ONSLOW SEAT
NEW LABOUR MEMBER SWORN IN MR H. L. J. MAY ELECTED UNOPPOSED (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 7. Elected unopposed at midday today, Mr H. L. J. May was sworn in as a member of Parliament this evening. Mr May represents Onslow as an Opposition member replacing the late Mr H. E. Combs. As far as Parliamentary records show, no other member of Parliament has been elected and sworn in on the same day. Mr May was escorted by the Opposition Whips, Messrs J. B. F. Cotterill and J. Mathison, to the Speaker’s dais to take the oath, and then went to a bench which he shares with Mr M. Moohan (Opposition, Petone). This is the seat formerly occupied by Mr Combs. Mr May, who is 41, is secretary of the Onslow Labour Representation Committee and a member of the national executive of the Labour Party. He is president of the Wellington General Labourers’ Union and a member of the Petone Borough Council, the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board, and the Hutt Rivet Board. Mr May was chosen as the Labour Party candidate for Onslow at the General Election in November. Mr Combs had earlier announced that he would retire. At the General Election Mr May will be opposed by Mr W. H. Fortune, Minister in charge of Police, who at present represents Eden,- and by a Social Credit Political League candidate. While Mr May was working as a caretaker at one of the Petone Borough Council’s reservoirs today fellow-workmen telephoned him and said: “You are a member of parliament.” Mr May did not believe them. He knew that nominations closed today for the Onslow by-election, but thought mistakenly that the closing time was 6 p.m., instead of noon. He was attending a party meeting in Parliament Buildings late this afternoon when he was told: “You d better get away home and change your suit.” When he was sworn in as a member of Parliament this evening, his wife and daughter watched proceedings from the gallery. “I didn’t even have time to resign from my job,” said Mr May.
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Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12
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352ONSLOW SEAT Press, Volume XC, Issue 27396, 8 July 1954, Page 12
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