MATAURA SEAT

Southland Times, Issue 25362, 14 August 1935, Page 4

MATAURA SEAT

GENERAL ELECTION THREE CANDIDATES LIKELY The position in the Mataura seat at the general election is that there is a possibility of three candidates being in the field. The Labour Party has definitely decided not to nominate a candidate for the constituency, but in addition to the sitting member (Mr D. McDougall) and the Government candidate, who is yet to be selected, the Democrat Party has invited Mr A. T. Newman (Mayor of Gore) to accept nomination as the party’s candidate. Mr Newman has not yet decided to accept nomination, but it is understood that he will attend a conference of the party at Wellington next week to hear an exposition of the Democrat policy before announcing his decision. It is learned that Mr McDougall was approached to accept the Democrat nomination for Mataura. He stated that he would be prepared to support a no-confidence motion in the present administration moved by the Democrat or any other party, but he would not be prepared to ally himself definitely with any party. The Labour Party gave serious consideration to the question of nominating a candidate for the constituency, but there was a strong body of opinion in the ranks of the party locally that no opposition should be offered to the sitting member, who had publicly stated his intention of supporting a motion of no-confidence in the present Government. Some little time will elapse before the Government candidate can be selected as it will be necessary for supporters in the different parts of the electorate to meet and appoint delegates to attend a meeting representative of the whole district to hold a ballot among the four candidates whose names were announced yesterday. It is understood that Mr A. T. Newman was approached to allow his name to be included in the ballot, but in view of of the invitation from the Democrat Party he had to decline the offer.