THE WAIPAWA SEAT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 304, 1 October 1940, Page 3

THE WAIPAWA SEAT.

POSSIBILITY OF NO ELECTION. SOLDIER. NOMINATION SUGGESTED. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, September 30. No formal understanding exists between the Government and the National Party regarding the filling of extraordinary vacancies during war time, hut indications point to the strong propability' of the Waipawa vacancy being filled without a contest. A report is circulating that Mr J. D. Ormond, who contested the Napier seat unsuccessfully last election against the Hon. W. E. Barnard may be laminated for the Waipawa vacancy, as it is said, that he left a signed nomination form with the National Party before leaving with the Expeditionary Force.

Mr Ormond was Independent candidate for Waipawa in 1935 when Mr H. M. Christie won the scat for Labour, the late Mr A. E. Jull regaining it the following election.

The Democratic Labour Party, organised by Mr J. A. Lee, has been mentioned ifs a possible factor, but there is no branch of this party in the electorate. Therefore it is unlikely that Mr Lee would utilise this opportunity for testing the strength of the new party.

Mr Christie probably had in mind the threatened activity of the Democratic Labour Party when he was asked if he intended to take this opportunity of contesting his former constituency. “In the event of the nomination of Mr Ormond,” Implied Mr Christie, “1 would not be a candidate, but should Mr Ormond not be nominated, other considerations royie into the matter, and I am not prepared, oilhand, to indicate my intentions.” The Loader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton), when interviewed to-day, said: “Our party vill have its candidate, but we have a constitutional method-of selecting him. .It local members of the party are unanimous on the candidate, that solves the question.”