“NOTHING UNFAIR”

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21854, 26 October 1945, Page 2

“NOTHING UNFAIR”

POSSIBLE EFFECTS

ABOLITION OF QUOTA

HOW CHANGE MAY WORK (P.R.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 26. Possible repercussions of the. proposed alteration of the boundaries of the electorates were discussed by Mr. R. M. MacFarlane (Govt., Christchurch South) in the debate preceding the introduction of the Electoral Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives last evening. He said he must destroy the impression the Opposition was attempting to create that the Government was seeking an unfair advantage. The Government, he contended, was taking exactly the same risks with the alteration of the boundaries as the Opposition. Mr. MacFarlane said that, in all probability, the South Island would lose three seats and it was possible that two of them would be held by the Opposition and one by the Government. It

was possible that Christchurch would gain an extra seat, but there were several doubtful seats in both islands. In the South Island two members, of the Opposition retained their seats by less than 1000 votes. Their boundaries would be extended into rural areas and their seats thereby made more secure. How was the Government going to gain an advantage? The Government had retained some seats by only small majorities in the South' Island and might lose them by an alteration in the boundaries. Wellington might gain seats, and it was fairly obvious that one Auckland seat—Remuera —would have to overflow into another electorate. That would go to the Opposition. The boundaries might be altered in such a manner that seats might go in either direction.

“I wish to state firmly and definitely that, in my estimation, the Government has nothing tremendously to gain from abolition of the country quota,” . said Mr. MacFarlane, "except that we will be establishing what we have already adopted in our policy—the principle of “one man, one vote,” and that is the only principle actuating the Government in bringing down this measure.”