SOME QUESTIONS OF MOMENT.

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXX, Issue 274, 25 November 1935, Page 4

SOME QUESTIONS OF MOMENT.

The election campaign is fast drawing to a close and doubtless 75 per cent of electors will ere this have made up their minds as to whether they are prepared to vote for or against the National Government, but it is questionable whether more than 50 per cent, have decided on which of the candidates their choice will fall. In the circumstance of presumptive . condemnation or commendation being undesirable it would be well if electors in doubt asked the candidates, directly, what their viewpoint is on any important controversial issue. On the vitally consequential question of defence the party leaders have teen significantly silent —is it thought to be an unpopular one? The Leader of the Democrat Party, also Messrs. Barker and Ormond,have, in Waipukurau, given assurances of sympathy with the cause of Dominion and Imperial preparations for eventualities, and the views of Messrs. Christie and Jull, as individual candidates, as well as party representatives, would be specially welcomed by open-minded electors interested in naval and military i measures of safety. Messrs. Hislop, Barker and Ormond have also affirmed their belief in preferential voting

i as an essential electoral reform, while I the views of Mr. Jull are well-known, ! he being an advocate of proportional ; representation for the city electorates i and preferential voting in the rural areas. It would be advisable for him to reaffirm his viewpoint, however, as well as announce his party’s outlook, and in this connection information as to the personal opinion of Mr. Christie, also the policy of his party, would be appreciated. That the British and New Zealand Labour Parties have backed up the Home Government in the Italian-Abyssinian crisis is a satisfactory change from the earlier attitude of 1914-1930 towards defending the Empire and supporting its humanitarian ideals as a naval power. In respect of electoral reform the inequitable representation result of the British elections should prompt reconsideration of Labour’s change of front in this Dominion toward the democratic voting proposals previously advocated. '