Resigns From N.Z. Labour Party

Northern Advocate, 19 February 1942, Page 2

Resigns From N.Z. Labour Party

[Special to "Northern Advocate’’l HAMILTON, This Day. Mr. Charles Laiferty, a member o>: the Hamilton Borough Council and vice-president of the Hamilton branch of the Labour Party, has resigned from the Labour Party following a demand by the national executive for an explanation of remarks made by him at a meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council. The remarks were made during a discussion on the right of council employees to overtime for trench digging on Saturdays. On that occasion Mr. Laflerty criticised the secretary of the Auckland Labourers’ Union for demanding overtime. A remark underlined by the national secretary of the Labour Party (Mr. M. M'oohan), in a letter to Mr. Lafferty, was: "The time is coming when j a Government will have to be elected that will represent the whole of the people and not just one section." Mr. Laiferty in his reply stated that he was standing by his statement more firmly than ever. He disagreed with the Labour Party’s refusal to form a Coalition Government, and j added: “We are fighting a war for j democracy and free speech. Your j executive appears to take the role of j dictator.”