NATIONAL PARTY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 80, 28 December 1940, Page 10

NATIONAL PARTY

Recent Leadership Change CANTERBURY’S PART Dominion Special Service CHRISTCHURCH. December 27. ’The move which resulted in Mr. SG. Holland, the member for Christchurch North, being appointed Leader of tlie Opposition ami Hie National Part}', was explained to electors of Christchurch North by Mr. Erie T. Beaven. Canterbury divisional chairman, at a social held in honour of Mr. Holland. ••I want to give you a very brief outline of Hie change of situation so far as Hie Leader of the Opposition is concerned." said Mr. Beaven, who was introduced by Mr. W. A. C. McDonald as "one who bad a finger in Hie pie when tlie change was made.’ Christchurch North should know how unanimous was Hie decision. Mr. Beaven said. He became deputy-divisional chairman when Hie country, from one end to the oilier, was working for u change of leadership. Tlie electoral committees did not like to discuss it and the divisional committees also discussed Hie question with bated breath. On making a trip to Wellington, lie gained an insight into the feelings of the other divisional committees, and he was definitely satisfied that the question should be tackled with the gloves off. "The divisional committee of Canterbury discussed it. very freely and frankly, and with Mr. H. G. Livingstone and-Mr. Gilbert Grigg. I went to 'Wellington for an urgent meeting of the divisional executive. We went with the feeling Hint we had the backing of every electoral committee in Canterbury. The divisional executive is composed of the four divisional chairmen, three co-opted members, and two members of Parliament, making 10 with Hie chairman. We discussed this most difficult question of leadership. Unanimous Decision.

"What I have to tell you is that the decision of the executive was unanimous. (Applause.) I( was 10 days before tlie Waipawa by-election. We were intensely interested in the campaign and we suggested that Mr. Holland ami Mr. W. J. Broadfoot should go up and camp on -the job till the campaign was over. 1 am certain that what Mr. Holland contributed to that campaign was one of the deciding factors. From Auckland to Bluff 'the executive of the National Party was ■unanimously behind ‘S.G7 and for that reason you in Christchurch North should feel proud of the entire rank and file of 'the organization expressing their opinion, through their chairmen, in favour of ‘S.G,’ ” Further, said Mr. Beaven, they knew that Mr. Holland was the right man for the job. The change of leadership was very awkward for the executive and tlie council, whose diffidence in a delicate situation could be appreciated. Mr. Holland was the man for the job; but the appointment had to come from outside Canterbury. They had .to thank a good friend, Mr.. George Smith, the chairman of the Auckland divisional committee and a former manager of John Burns, Ltd., in Christchurch, for being on the forefront of the battle. He was a tower of strength and one of the foremost persons in the whole show.

“I have absolute confidence that Mr. Holland can do 'the job,” Mr. Beaven said. “He will do it remarkably well, and I think we have a sportnig chance of fighting and winning the election next November.” Mr. Holland’s Statement.

Mr. Holland later said that Mr. Beaven had told the story from the organization point of view of the meeting at which, of course, he (Mr. Holland) was not present. Discussions had been going on for 18 months, and culminated in that meeting. He made no contribution to the first day of the caucus discussioiij at the end of which Mr. Hamilton asked for time to consider the procedure lie should adopt, and it was agreed in general that no change would be made till the end of the session. Ten or 15 minutes after the caucus opened the following morning a vote was taken, and he was elected Leader of the Opposition. The desire of caucus was that Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Coates should continue to sit on the War Cabinet, without any qualification or tag of any description. "We have men in the War Cabinet who have our undivided and unswerving loyalty,” Mr. Holland said. “They will be in a stronger position than before the change over, because both are now free to give the whole of their time to the affairs of the War Cabinet. Before, certain demands could have been made on Mr. Hamilton for the organization of the National Party.” Mr. Holland said he had yet to find one man or woman in New Zealand who would deny that Adam Hamilton was not a "thorough w’hite man.’’ New Zealand was the richer because Mr. Hamilton took over the National Party in the days it was down. It was not a popular party when Mr. Holland entered Parliament live years ago, when only two new members were elected. In his leadership, Mr. Hamilton built a magnificent organization. Mr. Hamilton had kept politics spotlessly white and clean. Mr. Coates’s Work. He was also pleased that Mr. Coates was able to continue as a member of the War Cabinet. A very distinguished military’ career, as well as political career, was held by Mr. Coates, who, the day war broke out, was prepared to give his whole knowledge to the Government and the war effort. “I do not know what New Zealand would be like today if it did not have Gordon Coates contributing to the effort in the early days of the war, Mr. Holland said.