THE SECOND BALLOT.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 618, 12 November 1913, Page 7

THE SECOND BALLOT.

© ; REPEAL BILL INTRODUCED. A STONEWALL FORECASTED. The introduction of the Second Ballot Reppal Bill to Parliament on Friday afternoon was .the signal for the opening of an Opposition fire of criticism, which promises to develop into the most determined and prolonged resistance to the passage of any measure introduced fay the Government this session. Ttte Bon. F. M. B. Fisher moved ihe first reading of tha Bill | Sir Joseph Ward said the Bill wan a deliberate attempt to deny the people the right to return members to Parliament by an absolute majority. The Govermet were afraid of the people because at the last elections they were a hundred thousand votes behind. Mr Hindmareh: It won't go through this session. Sir Joseph Ward, contiriuing, said the Government should place their ideas on electoral reform before the people, but they were afraid to trmfe the people. They were afraid of the majority of the people of the country. If they were not why did they back down on the Premier's own statement. Mr Massey interjected that he never advocated proportional representation for the Lower House. Si? Joseph insisted that he had done so. If the Second Ballot were repealed it should have a substitute. The Government was guilty of polilical cowardice in the matter. They were afraid to act on lines proposed by themselves. An £ct of 22 clauses it was proposed to be repealed by a Bill of two clauses. The Government members were trembling like aspen leaves to find out whether they could get back again on a minority vote. The country would net go back to Single Saliot, and would mark the men who introduced it, and though thousands'of people in this country desired the majority to rule, and "they positively would not submit to the supposed change without a substitute. He would be satisfied with a system of one transferable vote, but he was surprised that the Government came down with such a retrograde proposal. Mr Wilford said the reason Mr Massey did not favour proportional representation was that he was afraid that Labour would secure more representation in the House. He quoted Hansard • of 1911 to show that Mr Massey had then said that under that system Labour would be more emantibly represented and now he had backed down. Mr Sidey argued that the Liberals would have repealed the Second Ballot Act had they remained in office, but would have substituted something elae for it. He was sorry for the price the Minister of Marine had to pay fcr his association with the Cabinet. He contrasted Mr Fiser's radicalism of a few years ago with his present retrogressive proposals. Mr Buddo said the Government had but rue-third of the electors at their back. Mr Russell said he would be preparer! to see proportional representation brought in, as it would most as Buredly more truly reflect public opinion, but he recognised that in a young country such a system was very'difficult to operate. He mentioned that in 1908 twenty-two candidates who were at the top of the poll in the first ballot did not succeed at the second ballot, and at the 1911 election thirty. After the dinner adjournment the Prime Minister moved that the orders of the day be postponed till the motion to introduce the Second Ballot Repeal Bill had been disposed of. This afforded an opportunity for the Opposition to delay the introduction of the Bill yet further. Sir Joseph Ward protested against such a proposal as the repeal of the jecond ballot being allowed to inetrfere with the progress of the business on the Order Paper. "The Opposition," he declared, "ohjected to having this Second Ballot Repeal Bill thrust down their political throats—• (laughter) —and if that Bill were per sisted with, the House would sit there till Saturday night." (Opposition members: Hear, hear.) "This Bill should be printed on black-edged paper in mourning for the Government's pledges," said Mr Isitt. He went on to follow Mr Witty's example of time wasting, referring to all Bills on the Order Paper seriatim. On a point of order, Mr Speaker ruled that this was tedious repetition. "Industrial legislation should take precedence of electoral legislation," contended the member for Wanganui, in protesting against the introduction of the Bill. "Industrial legislation has not received attention in this Huuse this session which it should have received," added Mr Veitcb. night wore on, and speaker followed speaker in filling in each his half-hour or as much o? it as his in- ! genuity could eornpa33 ; is became j clear that the object- of Sns Opposition I was to keep tha debate oej the Prime Minister's motion poing till 12.80, | the limit under the standing papss ! for '.he introduction of usw business, i The resumption of the debate on the I motion to introduce the Bill bnir.*; new • business, fchs nttemi't to kin- the Bill I through its psehuunarjf ~ { ou'-3 was I defeated. At 12.40 a dwi&Oii <E?as i reached, resulting" in tue motion beI fore the House being carried by 34 ' votes to 22.