GENERAL ELECTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 February 1943, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTION

NOTICE OF MOTION GIVEN PRIME MINISTER’S PROPOSAL. TO BE DISCUSSED BY PARLIAMENT. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The question of holding a general election this year is to be discussed by the House of Representatives this afternoon. After the House met yesterday following the formal opening of Parliament, the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, gave notice of his intention to move that the House, unless the General Assembly was sooner dissolved, should continue in office till November 1, 1943, and no longer. The full next of the notice of motion is as follows: — “That it is the opinion of this House that in view of the continued improvement in the Avar situation a general election should be held during the present year to enable the people, in accordance with their democratic rights, to elect their representatives in Parliament, and it is resolved therefore that pursuant to the proviso to section two of the Prolongation of Parliament Act, 1942, the House of Representatives shall, unless the General Assembly is sooner dissolved, continue till the first day of November, 1943, and no longer.” The last general election was held on Saturday, October 15, 1938. In normal circumstances another should have taken place toward the end of 1941 on the expiry of the three-year term for which the House of Representatives is elected. The Government, however, introduced legislation on October 15 of that year to extend the life of Parliament by another 12 months. This was supported by the Opposition as a war measure. Toward the end of last year another measure was introduced, the war outlook then being considered by the House unfavourable for an election, to extend the life of Parliament till one year after the end of the war, subject to review “at least once a year,” on the motion, of the Prime Minister. He moved this motion yesterday.