Natives To Be Elected For First Time

There is no doubt that Murray’s decision will be to Mason’s advant age because it will remove the split vote against Meehan.

The announcement by Mr. R. F. (Bob) Bunting that he would not be contesting any seat also carries a certain significance. Bunting has been a member of the Legislative Council since its inauguration in 1951, but not as an elected member, His membership has been on the appointment of the Administrator.

When Bunting joined forces with Barrett and Simogun Peta last year to form the UPP, there was some suggestion that he might have jeopardised his chance of being re appointed to the Council. This was based on the reasoning that the Administrator would hesitate to appoint a man who had stated political affiliations, Apparently, however, Bunting has received some sort of indication that his appointed membership is still safe, and this has enabled him £o avoid the worry of an election, Present signs are that while the Territory has only one political party, the matter of political bias does not enter into the question.

Bunting, who is State President for p a p Ua _New Guinea Branch of the Returned Servicemen’s League, was additionally in the news dur ing the month when he strongly denied rumours that there was any connection between the RSL and the UPP.

The rumours apparently grew from the fuzzy thinking of people who imagined that because the RSL was non-party-political, so should its executives be non-party-political, Bunting wasted no time in point ing out the mistake of this assump tion. “My connection with the new party is personal, and has nothing to do with my RSL membership,” he said.