M.P.’s DISAGREE ON ROLLS FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23366, 23 September 1950, Page 8

M.P.’s DISAGREE ON ROLLS FOR LOCAL ELECTIONS

(Special) WELLINGTON, Sept. 22

The Government and the Opposition disagree on whether the names of electors on the Parliamentary rolls should be automatically used on the rolls for local body elections. This was shown in the House of Representatives this morning ivher. Opposition members spoke against the provision In the Local Elections and Polls Amendment Bill which abolishes this right.

Mr. R. M. Macfarlane (Opp. Christchurch Central) made it clear, however, that there would be no opposition to the change from Wednesday to Saturday for local body polls—-also provided In the bill. Mr Macfarlane said the Opposition was prepared to wait and see how the provision operated. Saturday Elections Approved

Moving the second reading, the Minister of Internal Adairs, Mr. W. A. Bodkin, explained to the House that the Local Eills Committee had given unanimous approval to the holding of the elections on the third Saturday in. November. but it had not been unanimous regarding the repeal of the use of the Parliamentary rolls.

Clerks giving evidence on behalf of countv councils had clearly established that the use of the Parliamentary rolls created very difficult problems for the returning officers. It had been pointed out that one Parliamentary roll covered a multiplicity of local bodies and it was almost impossible for the returning officer by a perusal of the roll to determine whether an elector was entitled to vote in the county at all and in which riding he was entitled to vote.

Mr. W. T. Anderton (Opp. Auckland Central) said that there was very little to cavil at in the change to Saturdays, except for the fact that there were race meetings. At Hamilton on November 18 there was a trotting meeting f<?r which people from Auckland came in hundreds. He would call the attention of the Minister to the fact that there might be a difficulty and that races in one particular centre might interfere with the poll in other districts from which people had travelled. Extremely Useful Mr. Anderton said he regarded the use of the Parliamentary roll as extremely useful for declaration votes in municipal elections and deplored the proposed change which would dispose of this advantage. As for the objection that county clerks did not know their own boundaries, a man who admitted this ignorance was unfit to hold his position. “I think the Minister has rather allowed himself to be pushed into this by the counties.”

Mr. Anderton asked the AttorneyGeneral, Mr. T. C, Webb, and Mr. Bodkin to examine the provision again and revert to the former procedure.

The chairman of the Local Bills Committee. Mr. J. N. Massey, suggested that a returning officer should not be compelled to enrol people. Responsibility must rest with the individual, he said. There were difficulties in the cities in the way of compiling local body rolls, but it was almost impossible to compile a perfect roll in rural areas. “If the people want the right to vote they in turn must see to it that their names are put on the roll,” said Mr. Massey.