GENERAL ELECTION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 303, 4 October 1946, Page 6

GENERAL ELECTION

COMMUNIST PARTY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 3. Tire Communist Party has withdrawn its candidate, Mr Brian Berg, from the Mount Victoria electorate, and is now contesting Island Bay at the General Election. Reasons for the change are contained in a statement issued by the Wellington district executive of the Communist Party. “The New Zealand Communist Party, in contesting three seats at the forthcoming General Election, is primarily concerned with unifying find strengthening the Labour movement to beat the National Party,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately all official attempts at electoral unity with the Labour Party have been rejected. The Wellington branch of the party therefore was forced to choose an electorate without consultation with the Labour Party.” * After Mount Victoria had been chosen it became clear that the entry of the Communist Party in that electorate might provide the National Party candidate with a chance of election. “In the interests of unity, the return of the Labour Government, and the defeat of the National Party, we therefore withdraw our candidate from this electorate,” the statement reads. It was felt that in choosing Island Bay as the new electorate the issue would be a straightforward one. The area -was so predominantly workingclass that fill hope of a Natio’ial Party candidate being elected was precluded, and it would be a contest between Communist and Labour as to who would represent the workers of the electorate, the statement concluded. LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR MORNINGTON

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, October 3. Mr W. A. Hudson, a member of the Dunedin City Council and a leading party official, has been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for fhe Mornington seat.