ELECTORAL LAW

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 85, 8 October 1945, Page 6

ELECTORAL LAW

KEEN SPECULATION

COUNTRY QUOTA ISSUE

There is considerable speculation about when an amendment of the Electoral Act wrll appear in the; House of Representatives and about the late of the country quota, which gives a 28 per cent, advantage in voting strengtft to rural areas. The law relating, to electoral boundary revision requires amendment before the North and South Island Representation Commissions can be constituted to take action on the census figures when they become available. The official members of the North Island Commission are the SurveyorGeneral and the Commissioners o£ Crown Lands for Taranaki and Auckland, with two ■ persons, whiclv trie House of Representatives nominates as unofficial members. The South Island Commission consists of the c.rown Lands Commissioners for Westland, Canterbury, and Otago, with two unofficial members nominated by the t House of Representatives. One part of the coming Bill will probably relate to the unofficial personnel, but this legislation 'gives the opportunity o£ opening up the whole subject of .electoral boundaries. . . If the country quota is abolished, well-informed members express the view that it will mean the loss of at least seven rural seats if country and urban voting strength is equalised. In addition, the growth of population in town areas is bound to cause important electoral changes. Pointed reference to this was recently made by the Minister of Finance'(Mr- Nash), who mentioned the great expansion of population in his own electorate and adjoining areas and suggested that if the boundaries of Remuera were not revised the member for that Auckland suburban, electorate would be representing 20,000 more persons. Both areas nave been important centres ot State housing • activity.- ■ ... There is also a suggestion in the lobbies that the Representation Commissioners, instead of being required to revise boundaries on the basis or total population, will make their calculations according to the distribution of population aged 21 and oyer—the voting age. Official calculations in 1942 showed that out of a total European population of 1,540.000 those of voting age numbered 986,100.