EXPELLED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24256, 26 March 1940, Page 8

EXPELLED

A DRASTIC STEP MR LEE AND LABOUR CONFERENCE DECISION A LARGE MAJORITY (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Mar. 25. Mr J. A. Lee, M.P. for Grey Lynn, was expelled from membership of the party at the annual conference of the Labour Party to-night, when the following resolution was carried by a very large majority:— “That, Mr Lee having been guilty of conduct and acts inconsistent with his position as a member of the Labour Party, this conference, in the interests of the Labour movement, hereby expels him from the New Zealand Labour Party.” During the debate, which lasted for two hours and a-half, most of the discussion centred round an article written by Mr Lee and published in the magazine To-morrow. It was entitled “Psycho-pathology in Politics,” and appeared on December 6, 1939. , PRICE EXACTED MR LEE’S ACTIVITIES INIMICAL TO PARTY ONLY POSSIBLE COURSE (From Oub Special Reporter) WELLINGTON, Mar. 25. Mr Lee’s expulsion from the party was regarded by many as the natural price which this year’s Easter Conference would exact for certain of the activities in. which Mr Lee has engaged in the last year or so. It was thought that the voting would be very close, but the fact that the resolution for his expulsion was carried by a majority, of about five to three indicates that a great many of the 750 delegates to the conference took the most serious view of the situation. The immediate provocation of this drastic action was, of course, the magazine article written by Mr Lee some months ago in which he made statements to which strong exception was taken by the Prime Minister (Mr Savage), who regarded the article as a “dastardly” attack on himself.

The expulsion of Mr Lee from the party is the culmination of successive steps which have been taken by the Cabinet to curb him in the past year or more, including the removal more than 12 months ago of his powers as Under-secretary for Housing and the recent revocation of that office itself. The discussions at the conference to-day, it is understood, began when the Leader of the Legislative Council, Mr D. Wilson, introducing the report of the National Executive, made a strong statement .about subversive elements in the party and the activity in which they had engaged. This was followed by a report which had been prepared by Mr Savage himself, and strongly condemned the action of certain members of the party who were named, Mr Lee being one of them. This report was read by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser. The discussion, which began early in the afternoon, lasted until nearly 11 p.m., and was contributed to by a very large number of members of the party. Mr Lee spoke at some length and was supported by one or two. other members after the actual resolution for his expulsion had been moved; but some of those who , have been considered his strongest supporters apparently did not take the opportunity of speaking in his favour. Many of those who voted for Mr Lee’s expulsion did so, it is believed, with regret, as they recognised that he had done good work for the party in the past; but they considered that some of his recent actions, especially the magazine article, made it essentia! that the conference should take the action it did. Evidence was not wanting, either, of a feeling that the punishment should not be confined to Mr Lee.