REFORM IN AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 19

REFORM IN AUSTRALIA

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright)

CANBERRA, April 28.

Sir Robert Menzies announced today that the Federal Government will conduct a referendum to create a larger Parliament and to give aborigines fuller recognition.

He said that the Government would defer a re-distribution of Federal electorates until after the next general elections at the end of next year.

Sir Robert Menzies announced these decisions in the House of Representatives today in reply to a question from the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Calwell.

The Prime Minister had earlier given the Government’s intentions to a private meeting of the Liberal and Government parties.

Sir Robert Menzies said the Government intended to introduce Bills to amend the constitution on the nexus of the two Houses and the position of aborigines. Sir Robert Menzies said the Government also proposed to introduce amendments to the

Electoral Act and these would be dealt with during the current sittings. He said the question of redistribution was very directly linked with the result of the referendum. Electorate Figures He said it would not be practicable to have a redistribution next year followed by one the year after. The amendments to the Electoral Act to be handled soon will have the effect of reducing the number of electors required for country seats. The general average is 45,000 electors but this Government gesture, made primarily to satisfy the Country Party, will mean country quotas below this figure in many country electorates. Breaking the “nexus” means the Government of the day will be free to fix the size of the House of Representatives without having regard to the number of Senators.

The constitution at present requires the Senate to be about half the size of the House of Representatives. The Senate now totals 60 members and the House of Representatives 122 full voting members, plus two territory members without full voting rights.