POLITICS IN VICTORIA

Evening Star, Issue 22920, 30 March 1938, Page 11

POLITICS IN VICTORIA

COUNTRY PARTY CONFERENCE AN UNEXPECTED TURN Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright > . MELBOURNE, March 29. , Victorian i politics took an unexpected turn at the. annual conference, of the Country Party, at Ballarat to-night. The Central Council of the party last year ruled that “ no Victorian Country Party member of Parliament may join a composite Ministry with^,, another party,” , This, led to the formation of the present Country Party. The State Government held office with the parliamentary support of Labour. The subject, which has been a burning topic among Moderates, who object to the party’s association with Labour, was brought to a_ head some. mouths ago by the expulsion from the party of Mr M'Ewen, the Victorian member of the Federal ' Parliament, who joined the Lyons composite ministry. To-night, during a discussion, on Mr M‘Ewen’s expulsion at the Ballarat conference, Mr T. Paterson, the Victorian Federal member, who last, year refused to obey the instruction of the Central Council Party to resign from the Lyons Ministry, tendered his resignation from the party and left the conference,' followed by 200 members, breaking up the .meeting.