N.Z. LEGION

Southland Times, Issue 22074, 22 July 1933, Page 6

N.Z. LEGION

TENTATIVE PLATFORM MAIN POINTS OUTLINED CHANGE IN LEGISLATURE (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, July 21. The National Council of the New Zealand Legion in a lengthy statement issued to-night sets out the general lines of its tentative platform. A complete plan of the reforms contemplated will not be forthcoming until further consideration has been given by all centres of the Legion to the recommendations. The chief points in the recommendations are: — Legislature. (1) That the Legislative Council be retained. (2) That it be elective. (3) That the number of members be 24. Lower House: (a) That the number of members in the Lower House be reduced by approximately one-third. (b) That all forms and expressions associated with the party system be eliminated. Executive. That the executive be elected by a method of proportional representation by the members of one or both Houses. While not coming to a final decision, the Council has drawn a plan in this connection, the more important clauses of which are: (a) Supposing the executive consists of seven members, including the Prime Minister, five should be elected by the Lower House and two by the Upper. (b) That the Prime Minister be elected from among the members _of the executive by both Houses sitting together. (h) Casual vacancies to be filled by both Houses sitting together. (i) Members of the Executive as a whole or individually to be only dismissed on a specific charge of incompetence, corruption etc. ' Electoral Districts. (1) The present electoral districts corresponding to no natural boundaries and subject to constant change are unsatisfactory. (2) The future unit of local body government should, as far as possible, coincide with the electoral district and in establishing the unit of local body Government the main consideration should be the retention of community interest within such unit. Local Bodies. It was decided that further study in connection with this question is necessary. The council felt justified in passing the following resolution however: “The reform of local body government is urgently required in order to drastically reduce the number of local bodies and co-ordinate local body government on a regional basis.” . The council carefully considered proposals in regard to economic questions but the definite attitude of the Legion, in regard to them is not to be framed until after further consideration. The following resolution was passed unanimously: “That the council is convinced hat a planned economic system is necessary for the purpose of co-ordinating consumption and production with a view to increasing consumption, and believe that a permanent solution of unemployment is inextricably bound up with the problems of economic reconstruction.” _ _ The council discussed the position of women within the Legion and the general opinion was that no separate women’s organization be set up. Women are definitely invited to co-operate with the men and their presence will be welcomed on the executive bodies. In a subsequent statement Dr Campbell Begg said that the published resolutions embodied merely the main points. The Legion was now entering into a new phase of intensive activity. PARLIAMENTARY METHODS A CRITICAL RESOLUTION. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, July 21. The National Council of the New Zealand Legion conference this morning passed the following resolution. “This council views with alarm the statement in the Press that the preliminary work of Parliament, when called together, is to consider the Ad-dress-in-Reply debate. The council is definitely of opinion that the people of New Zealand will resent intensely any prolonged debate on general questions and that it is the duty of the Government, before calling Parliament together, to have all the proposed legislation ready for discussion; that the standing orders of the House should be suspended, if it is necessary, to adopt or reject the Address-in-Reply without discussion or, after a debate limited to a few hours; that the hours should be extended from the beginning, if necessary, and that the whole time of the House should be concentrated on only such legislative measures as are urged to deal with the present situation.” During the sittings the conference has been employed chiefly in consideration of plans for reform of the. Government’s new electoral boundaries, or unemployment economic problems and of schemes and other matters which have come into prominence in the present critical situation. Owing to the wholly democratic nature of the Legion’s organization details of these operations have been left to various divisions and committees to work out but the main conclusions arrived at will be published subsequently.