ELECTORAL LAW

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 60, Issue 4340, 6 October 1950, Page 8

ELECTORAL LAW

AN AMENDING BILL DEMOCRATIC MEASURE MR A. S. SUTHERLAND SPEAKS The amendment to the electoral law which now said that electorates were to be based on the total population was a fair and just one, declared Mr A. S. Sutherland (Government, Hauraki), speaking in the second reading debate, in the House of Representatives, of the Electoral Amendment Bill. “Some Opposition speakers have said that the present bill is intended to entrench the Government but in reply to that I would say that the implementation of the policy of the Government will itself entrench the Government without the necessity for its bringing down such a bill as this,” he said. Prior to 1945 electorates were based on the total population and in the rural areas what was known as the country quota prevailed, said M|r ■Sutherland. The amendment to the 1945 act abolished 1 the country quota and prescribed that electorates should be based on the total' European adult population and so disfranchised the family man. That alteration of the electoral laws in 1945 kept the New Zealand Labour Party on the treasury benches for another three years. On the present occasion the position was different because the National Government had a mandate to alter the act to provide for electorates being determined on a total population ibasis instead of an adult population basis. “This will give justice to all and fair representation to every section of the people,” said Mr Sutherland. An Injustice Done The 194'5 legislation not only wiped out the country quota but reduced the tolerance from 1250 to 500. “That was an injustice to the rural people, and they have never forgotten it,” said Mr Sutherland. “This bill gives greater latitude in fixing the boundaries and the tolerance is raised to seven and a half per cent, a more realistic figure.” The 1045 legislation, in addition to abolishing country quota, altered another provision which had been in existence for many years. Previously the total European population was taken into account in determining electoral districts. The 1945 legislation changed that to provide that electorates should be based on adult population, a socialistic move to hold on to the reins of Government. “The fact is that by altering the law in that way the Labour Government not only abolished the country quota but created a city quota,” emphasised Mr Sutherland.

Prior to the 1945 legislation tuere were 76 European electorates al! of equal size as far as was practicable. Due consideration was given to the existing boundaries, to community of interest and other relevant factors. The decision to alter the law was taken by the Labour Government owing to the fact the total population was greater in the country than in the urban areas. That meant that there were more persons under the a?e of 21 in the country areas than ir. he urban areas. Reason For Bill

Giving reasons why he elections should be conducted on a total p: pution basis and not on an adult population 'basis, Mr Sutherland said many people under the age of 21 played an important part in the community, especially thpse over school age, ’xith in the town and country. They played their part in production and in the rural areas the people jinder 21 years of age played a big part in assisting to maintain the high level of primary production. People under 21 years of age, who were working, uaid the social security charge and a fair proportion of them took unto themselves the responsibilities of marriage and a home. The latest Year Book showed that four per cent of the bridegrooms were under 21 and 19 per cent of the brides were under 21. In. 1947 there were 2302 babies born to mothers under the age of 21. Were those people not entitled to representation? Fair and Democratic “I maintain that I represent every man, woman and child in my electorate, for I do as much for the minors as I do for the adults,” went on Mr Sutherland. “A member spends a lot of time in looking after those under 21. Members have to see that these people have a proper educational system, and that there is proper hospitalisation for them. So I maintain that they are entitled to be considered when the electoral boundaries are being determined. Under this bill each member of Parliament will have approximately the same number of people to represent. That is fair and democratic.” Quoting figures of the Government statistician, Mr Sutherland said that the population in the rural areas comprised 61.05 adults, 21 and over, whereas in the urban areas the percentage of adults was

66.58. In other words there were 5i per cent more adults in the areas than in the rural areas—not eight per cent as had been claimed. Duties of Rural Member Mr Sutherland pointed out that under the present law a member representing a country electorate had to look after twice as many people as did a member of a city electorate. “In my electorate I have eight county councils, two boroughs, two town boards, seven drainages boards, three hospital boards, four power boards, several high school and close on 100 primary schools. That was another reason why the total population should be taken into consideration in assessing electoral boundaries. Other provisions of the bill supported by Mr Sutherland were the holding of on a Saturday and the provision for holding Maori elections on the same day as the general election. “I maintain,” he said, “that the Government has been fair over this measure. The Government has a mandate from the people to alter the law to provide that the total European population shall be the basis for determining electoral boundaries. .The bill is a good one.”