Conference defends M.P.s’ right to resign

Press, 14 May 1984, Page 9

Conference defends M.P.s’ right to resign

A remit proposing that members of Parliament who resign or are expelled from their political party must also resign their seat was tossed out at the Labour Party’s conference in Christchurch at the week-end.

Some speakers supported the remit, but others said it was merely a reaction to events last year, when the member of Parliament for Sydenham, Mr John Kirk, left the Labour Party and became an Independent. One speaker said that members of Parliament were elected as individuals, even if they belonged to a political party. Their duty was to represent all the interests in their electorate and political parties should not have the right to “drag them back” if there was any disagreement. People also had the op-

portunity to vote them out every three years. “We are going overboard on reactionary measures. If we are concerned about this, what we have to do is be more careful about the people we select,” the speaker said. The conference adopted two remits on national superannuation. One said national superannuitants should be able to travel overseas for six months before losing their benefits. The other, put by the member of Parliament for West Coast, Mr T. K. Burke, proposed that Labour consider setting up union-based voluntary superannuation schemes. Mr Burke said the scheme would provide for a voluntary, portable, decentralised superannuation structure. It would protect existing

shareholders’ rights, allow for more industrial democracy and would provide investment for New Zealand. The conference voted in favour of the abolition of the University Entrance examination in Form 6, the introduction of a four-term academic year, and the Johnson report on human relationships. It also adopted a remit calling on the next Labour government to legislate to form a nuclear-weapons-free zone in New Zealand and to ban foreign military vessels and aircraft which refused to confirm or deny whether they carried nuclear weapons. This was passed in spite of opposition from the member of Parliament for Yaldhurst, Mr M. A. Connelly, who is Labour’s defence spokesman.