MAORI ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 11

MAORI ELECTIONS

SYSTEM OF VOTING PRESENCE OF SCRUTINEERS [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Friday The Electoral Amendment Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to-day by Mr. E. T. Tirikatene (Independent—Southern Maori). Mr. Tirikatene explained that voting in Maori elections was not by secret ballot, but by declaration to the returning officer and his associate. Scrutineers were not allowed in the booth until the votes were being counted.

Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour —Grey Lynn): After the damage has fceen done. Mr. Tirikatene said the bill sought to allow scrutineers to be in the booths while the poll was being taken. Sir Apirana Ngata, Minister of Native Affairs, said the Prime Minister had gone into the question of Maori elections with the Electoral Office. Had he known the bill was to be introduced to-day, he would have sought the Prime Minister's permission to make an official statement on the subject. As it was, he felt inclined to think the remedy suggested by Mr. Tirikatene would probably make the position worse if secrecy was the object at which ho was aiming. Secrecy would not be ensured by having more publicity. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour — Napier): Would it not' supply a check on the returning officer? Sir Apirana Ngata: Yes. I don't think any Maori member of the House would object to the. presence of scrutineers during the poll. The Minister said the whole problem of arranging a more satisfactory system for Maori elections was full of difficulties. There had been an intention during the Massey administration to prepare Maori electoral rolls, but this had not been found altogether practicable. There was a difficulty as a result of the eligibility of Maoris to vote in pakcha elections, and the question of the desirability of abolishing separate Maori representation might eventually bo involved. He did not think sentiment at present favoured such a course and he thought that sentiment did credit to the pakehas. The bill was read a first time.