WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 139, 9 December 1918, Page 3

WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

A CLAUSE REJECTED PROMISE FOR NEXT SESSION, The Legislative Council Amendment BUI came before the House of Representatives on Saturday night with tho clause' admitting women to Parliament rejectedby the Legislative Council After brief discussion the House, on a vote, accepted the Legislative Council view and reversed its own decision by 30 votes to 18. The Prime Minister said he h;id at first intended to move that the House d.sagree with the amendment made by the Council, but on thinking it over he had come to the conclusion that, was not necessary to do so. It would be better to ask the House not to insist on the amendment. The manner in which the amendment was moved was irregular and unconstitutional. . Mr. M'Combs: It ha 3 been adopted in England. The Prime Minister: So far as I am concerned I am prepared to adopt it here, but I cannot allow it to be brought in on a side-wind. It should be brought down in a Bill, preferably in the House of Representatives. For all he knew there might be a" difference of opinion in Cabinet on this proposal, but he would give the House the opportunity of considering the question next session. A member: Would you bring down a Bill? The Prime Minister: I would take the opinion of the House either by Bill or resolution, and if' the resolution were carried the Bill would follow as a matter of course. Sir Joseph Ward said he put his views on this question on record in the House in 1907. He commended the work done by the women in the war and in other spheres. He thought they should have the right to sit in Parliament, ."but I was not prepared to follow the hon. member for Lyttelton. who, as a rule, is out here to advertise himself and is always ready to introduce an element of discord." Some frail members of the House, with the purpose of gaining some kudos for their action, might have rushed into the lobbies !without thinking. The proper way to brini such a change about was by a Bill. *What is more," added Sir Joseph, "I think that a number of women ought to be put into the Legislative Council. Why, they could not be worse than some members of that branch o! the Legislature." (Laughter.) The £[ ■'.ier was understood to call Sir Joseph to order for his reference to "the other place." Sir.Joseph said he at once withdrew Kis reference.".. The venerable and amiable, arid also the* younger members of "another place" would, he felt sure, be oniy too pleased to have ladies sitting with them. He referred lightly to the situations; which might arise when Ladies were -contesting seats for Parliament. "Uncle Colvin, I am sure, would withdraw gracefully half -way through the campaign, and so would I." (Laughter.) ' JMr, J. M'Combs (Lytfelton) said his amendment had been held by the Speaker to be quite regular. The Prime Minister : Not regular—in order. Mr. M'Combs dealt further with the Council's standing on this question as shown, in the Legislative' Council Act, 1914. The sections referred to were that any person eligible for membership of the House should also be eligible for membership of the Council; the purpose i being that women might be members of ! the Council when they were eligible for the House. The Prime Minister was pursuing a very extraordinary course in not requesting even one conference with the Legislative Council, on the matter. The Finance Minister had accused him of wanting to advertise himself. That was tlie whole trouble. The National Goyernment. wanted the advertisement. The Prime Minister,: The National Goyernmepti doesn't need the advertisement. ..■'•'■.. Tho Prime Minister asked it in any country where women had been admitted to Parliament the law had been amended in the.fashion proposed here. The amendment was moved . when, members knew very little about it. and when it had. hot'-,been discussed or. properly considered. Members had come to. him and had said that ;they were under the impression they ' were voting for the Bill. ' " . .'Mr. M'Combs: Women would have known what they were doing. ■ The Prime Minister said 'that he was quite prepared to vote for, a Bill embodying the. principle when it should be introduced in the. regular way. Mr. M'Combs sought the indulgence of the House to reply to the Prime Minister's statement, biji members would not agree. : . The motion that the House should not insist on. its amendment was carried by 30 to. 18, as follows :-rAyes (30) : Allen, Bollard,, Colvin, Dickie, Dickson (Panwll), Field (Otaki), Fraser {Wakatipu), Ham?, Homes, Hudson,- Hunter, Jennings, Lee, Mac Donald, Malcolm, Mander, Ma,ssey, Myers,- Newman (Rangitakei), Nosworthy, Pearoe, Pomare, Rhodes (Thames), Russell,. Scott,' Smith (Waimarino), Stathani, Uru, Ward, Ypung. _Noes(18) : Anstey, 'Oraigie, Dickon (Chalmers), Ell, Fraser (Wellington Central), Horasby, M'Callum, M'Combs, Pacrr, Payne, Poland, Sidey, Smith (Xaranaki), . Stewart. "Svkes. Talbot, Veitch,/Wright. ."■ : :. _ Mr. M'Combs, speaking after the division was taken, said on the first day of this session he gave notice to introduce a Bill, and it was first on the Order Paper for private members' day, but the Government had appropriated the day. He,remarked that some members slipped out of the House before the vote was taken. "I saw my friend the member for Christchurch North and Mr. Buddo."