BARE MAJORITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 December 1927, Page 5

BARE MAJORITY

AT LICENSING POLL ARUGMENTS ANSWERED BY LEADER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (By Telegraph) (From “The Mail’s’’ Parliamentary Reporter). 1 WELLINGTON, This Day. As an aftermath of the dropping of the Licensing Amendment Bill the leader of the Legislative Council (the Right Hon. Sir Francis Bell) to-day replied to some of the arguments adduced in favour of a hare majority. Sir Francis referred particularly to the contention of the House of Representatives that the proposal to substitute an artificial majority, for the present law of decision by a bare majority was not. warranted. Sir Francis said he trusted he might refer without raising any Controversy to the question which had arisen by reason of the failure of the two Houses of the

General Assembly to agree upon the i Licensing Amendment Bill. “The licensing law,” lie said, “constitutes the one" single exception to the general rule that the Council' adopts in relation to measures which have the support of' a ’ majority in the House of Representatives.. That" single exception is ■ created by •* the fact that there ■is a separate poll of all the electors held " simultaneously with the election of the members of the ’House. Those members

being chosen by‘ the electors, for the -various reasons: that separate the poll is a referendum on one question however many may be the nominal issues into Avhich that question may he sepa irated. -.The'.Council is not .only entitled but bound to have regard to the decision of the whole body of electors directed V to that question alone as well as the vie\vs : of the- majority of the members of the*House of Representatives.” ; ELECTORS’ OPINIONS .

“I beg leave,”! said. Sir .rrancisi, “to ■ refer to two arguments which have, been . presented in favour of a bare majority ■ irt t regard to which difference has been found to exist between the House and , the Council. As to the first of these ; two - matters it is contended that the • opinion of the electors at the licensing poll was expressed upon the-question of continuance against no license and not on the question, of Avhether the decision should be by a bare'majority. There Y would be; force in that suggestion if it ceuld be at' the same time suggested /. that any one elector tvho A’oted continuance voted for a bare majority. We

‘all know that voters for continuance, r ;f: in effect, voted against a bare majority.” . “The second contention is that the Y majority proposed by the Council is an artificial majority and that although / artificial majorities existed throug\out the licensing legislation, until the legislation of 1918, yet, under that legisla- ' tion, artificial majorities were abolished ' so that for nine years the principle of a bare majority has .been recognised and established , by the. Legislature, as a proper. means of determining the licens- ■ - fng poll. The- answer to that is that : • the-1918 laxv continued the principle of •: the' artificial majority first by providing. Tor three issues:aiid arbitrarily imposing - the .necessity for, any one. of them to - -secure, a majority over the other two, ancf,'secondly that* majority of three- ' fifths Was . required for restoration at no license poll.” • A ' i The Right Hon. Sir Robert Stout said there was no .need for any apology in regard-to .the attitude taken'up by the 'Council in amending the Bill. No one could, deny the Council's right to deal : with the licensing question, but that did not give, them' the right to set aside the Y views of the people -pf NeAV Zealand ‘ 'as expressed . through members of' the : House. In regard to the need for new licensing- legislation . it could not be . : denied that throughput; the Dominion -Y the.feeling was that the matter must be • dealt Avith.and the effect of the Counproposals would have been to kill the agitation for licensing reform and to give a monopoly to certain people Avho did not deserve a. monopoly ot to control a monopoly. .

SECRET PLEDGES

• The Hon. "Mr Cohen remarked that , the 'giving of secret pledges was destructive of good government, and he Wbuld like to make it an offence under . the Corrupt Practices Act to make such pledges. * . , , - ' The Hon. A. S. Malcolm.differed from L Sir Francis Bell and said he could not agree that the'licensing question was one separate from all others in that on the licensihg question there was a referendum. He was unable to fallow Sir Francis when he suggested there was a connection between the referendum and r ’ the' Bill they v had just passed; \i : •