CHALLENGE TO LIBERALS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1920, Page 4

CHALLENGE TO LIBERALS.

EIGHT TO THE OPPOSITION. LABOR MEMBER'S MOVE FAILS, By Teleuraph.—Press Association. . Wellington, Last Night. In the Home of Representatives, the member for Lyttelton (Mr. J. McCombs) raised a point of order as to whether the member for Hutt' (Mr. T. M. Wilford) was entitled to be addressed as Leader of the Opposition, in view of the fact that he was only elected as the party leader at a meeting of seven members. In support of his contention, Mr. McCombs said the Speaker in the House of Commons had recently ruled that the largest party sitting in opposition to the Government was entitled to be considered' the official Opposition. Furthermore, he contended that the official Liberal group in the House was in such complete agreement with the Government on all the main political questions that it was incapable of functioning as an Opposition, and its existence on the Opposition benches was therefore irregular and anomalous.

The Speaker said he had been-official-ly informed tlu>t Mr. Wilford had been elected Leader of the Opposition, and as guch he recognised him. Mr. Wilford said the statement that he had been elected by seven members of the party was contrary to fact. Neither was the name of the Leader of the Opposition drawn from a hat as had been freely stated. Mr. MeCombs sought to pursue the subject, but he was ruled out of order by the Speaker,, and there the matter dropped. x