UPPER HOUSE REFORM

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 51, 1 March 1930, Page 9

UPPER HOUSE REFORM

IN NEW SOUTH WALES

PROTESTS AGAINST REFERENDUM

(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 20 th February.

The Premier, Mr. Bavin, and his Government are undergoing severe criticism, even by a section of the Nationalist Press, in consequence of their proposal, to take- a referendum shortly on the question of Upper House reform. Tho ground for attack is that it is an unjustifiable expenditure of a huge sum—some say;tho referendum will cost anything up to £70,000 —at a time- of depression, and that, with thousands out of jobs, the money could be far better spent in reproductive ■ works. :

That the referendum will cost- £70,----000 is denied by tho Government, jbut there is no denying that it will involve a huge outlay. The Government is! not : even certain of victory, for an influential section of both tho Legislative Council and the lower elective Chamber is dead against the Government's reform. The Government at the latest State election promised a referendum on this matter, but the attitude of its critics is that, while its proposal is a commendable gesture of its fidelity to its election pledges, it is an Offence against good government to spend a vast sum on a referendum which can well wait a bit longer when things generally arc-so bad and tho money can be put to better use.

Certain it is that if the referendum is taken and defeated, what is regarded as a sheer waste of money on it will bo thrown in the Government's teeth at the next election, when it will want every vote that it can. get even if it las to drag electors to the poll.

What the Government fears is that if Labour gets back the Upper Hons& will be abolished, bit tho Legislative Council has stood tho stress and tho storms of a century, and it is not going to be quite a simple thing to get rid of it. This the Labour l Jarty knows from experience. Even men whom it nominated to the Upper Bouso, while they went there to scoff at it, have remained to pray that it would not be abolished.