§ Order for Second Reading read.
The ATTORNEY - GENERAL (Sir Ernest Pollock)I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."
2470 This is a one Clause Bill. In the Act of 1918, Section 34, provision was made to prevent expenditure being incurred at elections, and thus increasing the total expenditure, unless such expenditure was authorised properly by the election agent and brought into the account of the candidate by whose agent it was authorised. It has been found that considerable expenditure has taken place at elections by companies and not by persons. Section 34, which made irregular and unauthorised expenditure a corrupt practice, provided that certain penalties should be imposed upon the persons who committed the offence; but where the offence was committed by a corporation the provision as to imprisonment did not apply. In these circumstances, a considerable amount of expenditure has taken place which all parties in the House consider ought to come within Section 34. The proposal which has been accepted by all parties is that we should adopt the method now applying in a great number of other Acts, and say that where a company engages in these activities the persons who shall be responsible shall be a director or officer of the body corporate, but we give an opportunity, as in other Acts, for proof being put forward that the particular person had no part or lot in incurring the expenditure. The Bill has been accepted in its actual terms by all parties.
§ Question put, and agreed to.
§ Bill read a Second time.
§ Resolved, "That this House will immediately resolve itself into the Committee on the Bill."—[Sir E. Pollock.]
§ Bill accordingly considered in Committee, and reported, without Amendment: to be read the Third time upon Monday next.