Local Body Representation

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20620, 22 November 1941, Page 3

Local Body Representation

Sir, —From the Herald of November 19 we lerrn that Mr. J. H. Hal! said it was the Government’s responsibility to foster the needs of local bodies, which were merely committees of the Governmenl carrying out the Government's duties. It is a poor look-out when the neoole’s elected representatives on local bodies take up this attitude —a committee of the Government. forsooth! Surely our borough councillors should represent the electorate just as much as a member of Parliament chosen by a section of that electorate, and surely they have backbone enough to take a stand against the central Government should the interests of Gisborne call for such action.

The local body councils in the Gisborne district should get together and instruct the members for the district as to what they want clone and see that those instructions are cai’ried out. The day may come when Parliamentary elections will be a thing of the past, and the members for each electorate will be appointed as delegates by the local bodies of each electorate. The power will thus be taken away fforn sectional interests and placed in the hands of the people where it rightly belongs. LIBERAL.