THE GENERAL ELECTION

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23971, 11 June 1943, Page 4

THE GENERAL ELECTION

DATE IN SEPTEMBER TO BE FIXED NO BY-ELECTIONS From Our Parliamentary Reporter WELLINGTON. September 10. The General Election will be held in September, and in the meantime there will be no by-elections. All arrangements for the Northern Maori by-election are to be cancelled. This was made clear by the By-Elections Postponement Bill, introduced in the House of Representatives this evening, and by the remarks of the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser), in introducing it. The bill, which was read a first time, states that no writ shall be issued for a by-election to fill any vacancy now existing in the House, or any other vacancy that may now arise before the General Election. The bill also revokes the writ issued on May 19 for the election of a member of Parliament for Northern Maori, as well as all nominations received and notices issued in respect of that election. The measure is to continue in force until September 30. Mr Fraser said he thought there would be general agreement, and that the House would be unanimous or nearly unanimous that it would be a waste of time, effort, and money to hold the three by-elections that were pending when a General Election was to be held within a few months. • Answering the Leader of the Opposition (Mr S. G. Holland) he said the General Election would be held in September. Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic SoldierLabour, Grey Lynn) asked if the byelections would be held if anything prevented the holding of the General Election, It was pointed out that the act expired at the end of September, and Mr Fraser said he did not anticipate any circumstances which would cause a postponement of the election. If the election were postponed, the House would have to be called together again to ' consider the position. Mr Fraser said one cause for regret was that the candidate for the Northern Maori, seat was already fighting his campaigri.