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BRITISH INDIANS.
ELECTORAL DISQUALIFICATION
? i
Bills for Removal of Ban.
The Government's intention to extend,
the franchise to British Indians resident
in Western Australia was announced by
the Premier (Mr. Collier} in the Legisla
tive Assembly yesterday when he moved
the second reading of the Electoral Act
Amendment Bill and the Constitution
Acts Amendment Bill. He said that the
Indian Government had been. making re
presentations for years for removal of the
electoral disqualification of British In
dians, and Western Australia was now
the only State in the Commonwealth
where the ban operated. The number of.
British Indians in the State was 163. *
Moving the secon8' reading. of the Elec
toral Act Amendment Bill, Mr. Collier
said that paragraph (d) of Section 18 of
the Electoral Act provided, inter alia, that
every person wag to be disqualified from
being enrolled as as elector or, if en
rolled, from voting at an election, who
was an aboriginal native of Asia. This
provision had disfranchised British In
dians and for many years representations
had been placed before successive Gov
ernments for the abolition of the restric
tion. The request had always been sjrm
pathetically received, but no action had
been taken. In 1029 the Imperial Con
ference expressed the view that there was
an incongruity between the various Do
minions in relation to the enfranchise
ment of British Indians and Western Aus
tralia was now the. only State in the
Commonwealth -which had not rectified
the position. The State had constantly
been approached by representatives direct
from the Indian Government and by the
Commonwealth, and now the State had
given an undertaking to submit the matter
to Parliament.
Resentment in India.
The latest available figures showed that
only 163 British Indians -were resident in
Western Australia and it was unlikely,
owing to. the immigration laws, that their
number would increase. During a recent
debate in the Indian Parliament resent
ment had been expressed against dis
crimination which still existed against
British Indians in some Dominions and,
since Western Australia was guilty in this
respect, the Government considered that
the position should be rectified. The Bill
therefore proposed to except' British In
dians from the present electoral disqualifi
cations placed on Asiatics generally.
The Premier concluded by stating that
one of the anomalies of the Electoral Act
in this State was that an Asiatic coming
from Japan, China 'or any other part of
the world, without even being naturalised,
could become enrolled as a Legislative
Council elector if possessed of a certain
property qualification. At the same timoj
Indians who were members of the British
Empire were denied franchise.
Mr. Doney (CJ-., Williams-Narrogin) r
Will this Bill cover Afghans?
Mr. Collier,: Only those who come within
the compass of the British Empire.
? The Leader of the Opposition (Mr.
Latham) secured the adjournment, of the
debate.
^ Mr. Collier then moved the second read
ing of the Constitution Acts Amendment
Bill, explaining briefly that in order to
bring about the enfranchisement of Bri
tish Indians a short amendment to the
Constitution Acts was necessary.
. Mr.- Latham again secured the adjourn
ment of the debate.
$