UPPER HOUSE REFORM

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20115, 1 July 1914, Page 5

UPPER HOUSE REFORM

The Legislative Council Reform Bill which was introduced an. the Council yesterday is identical in its provisions with tho Baill which' the Council threw cut last year, with the one exception that this year's Bill is not to come into operation until after the session of l!-i5. The Bill proposes that the members of tli3 Legislative Council, instead of beins£ nominated as at present, shall u>t t'Jtfd on -a. system of proportional 30----t-iesentation. To that end New livnd h to be divided into four great rv cioraj divisions, two in each Island. l!-rf tftfil number of members to be ooiCtpd fi om both Islands is forty. The number of members to be elected at the lii\st election will bo affected by *he nu i.Lkt of sitting members whose terras of arjjt.intment -^r&~&B£xr>ired. ] m <- ?>{-, subsequent elections (uj^fT^tl^eT^'eyyrG.ser.tat'o.i Commissioners alter the nouu-tl'-u iea of the electoral divisions) ole^en iiiembei-s are to be elected fiom each of the twr. North Island electoral divisions und nine from each of the two South Island divisions. Under ordinary circumstances members of the Council are to hold their seats until the dissolution or expiry of the Parliament which takes place next after the expiration of five years from the date of their election, but in the event of the Governor dissolving Parliament an election of members of the Council is to be held simultaneously, with thd election of member's of the House consequent upon the dissolution. The Bill contains provisions similar to those contained in the English Parliament Act and the Australian Commonwealth Constitution Act designed to meet the event of a. dispute between the itwo Houses. Th<3 final resort 3s a simultaneous dissolution of both Houses. Elaborate provision is made for determining electoral boundaries and for the operation of the system of proportional representation. Council vacancies are to be filled by a ballot of all the members of fthe Council. It is stipulated that the member elected in this way shall be a male person who is not a .member of either Hou?« of Parliament. Apart from the the Bill empowers the Governor to apfortv elected members of the Counci/ point not more than three rnlale persons of the native race as members.