UPPER HOUSE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 113, 27 April 1933, Page 8

UPPER HOUSE

NEW SOUTH WALES ISSUE REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN. VERY UNWIELDY CHAMBER.

SYDNEY, April 13

The opening shots have been fired in the New South Wales referendum campaign —a referendum by which the people will decide whether they will agree to the reform of the Legislative Council on the lines suggested by the Government, under the leadership of Mr Stevens. It is clear that the politicians would like’ to arouse a little bitterness into the proceedings in order to arouse public interest, lor the public so far as oeen apathetic . The issue is indeed a vital one, and the method proposed for the reform is strongly condemned by the Labour Party, still led by Air J. T. Lang, who found the Upper House, as at present constituted, his only obstacles to his ambitions —the ambitions of a dictator. LEGITIMATE ARGUMENTS. It is admitted even by Labourites, when they speak privately and unofficially, that the Government has all the legitimate arguments on its side, in its present form the Upper House is so unwieldy as to be a standing joke, it has been Hooded more or less by each successive Government and is now 120 strong—all life appointments, too. It is either a matter of bringing it down to 60 members or less—the Government aims at 60—or abolishing it altogether. Theie are few people who care to think of an uncontrolled Assembly, especially when they view the possible return to power at some futuie date or Mr Lang. It is by no means a foregone conclusion that the voters will vote "Yes” as desired by the Government. In bringing the State back to normal the Stevens Government has had a votelosing job, and it is sate to say that it has lost many supporters during tho last few months. The 1930 election provided Air Lang with a mandate to seek the authority of the electors to abolish the Upper House, but he was far too astute a politician to go to the country on that issue. Instead, he tried to abolish the Council by legislation, but was prevented from doing so, only after the matter had been taken to the Privy Council. That famous judgment laid it down that nothing could be done to reform or abolish the Council without a vote of the people. CIVIL SERVANTS’ ATTITUDE. It is significant that the Civil Service is against the Reform Bill. It is a platitude that the Civil Service is overstaffed, and there is a fear that something drastic might be done by the Government if it is given a free hand. It is almost needless to say that when he opened his campaign against the referendum last week Mr Lang played on those fears, and devoted a considerable section of his address to what might happen to the public servants. Looking at the thing dispassionately, it is difficult to seo what the Civil Service would have to fear from a reformed Upper House. The refusal of the Government to appoint scrutineers for the referendum may have far-reaching effects. Tho argument offered by the Government against scrutineers is hard to follow, and the Opposition is making the most of the situation that has been created.