Lee Party Keeper Of Labour Party's Conscience

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1940, Page 3

Lee Party Keeper Of Labour Party's Conscience

TE AWAMUTU, This Day. Mr. Lee, Mrs. Lee and Mr. Barnard last night explained the policy of the Democratic Labour Party to a Te Awamutu audience. Mr. Barnard said the Democratic Labour Party could be regarded as the keeper of the conscience of the Labour movement. As soon as the New Zealand Labour Party got back to democratic principles there would be no need for the new party,, and it would cease to exist. Mr. Barnard claimed that he and Mr. Lee were the only Opposition members in New Zealand today. The Government and the National Party were seeing eye to eye on most questions. A voice: Hear, hear. There’s a war on. A motion that a branch of the Democratic Labour Party be formed seemed to be lost on the voices, but at the request of the chairman a number cf people stayed behind to discuss the formation of a branch. The expulsionTxom the Labour Party of Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P., was discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Brewery Workers’ Union last night. It was stated that the question before members was whether they should cancel their affiliation with the Federation of Labour, and through it their support of the Labour Party, and pledge their assistance to Mr. Lee, or whether they should retain their affiliation. It is stated that a motion to retain affiliation, and thereby support the Labour Party, was carried by a large majority.