PREFERENTIAL VOTING

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 54, 27 November 1928, Page 12

PREFERENTIAL VOTING

Sir, —In view of the political situation and the probable accession of Sir Joseph Ward to the Premiership, it is quite likely that a preferential voting Bill will be introduced by him, and as he is assured of the fact that the Labour Party will support him, it seems opportune to make a few comments on the muchlauded. and apparently little-understood system. Theoretically it is an excellent thing to ensure majority representation in Parliament, but is majority representation as secured by this system any better than representation under the first-past-the-post system? We tried majority representation under the second ballot - system, and I question if there are ten people in the Dominion who have a word to say in favour of the second ballot. A very large percentage of today’s voters were too. young to remember the unholy alliances that took place with the object of defeating the leading candidates, and it is well that these should be told. There were second ballots in some thirty electorates, and in many cases the candidates who secured the confidence of the largest section of voters were defeated because ■ the other sections combined against them, not in order to secure the- election of their second preference, but merely to prevent the strongest party securing more seats. In some eases Reform plumped for the Labour candidate. In others Labour plumped for Reform,, Liberals plumped with Reform or Labour as suited their book, and Labour did the same. In preferential voting the only difference is that these unholy alliances must take place before and not after. the main election. The tendency of this' systemis to increase Hie number of candidates, indeed, it encourages each party to see that it fins a second string'-to its'bow, and it will handsomely pay the Reform Party to see that it provides an independent candidate in addition to its selected candidate so as to ensure that its supporters’ second preference will not be bestowed on a United or Labour candidate. Where such a candidate is not procurable the party organisers will be sure to indicate to voters where their second preference- should go. *’®F' tain Labour seats it will be to the United man, in United seats to Labour, and so on, each party recommending an. unholy alliance to defeat the man who has the largest support of the constituents. The result must be that a Parliament so elected does not represent the views of the majority and only represents the dog-in-the-manger attitude of the populace. “Like people, like Government, is a saying that will be amply demonstrated. How can we expect sound government from men elected, by such despicable methods? But even assuming, for argument’s sake, that everyone casts their second preference vote in accordance with their true desire. What happens? It does trot follow that the result would be anv different, from that of the recent election : .indeed, to be a true reflex of the public opinion it should not- differ, hut let us' assume further than, one party becomes the dominant one; does that party'represent a majority? Decidedly not. The members are there because of the compulsory votes of those who did not want them. " Under the present system each member feels his responsibility to consider those who voted against him, and almost every candidate at the recent-election affirmed the principle that if elected he would consider the interests of all. Under the preferential voting system.be can do no more, but as he has lent himself to a system which fosters despicable tactics, What then can one expect of his respresentation in Parliament. - . . In theory both preferential voting and proportional representation sound well, but both., provide a fertile soil for a crop of unprincipled and dishonest tactics. .1 trust the good sense of the people in general,' and the majority of the new House as recently elected, will definitely block any attempt to foist upon the public such .a corruption as preferential voting.—l am, HQNEST - VOTER . Wellington, November 24.