THE OPPOSITION PARTY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3774, 21 September 1907, Page 3

THE OPPOSITION PARTY.

Speaking about the Opposition Party in the present Parliament in the House on Thursday morning, Mr Massey said ; We are, it is true, few in number. Unfortunately it is so —unfortunately for us, and, I think, unfortunately for the country ; but I have a letter from a gentleman who is a constituent of the Premier’s. This gentleman is writing a pamphlet on preferential voting, ami has analysed the voting at the last general election. The figures stand in this way: Government candidates 206,866 votes, Opposition candidates 157,193, This large number of votes was recorded for the Opposition candidates, in spite of the fact that the then Premier was the greatest organiser the colony has ever seen. I venture to say that the position is no worse now than then. If I know anything of public opinion, I believe it is much better than it was from our point of view, even allowing for the few votes that are changed about with every wind oi doctrine. In proof of my statement, I need only refer to the results of the last two by-elections. We are not contending on this side of the House for our individual interests. I can hardly say we are contending for party interests ; we put the interests of the country before party. That is what we have done in the past, and that is the course we intend to adopt in the future, and believe that, whatever may be said to the contrary, the intelligence of the country is behind us.