MOUNT ALBERT SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26543, 19 August 1947, Page 4

MOUNT ALBERT SEA

AN “ARRANGEMENT” LIKELY MR LEE’S KEY POSITION LIBERALS REBUFFED Special Correspondent WELLINGTON. Aug. 18. A key position in the forthcoming Mt Albert by-election is Held by’Mr J A. Lee, leader of the Democratic Labour Party and former Labour Under-secretary to the Minister of Housing. Although Mr Lee is given little prospect of winning the seat should he contest it, the opinion held in Wellington is that he could sway sufficient votes to have much influence on the result of the poll. The national president of the Labour Party, Mr James Roberts, M.L.C., and the national secretary, Mr A. J. McDonald, are visiting the electorate to take stock of the prospects on the spot. In spite of the blunt rebuff given to the Lee Party when overtures for unity with official Labour were made in 1946, it now seems likely that an understanding of some kind may have to be reached to protect Labour’s majority of roughly 1800 in Mt. Albert. Mr Lee. meanwhile, makes no statement. He is obviously adopting a “ wait and see ” policy. He has retained a vigorous, independent 'Stand in political affairs and a few months ago declared that in any electorate conveniently situated for him and where Labour’s majority was more than 1000, his party would contest an election. He has already observed that “Mt. Albert could be magnificently fought within a fortnight.” It seems unlikely, however, that the official Labour Party will lose any opportunity to ensure that all available forces are marshalled to oppose the National Party. The issue is so vital to Labour, with its present slender majority in the House, that some “ arrangement ” seems not unlikely. Recommendations from a preliminary meeting between Mr Roberts and Mr MacDonald and the party officials in Auckland will be discussed on Wednesday by the Auckland Labour Representation Committee, and it is expected that, the National Executive in Wellington may announce the candidate next Monday. The president of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee has replied to the reference madei by the New Zealand Liberal Party to “ our long-standing negotiations for a united Labour-Liberal front.” He has stated that there have been no negotiations between the Labour Party and Liberal Party or any other party and that Labour ift Mt. Albert would contesl the by-election, with its own candidate. It would not enter into any arrangement with any other party for the selection of the candidate to contest the. election. It may be several weeks before the date of the poll is fixed.