LOCAL BODY POLLS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 153, 25 March 1944, Page 8

LOCAL BODY POLLS

Residential Franchise Extended VOTING IN COUNTRY AREAS The extension of the residential franchise to all local body elections is provided for in the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill introduced in the House of Representatives last mg it. -it also provides for the use of the l ariianientary rolls at these elections, and permits an employee, with a fej? stated exceptions, to stand for a seat on the local body by which he is employed and to Tain his employment with that local body l£ Replying to a request by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Holland, for an explanation of the Bill, the Minister ot Internal Affairs, Mr. Barry, said it gave an opportunity to any person returning to New Zealand to have full rights to vote The residential franchise already existed in the cities, boroughs and town districts, but not in the rural areas. It was proposed to extend the residential franchise to all the rural areas, namely counties, road districts, river districts, drainage districts and so on. Existing franchises were not interfered with in any case. The purpose of the Bill was to superimpose the residential franchise on all the existing ones. ■ Concurrently with the extension of the franchise there -would be the right for residentials to be elected to the local bodies. The Minister added that local bodies were to be permitted to use the current Parliamentary rolls, and the Bill conferred on electors the right to vote at their appropriate local body elections so long as their names appeared on the Parliamentary. rolls. ‘ Mr. Holland: Are persons under the age of 21 to have the right to vote? The Minister: No. He added that every person with his name on the roll who-arrived back in New Zealand and had a residential qualification would have the right to yote. Mr. Holland: Not unless he comes The Minister: No. Membership of Local Bodies.

Continuing, the Minister said that there was a clause in the Bill relating to the membership of local bodies. At the present time employees of a local body were debarred from standing for membership of their own local body. AA ith the exception of the clerk, town clerk, secretary, manager, engineer or surveyor or any other principal officer of the local authority concerned an employee would be allowed to stand and to retain his employment with the local body if elected. Authority for the postponement of the elections for the Auckland Electric Power Board, the Auckland Transport Board, the Christchurch Drainage Board and the Christchurch Tramway Board till the last Saturday in November this year is contained in the Bill. Thereafter they are to be held on the same day triennially. The Minister said that because of the multiplicity of local bodies in Auckland and Christchurch, there were too many elections now falling on the one Mr. Polson (Opposition, Stratford): Is this to be the encouragement to the farmer to do his best in the war effort? The Minister: There is nothing in it that affects the farmer. Mr. Goosman (Opposition. Waikato): It is an attack on the farmers. The Minister said that quite a number of farmers who had arrived back in New Zealand would have the right to vote under the Bill. . . „ Mr. Sutherland (Opposition, Hauraki) : Why not give the right to vote to the soldiers? ! , n The Minister, in reply to another Opposition inquiry, said there was nothing in the Bill that interfered with the present method of voting on loan proposals. He proposed to have the Bill referred to the Local Bills Committee on Monday and to facilitate the giving of evidence on Tuesday. . Mr. Holland: Why not give the people concerned an opportunity to come here and give evidence? The Minister: We will consider that. Mr. Polson: There are transport diffi‘eulties. , ■ An- Opposition member: Do the counties approve the Bill? < . . The Minister: I am not committing anyone but myself. The Bill was read a second time proforma and referred to the Local Bills Committee.