N.S.W. POLITICS

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16711, 29 January 1926, Page 5

N.S.W. POLITICS

UPPER HOUSE ABOLITION

MR LANG DETERMINED. THE CHAMBER MUST GO. 'United Press Association.} (Received Jan. 29, 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 29. Mr Lang, reiterating his intention to abolish the Legislative Council, says he is firmly convinced that" the people of New South Wales are anxious to remove the stigma of life nomineelsm from the political affairs of the State. Some of the present members of the Council have been legislating for fnfcm 10 to 40 years, Mr Lang continued: "The Governments which appointed them have long ago departed from the scerte. Tens of thousands of people whom they now govern were either unborn or Just out of swaddling clothes When some of them were appointed, yet those honourable gentlemen, many of whom are seldom seen in the House, roll up at critical times and consistently vot;e out the progressive measures demanded by an enlightened generation, which they neither know nor understand. It has been realised that when there exists an Upper Hduse

with power to throw out Bills passed by representatives of the House, it is the Upper Chamber which really governs and not the representative chamber. When the Upper House Is filled with life nominees the people have no control over them whatever. At some periods of Its history our nominee House has acted as a chamber of revision, but since tho present Government came into office with a majority in the Assembly elected by a majority of the electors, the nominees have taksn a malicious delight In mutilating all Its Important policy mea-* sures, and in trying to make Labour legislation impossible. The position has become intolerable, The will of the people is being deliberately and superciliously flouted by a handful of reactionary nominees, who, by virtue of their life appointment, have, felt that they could do as they liked.