VICTORIAN POLITICS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23463, 30 March 1938, Page 10

VICTORIAN POLITICS

AN UNEXPECTED TURN COUNTRY PARTY CONFERENCE (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) MELBOURNE, Mar. 29. (Received Mar, 30, at 2 a.m.) Victorian 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 months ago by the expulsion from the party of Mr McEwen, the Victorian member of the Federal Parliament, who joined the Lyons composite ministry. To-night, during a discussion on Mr McEwen’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.