WAIPAWA SEAT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 259, 30 September 1940, Page 8

WAIPAWA SEAT

CONTEST UNLIKELY

MR J. D. ORMOND MENTIONED

(By Telegraph.—Special to Standard.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 30. No formal understanding exists be-tween'the-Government and the National Party regarding filling extraordinary vacancies during wartime, but indications point to a strong probability of the Waipawa vacancy being tilled without a contest. A report is circulating that Mr J. D. Ormond, who contested the Napier seat unsuccessfully at the last election against Hon. W. E. Barnard, may be nominated for the Waipawa vacancy, as it is said he left a signed nomination form with the National Party prior to leaving with the Expeditionary Force. Mr Ormond was the independent candidate for Waipawa in 1935, when Mr H. M. Christie won the seat for Labour, the late Mr A. E. Jull regaining it at the following election. The Democratic Labour Party organised by Mr J. A. Lee has been mentioned as a possible factor, but there is no branch of this party in the electorate; therefore, it is unlikely Mr Lee would utilise this opportunity of testing the strength of the new party. Mr Christie probably had in mind the threatened activity of the Democratic Labour Party when he was asked if he intended to take this opportunity of contesting his former constituency. “In the event of the nomination of Mr Ormond,” replied Mr Christie, “I would not be a candidate, but should Mr Ormond not be nominated other considerations would come into the matter and 1 am not prepared offhand to indicate my intentions.” The Leader of the Opposition (Hon. A. Hamilton), when interviewed today, stated: “Of course, our party will have its candidate, but we have a constitutional method of selecting him. If the local members of the party are unanimous on the candidate, that solves the question.”