WILL NOT STAND

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 271, 29 August 1935, Page 6

WILL NOT STAND

MR T. D. BURNETT, M.P.

LONG TERM OF SERVICE. REPRESENTED TEMUKA SINCE 1919. For health reasons, Mr T. D. Burnett, who has represented the Temuka. electorate in Parliament since 1919, has decided not to contest the seat at the general election which is to he held toward the end of this year. During his term in the House, Mr Burnett has represented the Reform interests, and he has made a name for himself as a staunch champion of the man on the land. He is a practical farmer, and is one of the best-known station owners in Canterbury, owning Mount Cook Station, in the Mackenzie Country, which was taken up by his parents in 1864, and which is the only property in that district still owned by the family of its first occupiers. From an early age, Mr Burnett took a keen interest in local affairs, and for six years .served on the Mackenzie County Council, where his practical acquaintance with the requirements) of the wide area controlled by the Council made hiin a highly useful member. For a period he represented the Mackenzie County on the Timaru Harbour Board, and for a time was president of the Canterbury Sheep-owners’ Association. . After entering Parliament, however, his time was too fuliy occupied to enable him to continue to serve on the County Council. It was not till shortly before the general election 1 of 1919 that Mr Burnett was persuaded to throw down the gauntlet in the Reform interest to Mr C. J. Talbot, who had represented the electorate in the Liberal interest in the “Long Parliament” which held office during the war period. The election was a closely contested one, but with an entire absence of bitterness, and some surprise was expressed when Mr Burnett ran out a winner by 31 votes, the figures being: Mr Burnett 3294, Mr Talbot 3263. At the general election of 1922, Mr T. Langford, of Waslidyke, was the Liberal champion, but Mr Burnett had little difficulty in retaining the seat, the result being: Mr Burnett 3705, Mr Langford 3298, Mr P. R. Needham 28.

Shortly before the election of 1925, Mr Burnett announced that on account of ill-health he had determined to retire from the political field, and shortly afterwards Mr Talbot’s candidature in the Liberal interest was announced. The Reformers, however, induced Mr Burnett to reconsider his decision and accept nomination. The election was a keenly-contested one, but Mr Burnett was fairly strongly entrenched, and on the Coates wave which marked the election of that year, he carried the seat with 535 votes to spare, the figures being: Mr Burnett 3883, Mr Talbot 3348. /

When the changes in electoral boundaries were made in 1927, the southern portion of Ashburton County came under his political care, and he firmly established himself with electors in that area. In recent years his health has not been good, and he was obliged to forego attendance in the House on numerous occasions. •