THE Waikato Independent. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1907.

Waikato Independent, Volume V, Issue 320, 5 January 1907, Page 4

THE Waikato Independent. SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1907.

The necessity for compelling electors to record their votes has, on more than one occasion, been advocated by us for years past, and it is therefore pleasing to notice that Premier Bent, of Victoria, is taking action to again bring in a Bill with this object in view. About a year ago he introduced a Bill in the Victorian State Parliament to compel electors to vote, but with unconscious humor made the penalty only one of disfranchisement for a certain period. This unconscious stroke of humor killed the Bill, as it brought down ridicule on its author, who, in the language of Gilbert, had failed to “ make the punishment fit the crime.” The critics naturally pointed out that it would prove futile to compel indifferent electors to record their votes, as disenfranchisement would be no hardship to those who did not value such a right. This, of course, was incontestable and the measure was shelved. But the Hon. Mr Bent has now returned to this necessary reform, with a measure which will probably become law, not only in the State of Victoria, but in the near future in the Commonwealth, and, let us hope, in New Zealand. It is stated that “ its provisions are drastic, although not hard. It provides that every elector (an elector is defined as a person whose name is on the roll) who does not vote shall pay to the chief electoral inspector a penalty of 10s. The elector will be allowed two months to satisfy the officer that he had a good and sufficient reason for refraining from voting. The Bill ought to go through the House for it is sadly needed in order to whip electors up to a sense of their responsibility.” The reform proposed by Premier Bent could not have been introduced at a more opportune time than the present, as a valuable object lesson of the indifference of electors has been afforded by the paucity of votes recorded at the Federal elections in Australia, where less than half the electors went to the poll. Owing to this almost criminal neglect of civic duties to the Commonwealth, Australian politics are in a parlous condition. Three parties are striving for political pelf and power, and none of them is powerful enough to carry on a strong government. The result is that the system of Federal government is rapidly becoming a by-word, and causing endless dissatisfaction all over Australia. This lamentable condition of affairs is practically brought

about by the senseless apathy of half the electors of the country, who fail to express their opinions at the polls. The urgent need of a Compulsory Voting Act is, consequently, at last a foregone conclusion.