DEMOCRACY AND COUNTRY QUO

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21850, 22 October 1945, Page 2

DEMOCRACY AND COUNTRY QUO

Sir, —There has not been a more misused and abused word applied to governments over the past few years than the word "^democracy.' 1 Russia claims she is democratic, Titos Government the same, also Bulgaria and other Balkan States. Even Franco has talked about democracy. There is no such thing as a democracy existent to-day, the nearest approach to this being England, U.S.A., and some parts of the British Empire. New Zealand is well down the list and is getting worse. Democracy defined is “government by the people.’’ New Zealand is not being governed by the. people. We are being governed by politicians who do not represent the majority of the people, having got into office on a particularly doubtful vote. Knowing the precarious position they find themselves in to-day they propose to remove the element of chance at the next election by the abolition of the country ouota and so control the vote in their favour. No government member to my knowledge expressed any intention in the last election campaign of interfering with the country quota, nationalising the Bank of New Zealand. or the airways. They studiously avoided all references to these matters and dealt in platitudes. Seeing the people have not had an opportunity of expressing their ideas on these matters, no legislation should be passed unless matters like these are placed before the voters, and they in their turn, can make an intelligent use of their vote. None of these questions should be brought up until there has been a referendum taken by the people. These reprehensible and backdoor methods, this prostitution of democratic government, will be condemned by all people who have enjoyed British ideas of justice and fair representation. R. OTWAY