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The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Personal Volume

Political Reform

Political Reform.

I have now dealt with the question of taxation. Let me now deal with the third question I mentioned—political reform. We live in a progressive age, and questions of the past are not to be binding upon us. But we have to take care that in the reforms we may make we shall not unduly strain the past; we must page 17 allow for what is termed evolution. Now there are a great many political reforms I would like to speak to you about. It has been said : you promised that we should have the Legislative Council reformed and you have never done it. Well, it comes with rather peculiar grace from those people who know that we tried, but failed. But let me say this: we failed because the Council would not pass our bill. In dealing with the Legislative Council I at once assert that I believe the time will come when one Chamber will be sufficient for this Colony, and when that one Chamber will be able to elect perhaps a revising committee to deal with measures after they have passed through one process, so that hasty legislation shall be prevented, and that at all events the legislation that we pass will be creditable to us. Some people say, "Oh, the Acts you pass are not well drawn," and all that. I can only say this, that if you compare them with those of other colonies, we do not take a secondary position. Now, how should the Council be altered? I say that I think it would be fatal to make the Council have constituencies the same as the House. What would be the result of that? You at once have the Council created an elective body with constituencies, and wherever you have had that in the past you have had continual quarrels between the two as to who is to rule. So long as you keep the Council a nominated body you have control over it, the Ministry have control over it, and that means the House of Representatives have control over it, and it is more amenable to what has been termed the Democratic sentiment of the country. It seems to me, as I thought before and still think, that it requires amendment in this direction, that the offices should not be for life, but that the tenure of the offices should be limited. If the only way of getting that carried out is, as some have suggested, that the Parliament, I mean the House of Representatives, instead of the Government, should nominate them, I would not so much quarrel with that if I got the other concession, namely, that life appointment should cease and that the term should be, I think, seven years. That is one political reform I should like to see carried out.