficult to defeat by way of ratepayers’ polls, but less difficult than was first intended by legislation now before the House of Representatives. The Local Bills Comrnittee today repotted back to ttie House tbe Local Government Commission Bill, containing a compromise arrangement on the contentious poll provisions.

The committee has made the first procedural step in requisitioning a poll of ratepayers more difficult than the Bill intended. The present law provides that 5 per cent, of elect.in an affected local body district may, by petition, demand a poll where any scheme issued by the commission provides for a union, merger or abolition of a local body district. The bill, as introduced, retained this provision. The committee has included an amendment in the legislation Which will require 15 per eent. at electors to demand such a poll

The present law also provides that 60 per cent, of voters in such a poll must oppose the Scheme to ensure its defeat.

Because of the history of small polls mustering the required 60 per cent., and defeating schemes iwued by the commission, even though only a fractional number of eligible voters took part in the vote, the Government introduced tougher requirements into this year’s amending bill The bill provided that where 80 per cent., or more, of eligible voters took part, a bare majority of valid votes cast would be sufficient to defeat a commission scheme Where less than 80 per cent, of the local body roll number exercised votes, not leas than 40 per cent, of the total roll number mu*t oppose the scheme to ensure it* defeat While introducing a more

stringent requirement in the number of electors necessary to demand a poll, the Local Bills Committee has amended the voting clauses of the bill to produce a situation almost exactly in line with ihe present law. The new amendment states that where more than twothirtfe ot the eligible electors record votes, more than 50 per cent, of valid votes cast must appose the Scheme to defeat it

Where the number voting is two-thirds, or less than twothirds, of the total roll numbers—and this is the situation normally applying to such polls—an adverse vote totalling 60 per cent, of valid votes cast is sufficient to defeat a commission scheme. The provisions apply only In respect of final schemes issued by the commission. No provision is made for polls to be taken on provisional schemes

The following illustration compares the effects Of the present law, the original provisions of the bill, and the amended provisions, in a typical situation where a poll is successfully demanded in a local body area having 1000

persons on the roll, but Where only, say, 400 exercise votes. Present law: 240 adverse votes would be required to defeat the proposal, being 60 per cent, ot the 400 valid Votes cast. Original bill: AU 400 voters would have to oppose the scheme to defeat It, 400 being the required 40 per cent, of the total roll number. Amended bill: 240 adverse votes required, being 60 per cent, of votes cast.

The essential difference between present law and the amended bill is that in the case of a local body with 1000 people on the roll, only 50 signatures are necessary on a petition to demand a poll, whereas 150 signatures will be necessary in future. Among other amendments made by the committee to the bill is one which requires the chairman of the commission to be a barrister or solicitor of the Supreme Court. At present the appointment of the Local Government Appeal Authority is for an unlimited term. In future, the term will be one of five years.