Has the Minister anything to say on the matter at this stage? Has he reconsidered it?
Local Elections Bill, 1953—Fifth Stage.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
I move that the Bill do now pass.
We have made it very, very clear that the only reason the Minister is proposing this Bill is to prevent its being publicly demonstrated that the Government is supported by four out of five of the Independents who are keeping them in power, by four who no longer represent in any way the electorate that sent them here and that their own closest part of the electorate, those that elected them formerly to the local authority they represent, would completely disown them if the local elections were held this year. That is the outstanding thing for which this Bill is introduced. We have opposed it from the very beginning. We still oppose it, and we just underline by this statement what we think of the Minister's action in the matter.
Question put and declared carried.
Mr. A. Byrne
I wish to be recorded as dissenting.