OPPOSITION LEADER

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 53, Issue 3828, 2 November 1936, Page 4

OPPOSITION LEADER

HON. A. HAMILTON CHOSEN. PARTY’S UNANIMOUS DECISION. The selection of the Hon. A. Hamiton, M.P. for Wiallace, as Leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives in succession to the kt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, was made at an Opposition caucus in Wellington on Saturday afternoon. Mr. Forbes tendered his resignation at th®, caucus, in keeping with an undertaking which he gave same time ago, and Mr Hamilton’s selection as leader was subsequently endorsed by the Dominion Council of the National Party, which also met in Wellington to discuss the leadership. In addition to Mr Hamilton, Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P. for Egmont, was a candidate for office. However after a full examination of the position, no actual ballot wag necessary and the caucus made a- unanimous declaration of approval for Mr Hamilton. A Wellington message states that certain differences of opinion have apparently existed among some members of the Opposition during recent months, and it is gathered that the question of the change in leadership brought them to a head. The caucus itself lasted for nearly two hours and there are grounds for believing that the frankness of the discussion has cleared the political air to an appreciable extent. The caucus at which the question of leadership was settled was not completed until a few minutes before the House of Representatives resumed in the afternoon to receive the final messages of bills from ’the Legislative Council. All members of the House were aware of the purpose of the Opposition meeting and there was lively interest as Mr Forbes and Mr Hamilton entered the chamber together. Subsequently Mr Hamilton received hearty congratulations from many Government members and there was more than the usual note of warmth in the farewells which Mr Forbes received. Before the final adjournment of the House Mr Forbes acquainted the Speaker, the Hon. W. E. Barnard, of the change, in leadership.