Second chamber called for

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 8

Second chamber called for

By

BRENDON BURNS,

political reporter' A second Parliamentary chamber to increase [ the spread of representation anh curb thei powers of the Executive! has [been called for by the Leader of | the Opposition,! 1 Mr. Bolger. He suggests' 'an Upper House! be [elected on] a proportional;! representation basis. J| I i Mr Bolger outlined, 1 his proposals in an interview yesterday. i H-'jl | He had been concerned titat New Zealand's political structure [was! (vulnerable and subject to! abuse. Tliat concern had been t heightened by the- Labour Government’s rustling! [of important changes.] I

The State [ Sector Bill was singled o]ut as one of the wqrst examples of this legislative rush. |“What we are doing is kildding [ people. We are inviting [ them to make submissions, then the Goveifnmqnt just: treats them as irrelevant. ’ Emphasising that he was putting (forward his personal views and not those of the National Mr Bolger said he opposed the suggested niove towards a 120-mem-ber parliament, elected on the,' mixed member proportional representar ti'on system, under which half the members of parliament [ would be |by their parties.

! yi believe that we ghte excessive power to political parties,” he said., [ Mr Bolger also did not support the Bill bf Rights, as [this took final, decisions on' law from elected members of Parliament ] arid gave them to non-elected judges. ..[!■[ | [ Mr Bolger said his fayoured option for reform was a second Parliamentary chamber. It) would be arj elected Upper , House, unlike J the. Legislative Council, abolished in [1951, thy make-up of which was chosen by the main! parties. [Election could be ion a proportional representation basis, Mr Bolger said. This would allow! for

third-party and greater Maori representation. Membership could ’ be about half that of the existing chamber (now 97 members). It could be elected on h regional basis, with : a fixed number of members from each area of NewZealand. This would help counter the domination of the existing Parliament by members representing the upper half of the North Island, said Mr Bolger, j ;j The ability of the Uppejr House to delay legislation from the Lower House would have to be examined, as would power to introduce its own legislation. | 1 The Upper House could

! not be given the right to stop bills from the Lower [House from being passed, said Mr Bolger. <. The main role of the second chamber would be to allow further scrutiny iof legislation. I . Under the present sys- ' tern, a very Small number of members could dictate to New Zealand in a quite undemocratic fashiori, said Mr Bolger. People I had a growing belief that :j they were powerless and ! were becoming cynical about the political systeny [ With a check on the ; Executive such as an ! Upper House, an [ extension of the Parliamentary I term to four years would ; be acceptable. ( '[ !' I !