MINISTRY DEFEATED

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 29 March 1935, Page 7

MINISTRY DEFEATED

No=Confidence Motion Carried in Victorian Parliament COUNTRY AND LABOUR UNITE SPLIT WITH UNITED PARTY (United Prfess Assoclannu —By Electric Telegraph Zopyright). Received 11.30 a.m. to-day. MELBOURNE, To-day. The no-confidence motion tabled in the House to-day was carded by 40 votes to 23, the Country and the- Labour Parties voting solidly for it. On Tuesday the State Labour Party decided by 14 votes to 4 to support the . Country Party’s no-confidence motion. A message stated further that though the vote was unlikely to •be taken until later in the week, itwas regarded as certain on Tuesday that the Ministry would be defeated. It was understood that the Hon. Thomas Tunnicliffe; Leader of the Opposition, would refuse to form a Ministry, and that Mr Duristan, Leader of the Country. Party, was likely to submit a Country Party Ministry. Recently a joint conference of the central council of the Victorian United Country Party and the Parliamentary branch of the party decided to discontinue the party’s association with the National Ministry. A secret ballot resulted 27—14 in favour of the resolution. Subsequently three Country Party Ministers, Messrs. A. A. Dunstan, J. Allan and G. L. Goudid, tendered their resignations to the Premier, Sir Stanley Argyle, at a special, meeting of the Cabinet and the Premier later anonunced a reconstructed Ministry. It was then expected that the Country Party shortly would oust the new Ministry and receive a commission to form one itself.

The composition of the parties is as follows: United Australia Party, 25; United Country Party, 20; Labour, 17; Independent, 3.