"STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1928. THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 91, 29 November 1928, Page 4

"STRATFORD EVENING POST" THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1928. THE NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

IT WAS SUGGESTED the other clay by a Reform journal that Mr H. E. 'Holland would still be Leaded of. the Opposition whe)i Parlia»oient met, f and' would bo entitled to precedence in moving a no-confidence .motion In the Government. says the Christchurch Stnr. The same journal ha*, persisted ix>. saying that the result of the election gives Sir Joseph Ward no stronger claim to. office than Mr Holland. Both statements are incorj rcot, but as they may go down with some people, it is necessary to state the facts. Mr Holland became Leader of the Opposition three years ago by notifying the Speaker of the House that he was at the head of the largest group/ outside Xhe Glovem- 1 ment, and he was appointed Leader of the Opposition forthwith, rand provided with the suite of rooms hi Parliament Rouse pertaining to than office. But the election has change* all that, and even if it is not open for-the Speaker, of his own choice, to take cognizance of tfte fact that Mr Holland is no longer" Lfihder of the Opposition, it is open for Sin- Joseph Ward to inform the Speaker that he I is the head of the largest group outside the Government, and the Speaker will immediately take steps to verify his statement *ml recognise him n.s the Leader of the Opposition. The smoke screen Hint His been put u!p on this subject is, 110 t likely to obscure the real issue. There is not the slightest doubt that there twill be no scramble between Sir Jrtseph Ward and Mr Holland to move a. noconfidence motion. Sir Joseph- Ward', as Leader of the Opposition, must be given precedence by the speaker. The Labour Party will vote with the Liberals to put the; Reform Government out, and the onlv othe* interesting possibility after that would be tha possibility that Mr Holland would tak e it upon himself, i n turn, to move a, vote of no-confidence in the Ward Government. That possibility, however, may be counted out for half-a-. dozen reasons, the strongest of which is that Mr Holland is .as unTiKely as Mr Coates to wish to precipitate a general election, even if he had it in his power to do so. We can see no reason whatever to revise the estimate that Sir Joseph Ward will carry on as Prime Minister for the full term of the present Parliament.