WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

Marlborough Express, Volume LXII, Issue 269, 15 November 1928, Page 6

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?

THE, POSITION SET OUT. PRXME MINISTER'S NEXT MOVE.

Express Special Servioe.

WML LING T ON, Nov. 15. Some election results arc still uncertain, mainly owing to, the, large numher of ahsent voters7 pefmits outstanding, hui the figure-s generally contain no eleruent of uncertainly on , the party position s. T'hus, it is clear that the next. imove is for the Prime 51 inistcr to call Parliament together to ascertain formally the obviou's position — that lie is destincd in dtio course to become Leader of the Op position E-or tliis purpose Labor will vote solidly with the United Party on a no-eonfidence motion, wh'ieli Sir Joseph Ward has tho Parliamontary riglit to move as leader of the larger Oppos i t io ti seotiou . What Will happcn next? Sir Joseph Ward will siecure an adjouvnmont of the House to, form his Ministry. This sliort session could hardly be cxpected until after the New Year, as tlie election situatioii with its recounts and ;po,ssiblo petitions lias to be proved beyond doubt in every ■constitiren.cv beforo Parliament can be sum.monel. With tlie- no-coi.itidc.nce motion. passed, Sir Joseph Ward, 011 heconiing Pl'ime M inistcr, will be cntitled to ask for time to, frame. the Government's session al progranime, and this would probably niean an adjoiirnment until June>. The last big cliange was in tbe 1911 election, which brought the former Liberal Governincni into difficulties, and a special session had to be oalled for the purpose, of ascertaining the exact state of parties. Sir Joseph Ward's Government won 011 the castdng vote of Sir Arthur Guinness, the Speaker. Tliis session opened 011 Februiary 15th and Sir Joseph Ward, prior to, the crucial division, announced that he intcnded. even if he won, to resign tlie leadership. The session ended on March 1st, and a meeting of the Liberal Party on Ma reh 22nd appointod Sir Tbomas MacKenzie as leader. Wi tjii 11. a wcek he had se.lected his Oabinet, which did not nieet P,arliaiite,nt until June 27. This session in tuni was politically excit,mg, as within ten days Mr Ala.ssey had defeated the Aliniistry by 41 votes to 33. Tbe ohanga froni the February situniion was due to the seeession of three Liberal f ieelioklers, cornprising the present Prime M.inst.er (ihe Righl Hnn. M!r Ooiates), with Mr T. Wr. R.hodes '(Thames) and Mr Vernon Reed (Bay of lslands). The new Primo Mini.ster (Mr IMassey) announced his Cabinct wiibin ifiivc days, and, having . a working jmajoritv, procecded with tlie ses- , sion, which ended in Novcmher.