National Party, With 45 Certain Seats, 1 Doubtful, Has Decisive Majority

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1949, Page 5

National Party, With 45 Certain Seats, 1 Doubtful, Has Decisive Majority

AFTER 14 years in office, the Labour Party was swept from power by the voters of New Zealand in yesterday’s poll. .. „ _ rT i, j * „+• The preliminary count gives the National Party, headed by Mr S. G. Holland, a total ol

46 seats. , , , ' ~ One of these, Otaki, where Mr J. J. Maher, the sitting member, has a majority oi z4b over the Labour candidate. Mr J. J. D. Capstick, is in the doubtful class. , One other seat is also doubtful. This is Waimarino, held by Mr P. Rearms (Labour) by Id/ votes from the National candidate, Mr A. M. Macpherson. Labour lost seven seats, and the Roskill electorate, held by Mr F. Langstone, who broke with the Labour Party over the compulsory-training issue and who became the Mouse ol Representatives’ first Independent Labour member, also went to the National Party. . Two Ministers were unseated. They were Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, the Minister ol Industries and Commerce, who went down to Mr T. L. Hay man (National) by 658 votes in the Oamaiu contest, and the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Cullen, who lost his Hastings seat to Mr b. 1. Jones by 765 votes.

It will be 14 years almost to the day when the Labour Government, under Mr Fraser, hands over Ihe administration to its succesful rivals, the Nationalists, undei Mr Holland. Yesterday s decisive electoral result was, of course, instantly, accepted by the deteated Ministry, but this was on the basis of an informal first count of the votes

The verdict, on which official action has to be taken must be conveyed to the Clerk of the Writs by December 17. Until the writs are returned to him endorsed with tire names of the elected members the position remains officially in -.uspense

A very careful procedure must be followed by returning officers before giving their final certificate of the result. All the marked rolls in polling booths must be checked against each other to ascertain whether the law of "one elector, one vote,” has been observed.

At this stage the returning officer incorporates absent voters permits and declaration votes which have to be supported by original documents forwarded from the place in which the voter exercised the franchise.

RESUME ADJUSTMENTS

It is considered that at least one week will elapse before returning officers are ready to commence a final recount. Most results will be certified beyond all doubt within a fortnight, which gives a reasonable time for the personal adjustments following the defeat of the ministry—the vacation of ministerial suites and the all-important duty of the Prime Minister elect, Mr Holland, of selecting his Cabinet. The Laoour Party developed a constitutional novelty in deciding, during its Oppositiop days, that ministers, if the opportunity came, would have to be selected by members of Parliamentary caucus instead of maintaining the time honoured privilege of the Prime Minister elect of selecting all his colleagues. The allocation of portfolios among caucus-chosen ministers was the only privilege i?ft to the Labour Leader.

However, Mr Holland will revert to the predecent, and the degree of consultation with elected supporters is a matter solely for his own discretion. He is expected to call an early caucus of his victorious party, but, in all probability, before that eventuates his mind will be made up regarding the new administration.

RUSH NOT EXPECTED. An early session of Parliament does not necessarily follow this big political upheaval. When Labour swept opposition away on the night of November 27. 1935, until it was but a handful of 19 in a House of 80, the new Prime Minister did not hurry the pace of parliamentary proceedings. However, he showed despatch in preparing for the summons of the Governor General to submit the names of His Excellency's new advisers. Mr Savage did so on December 5, nine days after the general election The new Government immediately announced a dozen clear-cut proposals, mostly involving legislation of a drastic nature, but it did not demonstrate precipitate baste in putting them on the statute book.

Bills had to be prepared carefully by Crown Law draftsmen and discussed by Government caucus. Consequently the new Government was not ready to meet Parliament until March 25, 1936.

Social security, is outstanding policy measure, involved lengthy preparation.

MARCH SESSION? There was a parliamentary investigation of the proposals under the chairmanship of Mr Nordmeyer, then the new member for Oamaru, and actual legislation was not introduced by Mr Nash until August, 1938, in the Government’s third session.

There are points in the National Party’s policy which may call for early legislation, notably strengthening measures for imposing discipline on law-breaking trade unionists. However, this would have to be carefully thought out, drafted in statute form and considered by a Government caucus.

Consequently the most that might be expected in the way of accelerating the sessional programme might be a meeting of Parliament in March instead of the normal date at the end of June.