Upper House proposal ‘shallow’

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 3

Upper House proposal ‘shallow’

By

BRENDON BURNS,

!J political reporter i Proposals for jan Upper House of Parliament by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bolger, were ■‘kneejerk and shallow." said the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer; yesterday. . ; ('Mr Bolger jsuggested that a second chamber, elected on a proportional representation . | > system, would provide a] check on the executive i .power of ; Ministers, He said his. concern about such power lia'd been: heightened by the forced passage of the State Sector Bill. ( A proportional representation System, based on' regions,. ; was ■ (suggested. Mr Bolger said the-Upper House’ could ■ accommodate more Maori representation. Mr Palmer said Government of which Mr Bolger was a member had made far more use of executive power than the Labour Administration. | i’We are noti governing the economy by , resort to regulation,” he .said. Curbs on th'e( power of the Executive were to be totally supported, said Mr i I . H- p' •

Palmer.- But a Bill of Rights, giving the courts (power to (overturn • (bad law, -was a more! potent way of doing this than a 'second (Parliamentary jchamber. ! , Reforming the ; Parliamentary electoral ■ system was also important. I “Why would you want to have a second chamber in (the -ijtew Zealand Parliament ( ,wheri your primary problem ■; is) ( the functioning of ihe one you have already got, if don’t know," Mr (Palmer said. : ' ( ■) ! i. The case) for art Upper House was particularly ; thin , and Mr Bolger was (promoting lit the same way (that he had suggested a (death-penalty referenj (dum! at the last election! he said. . ; “He thinks it (will b,e popular at a particular time and so he floats: it as an , idea without being 'committed Jo it.” ( ( ; j :| . j . !•’ i | i|| Mr Palmer said he. did not know of any (country which had an I Upper House that, was effective! They were!always subject to attempts to ; reform them. ’1