LOCAL BODY POLLS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 10

LOCAL BODY POLLS

AMENDMENT SOUGHT

ELECTION V. APPOINTMENT

HOSPITAL BOARD CASE

Contending that the present law did not make full democratic provision for certain local body elections, a deputation which waited on the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) today asked for several amendments to the Local Body Polls Act. Its requests were in accordance with three resolutions carried by the Wellington Labour Representation Committee. The deputation, which was introduced by Mr. R. McKeen, M.P., consisted pi the following members of the representation committee: — Messrs. J. H. Collins (secretary), J.

Read, A. Parlane. W. Atkinson, K. Baxter, and the Hon. T. Brindle, M.L.C.

Mr. McKeen said that owing to the death of a member a vacancy had occurred on the Wellington Hospital Board. The Wellington City Council had appointed one of its members. The Labour members of the council had asked for a by-election, but there was no legal right to such a course. The deputation considered' that the defeated candidate at the top of the" list should have been appointed.

Mr. Parry f Was there any prece dent?

Mr. McKeen replied that in the past the first on the list had always been appointed.

Mr. Parry: Wrong man's horse in front. Another time round!

Mr. McKeen said that it would be possible for a local body to arrange for a man to stand for the Hospital 'Board and resign if elected to enable ,'the local body to appoint its own | member. That was open to abuse and (that was /hy the representation committee wanted an amendment for the ! holding of a by-election. l.r.c. requests. I Mr. Collins said that the local representation committee had carried reso- : lutions recommending three alterations to the Act. The first of these was that j I elections should be conducted on the | Parliamentary franchise, and the second that candidates for election shoul.-j ; only be eligible to stand for the districts in which they resided. Three ; 'of the Wellington City representatives j 1 lived in the Hutt Valley, and it was feasible that a man living in Auckland > with property in Wellington could { stand for and be elected to the coun- I cil. I

The third resolution supported the request that had been made for the appointment of the next highest on the poll or the holding of a by-election. The right to hold a by-election was necessary because the next candidate might not be in a position to accept the vacancy. i n the Wellington case the man selected by the council had not. been a candidate.

Mr. Parry said that it appeared to him that the Citizens might have a majority on the Hospital Board and if one of those died a Labour council ■could appoint one of its own members 'and alter the position established by the electors on the Hospital Board. Mr. McKeen said that he thought the local contributing authority should have the right to a by-election if the majority of the members desired one. MINISTER'S REPLY. The Minister said that what he was concerned about was the upholding of the democratic principle, and it did appear that it could be abused in this case. The arguments put forward seemed reasonable and logical and j showed that the decision oi the electors could be overruled by a local body. The first two resolutions were already being investigated by his Department, and the question of filling vacancies would also be investigated, i If legislative effect were necessary, it would be embodied in an amending Bill.: