GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IN LOCAL POLLS LEGISLATION RESENTED

Evening Star, Issue 26155, 17 July 1947, Page 9

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS IN LOCAL POLLS LEGISLATION RESENTED

U*.A.) CHItISTCHt’ItCH. .July 16. “ Tins typo ot' procedure cannot, he too strongly deprecated and is such that the confidence of local bodies in general must be shaken in any Government adopting such a practice,” said Air W. G. Belton, president of the New Zealand Counties Association, to-day, when, he alleged that legislation amending . .the Local Elections and Polls Act was introduced to Parliament last session without any prior, notice | “ Strong representations were made against the proposals to change the date of the elections, the metnod cf compiling the rolls, the use of the Parliamentary Roll, and the anomalies' which would be created pi deciding which electoral district any voter might be in and a number of other issues,” said Mr llelton. “Jt was evident when placing these objections before a committee of Members of Parliament that, no matter how vital the objections, the Government members were determined to go on with the proposals. “The most objectionable feature was that when the Bill was before Parliament reports indicated that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Parry, said that local body objections were not strong. Had anything stronger been said we would have been , charged with using unparliamentary language.” Officers, of the department had met representative members and executive officers of local bodies in an_ endeavour to devise a'procedure which might simplify and overcome some of the difficulties, Mr Belton added, but while some progress was made, the main objections remained, and “it was just an endeavour to make the best of a bad job.” . The conference carried a remit that strong representations be made to the Government that no legislation affecting local authorities should be enacted without the authorities first having a reasonable opportunity to consider the proposed legislation and to submit any constructive criticism.