WAIPAWA SEAT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24417, 1 October 1940, Page 6

WAIPAWA SEAT

CONTEST MAY BE AVOIDED MR ORMOND’S NAME MENTIONED (Special to Daily Times) , WELLINGTON, Sept. 30. Neither the Government nor the National Party has as yet given any detailed attention to the question of filling the vacancy in the Waipawa electorate caused by the death of Mr A. E. Jull. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Adam Hamilton, said to-day that the National , Party would have a candidate, but the question of selection would be decided by the usual constitutional means. Mr Hamilton was not prepared to indicate the names of any possible candidates, but he said that if the district committee of the party was unanimous about a certain nominee that would solve the question. . No definite understanding is said to exist so far between the Government and the National Party regarding the filling of extraordinary vacancies in war-time, but there is believed to be a possibility that the seat may be filled without a contest. An unofficial report suggests that Mr J. D. Ormond, who contested the Napier seat unsuccessfully against Mr W. E. Barnard at the last election and is now away with the forces overseas, may be nominated as an absentee candidate in the interests of the National Party. It is not thought likely that the Democratic Labour Party will use this opportunity of testing the strength of the new party.