COUNTRY VOTES QUOTA

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1935, Page 4

COUNTRY VOTES QUOTA

LABOUR PARTY’S POLICY NOT AN IMMEDIATE ALTERATION. NO TIME TO TINKER WITH LAWS. NO ACTION DURING FIRST TERM. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. A crowded audience greeted the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. M. J. Savage, when he addressed the electors of Auckland West (his own electorate) to-night prior to his tour of the Dominion. In replying to a statement made by Sir Alfred Ransom at Dannevirke to the effect that the country quota was the hidden part of Labour’s policy, Mr. Savage stated that although the principle of the country quota was wrong, the Labour Party had not the sligntest intention of altering the electoral system during the life of the first Labour Government. Labour had to gain the Treasury benches with the electoral law as it was, eaid Mr. Savage, and its first period of office would be fully occupied in cleaning up the mess left by its predecessoxs and in implementing its own social and economic policy for the restoration of prosperity to the Dominion.. If the Labour Party occupied its time in tinkering with electoral laws instead of going to the assistance of those who were in difficulties it would deserve to be cast out for all time. The story of the life of the present Government, he contended, revealed a policy of maladministration and economic madness on the part of Ministers which should be brought to an end as speedily as possible. Labour would not follow the bad example set by the Coalition Government when it extended its own life and the life of Parliament without the consent of the people. A vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Savage and the Labour Party was carried.