Voting change urged

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33540, 22 May 1974, Page 3

Voting change urged

(.V.Z. Press Association) I WELLINGTON, ! May 21. 1 The Social Credit leader (Mr B. C. Beet ham) was closely questioned by both main parties when he presented Social Credit’s submissions on electoral reform to Parliament today. In the submissions, to the; Select Committee set up to 'study the Electoral Act.' Social Credit called for. the. introduction of proportional! representation. It also favoured political; parties being funded by the State, provided the payout was equal (or close to equal) for all parties fielding a full ticket. It suggested “institutes of;, electors,” for liaison between': M.P.s and the people, and:, called for some decisions to I * be made by the “initiative"; system, which is based on, the right of people to petition for a referendum on topics of' interest. Social Credit favoured ■ votes at 18, but the other; parties also favour this, and there was very little question.. ing on the voting age. I, Social Credit also advo- . I cated: Social Credit to be represen- ' ted on the commission :

I which sets the electoral I boundaries. ! Compulsory disclosure by M.P.s to the AuditorGeneral of their financial affairs. A non-political Speaker for Parliament, possibly a Supreme Court judge. Continuation of the threeyear term for Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Marshall) asked 'Mr Beetham to substantiate his claim that proportionate I voting and representation did not lead to political instability. Mr Beetham said Sweden had had one Government for 40 years under proportionate 'representation, while' Belgium. the Netherlands, and Norway had stable Governments. Mr Marshall: The Netherlands doesn’t have stable i Government. Because of pro.portional representation it : often doesn’t have any Government. It has 15 parties, I but no Government. Mr Beetham replied, that The proportional system was not the cause of political instability in any country. There were other'factors. The Minister of Justice (Dr ; Finlay) questioned Mr Beet- ■ ham about the various forms •of proportional representation available, and then asked if it were true that Social Credit had chosen the one—single transferable vote —that

11 was most favourable to the, i strongest third party, in other , words Social Credit. Mr Beetham said the main; 1 call was for proportional representation, and the league, r believed politics in New Zea-' r 'land would be enhanced by! 1 ‘ its introduction. It would help :Social Credit, but the league; -ihad gained many votes at .(elections, and deserved repre. i .isentation. It would also help j other parties who gained a' ; i share of the vote. j Questioned by Mr T. F.. jiGill (Nat., East Coast Bays). Mr Beetham and a Socred .Dominion councillor. Mr S. Lipa, agreed that care would ’(have to be taken in the use r of the referendum. ; Mr Lipa said that because ■ people voted for a party it .didn’t mean they supported ’ it on every issue, and in any lease parties did not neces--tsarilv stick to their manifesto Ji in government. Mr Lipa said the result of: tja referendum would not be -(binding, and a Government,'could aigue a case for overj riding the result. t; When the Minister of, s I Defence (Mr Faulkner) suggested that all groups in New . Zealand, such as teachers,; 'were well represented by' r.their own sectional groups. -;Mr Beetham said many- • people were disenchanted at - what they saw as governI ment by pressure groups. I Mr Faulkner: But wouldn’t; -I the institutes’be just another t pressure group? j