CLEAR-CUT WIN FOR OPPOSITION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 295, 15 December 1941, Page 6

CLEAR-CUT WIN FOR OPPOSITION

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT NATIONAL CANDIDATE'S SAFI MAJORITY EXPRESSION OF OPINION AGAINST GOVERNMENT (Press Assn, i Auckland, Dec. 14 The contest for the Bay of Plent;, scat in the House of Representatives, rendered vacant by the death 01 the former member, Liuet. A. G. Hullquist, held yesterday, resulted in a clear-cut victory for the National candidate, .Mr. \V. Sullivan. The result of the voting was as follows: VV. Sullivan (National) . 4452 C. Mills (GovtJ 2859 Majority for Sullivan 1593 Shortly after the last re.-utl had been received and the iinal figure announced, both candidates spolw from the balcony of the Masonic Hotel, Opotiki, to a big crowd in tin street below. The new member, M. Sullivan, expressed his thanks for the great vote given him. He said tin expression of opinion did not apply to the Bay of Plenty only, but was an ■indication of the feeling of the people of New Zealand. He had fought the campaign lone-handed, while the other candidate had received the assistance of numerous speakers. The vote was an expression of opinion against the Government of the moment and also the Labour Party's policy. The Government would now have to turn round and say: "What is the reason for this?” Mr. Mills congratulated Mr. Sullivan. There are approximately 750 soldiers’ votes yet to he received. Mr. William Sullivan is a brother of Mr. S. J. Sullivan, of Wanganui. He was born at New Plymouth 50 years ago. His father was a builder and contractor at Invercargill, but sold out in the late ’Bo’s to revisit Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, sent'., settled at New Plymouth on their return to New Zealand. Mr. W. Sullivan was educated at New Plymouth and served his apprenticeship with the sawmilling firm of Boon Bros, at their Stratford branch. Some 27 years ago he and Mr. Boon went to Whakatane, where they established the firm of Boon and Sullivan. Lateh Mr. Boon retired from active participation in the firm's activities, and Mr. Luke, foreman, was taken into partnership, the firm becoming Boon. Sullivan and Luke. Mr. Sullivan took an active part in civic affairs at Whakatane. and is was due in no small degree to his business acumen that the township, with finances at a low ebb when he assumed office as Mayor in 1925, eventually cleared its indebtedness and commenced its era of progress and prosperity. Mr. Sullivan was chairman of the Whakatane Harbour Board from 1923-25 and was a past-presi-dent of the Chamber of Commerce. He contested the Tauranga seat in 1931 and again in 1938. He married in 1916 a daughter of Mr. John W. Brayshaw. Stratford, and there are six children, three sons and three daughters.