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Many of those who argue that the Government is wrong in not introducing direct elections in 1988, seem to be unwilling to accept that there is a very real division
of views as to
be whether direct elections should
introduced in 1988 or later. But this division of views is a fact. When members of this Council debated the Green Paper, 18 were for direct elections in 1988 and 18 against; in the debates or discussions held in the Municipal Councils, 19 members were for and 9 against; on District Boards 121 members were for and 123 against.
These debates and discussions were held in public and were
recorded. Individual submissions to the Survey Office showed that some 39,000 people were in favour of introducing direct elections in 1988 and some 91,000 people were against. Of the group submissions, 229 were
for and 352 against. The two AGB McNair surveys showed. respectively, 15% for, 19% against in the first survey and 12% for, 21% against in the second survey. Other territory-wide, random sample surveys showed a range of results, generally in favour of 1988 on balance, while signature campaigns were almost all in favour of 1988.
No one can claim that these statistics were made
up by the Government, and no reasonable person can argue that the results do not represent a division of views.
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XH SIS 60:21 88. AT DOW