23rd_New_Zealand_Parliament

The 1928 general election was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates, respectively.^[1] A total of 80 MPs were elected; 47 represented North Island electorates, 29 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates.^[2] 844,633 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 88.1%.^[1]

Electoral boundaries

Sessions

The 23rd Parliament sat for five sessions (there were two sessions in 1931), and was prorogued on 12 November 1931.^[3]

More information Session, Opened ...

Session	Opened	Adjourned
first	4 December 1928	14 December 1928
second	27 June 1929	9 November 1929
third	26 June 1930	25 October 1930
fourth	11 March 1931	28 April 1931
fifth	25 June 1931	11 November 1931

Party standings

Start of Parliament

Party		Leader(s)	Seats at start
	United Party	Sir Joseph Ward	27
	Reform Party	Gordon Coates	27
	Labour Party	Harry Holland	19
	Country Party	Harold Rushworth	1
	Independents		6

End of Parliament

Party		Leader(s)	Seats at end
	Reform Party	Gordon Coates	27
	United Party	George Forbes	26
	Labour Party	Harry Holland	20
	Country Party	Harold Rushworth	1
	Independents		6

Ministries

The Coates Ministry led by Gordon Coates of the Reform Party had come to power in May 1925.^[4] The Reform Party lost the 1928 election, suffering a humiliating defeat, dropping from 55 seats in 1925 to 28 only three years later. Parliament was called shortly after the election, Coates lost a no confidence vote and resigned as Prime Minister.^[5]

Joseph Ward formed the second Ward Ministry on 10 December 1928 as leader of the United Party, a successor of the Liberal Party.^[6]^[7] Ward was an unwell man at this stage in life and suffered several heart attacks. In May 1930, he was pressured by his colleagues to resign as Prime Minister.^[7]

Ward was succeeded by George Forbes, again of the United Party. The Forbes Ministry was in place until September 1931. During the difficult times of the Great Depression, Forbes wanted to form a grand coalition with the Labour Party and the Reform Party. Labour refused, but Reform went into a coalition government with United from September 1931.^[8]

Members

Members of the House of Representatives, Parliament of New Zealand, 1928–1931.

Initial MPs

Key

United Reform Labour Country Party Liberal–Labour Ratana Independent

More information Electorate, Incumbent ...

Electorate results for the 1928 New Zealand general election^[9]
Electorate	Incumbent			Majority
General electorates
Auckland Central		Bill Parry		3,024	William Hewitt
Auckland East		John A. Lee	James Donald	37	John A. Lee
Auckland Suburbs	New electorate		Rex Mason	1,098	Sir James Gunson
Auckland West		Michael Joseph Savage		1,341	Richard Speirs
Avon		Dan Sullivan		3,845	George Thomas Baker^[10]
Awarua		John Hamilton	Philip De La Perrelle	1,005	John Hamilton
Bay of Islands		Allen Bell	Harold Rushworth	2	Allen Bell
Bay of Plenty		Kenneth Williams		1,867	Alexander Moncur
Buller		Harry Holland		3,617	Dugald Macdonald Robertson^[11]
Central Otago	New electorate		William Bodkin	653	James Ritchie^[12]
Chalmers		James Dickson	Alfred Ansell	619	Norman Hartley Campbell
Christchurch East		Tim Armstrong		2,260	Denis Franklyn Dennehy^[13]
Christchurch North		Henry Holland		1,892	Ernest Andrews
Christchurch South		Ted Howard		433	Charlie McCully^[14]
Clutha		Fred Waite		523	Joseph Stephens^[15]
Dunedin Central		Sir Charles Statham		1,771	John Robinson^[16]
Dunedin North		Harold Tapley	Jim Munro	1,231	Harold Tapley
Dunedin South		Thomas Sidey	William Taverner	33	Robert William Hall^[17]
Dunedin West		Downie Stewart		1,277	Cornelius Machin Moss^[17]
Eden		Rex Mason	Arthur Stallworthy	2,436	Vivian Potter
Egmont		Oswald Hawken	Charles Wilkinson	1,286	Oswald Hawken
Franklin		Ewen McLennan	Jack Massey	134	Harry Mellsop
Gisborne		Douglas Lysnar	Douglas Lysnar (Ind R)	346	David Coleman
Grey Lynn		Fred Bartram	John Fletcher	64	Fred Bartram
Hamilton		Alexander Young		1,073	Samuel Charles Gale Lye^[18]
Hauraki	New electorate		Arthur Hall	891	Ebenezer Allan
Hawke's Bay		Hugh Campbell		690	Jack Lyon^[19]
Hurunui		George Forbes		1,839	Leslie Robert Cathcart Macfarlane^[20]
Hutt		Thomas Wilford		1,305	Walter Nash
Invercargill		Sir Joseph Ward, Bt.		3,178	Morell Macalister
Kaiapoi		David Buddo	Richard Hawke	96	James Arthur Flesher
Kaipara		Gordon Coates		2,475	Jim Barclay
Lyttelton		James McCombs		1,867	John Beanland
Manawatu		Joseph Linklater		1,466	Patrick James Small^[21]
Manukau		Bill Jordan		3,659	Kells Mason^[22]
Marsden		William Jones	Alfred Murdoch	450	William Jones
Masterton		George Sykes		1,238	William Thompson^[23]
Mataura		George Anderson	David McDougall	62	George Anderson
Mid-Canterbury	New electorate		David Jones	55	Jeremiah Connolly
Motueka		Richard Hudson	George Black	613	Richard Hudson
Napier		John Mason	Bill Barnard	418	John Mason
Nelson		Harry Atmore		2,309	Frederick William Oscar Smith
New Plymouth	New electorate		Sydney Smith	1,467	Charles Bellringer
Oamaru		Ernest Lee	John Macpherson	337	Ernest Lee
Oroua		John Eliott	John Cobbe	732	John Eliott
Otaki		William Field		813	Archibald Burnett Sievwright
Pahiatua		Alfred Ransom		922	Harold Smith
Palmerston		Jimmy Nash		2,350	Walter Bromley
Parnell		James S. Dickson	Harry Jenkins	849	James S. Dickson
Patea		Harold Dickie		182	James Douglas Hislop^[24]
Raglan		Lee Martin		1,041	Walter Seavill^[25]
Rangitikei		Billy Glenn	James Hogan	1,234	Billy Glenn
Riccarton		Bert Kyle		45	Archibald Albany McLachlan^[13]
Roskill		Vivian Potter	George Munns	2,344	Arthur Richards
Rotorua		Frank Hockly	Cecil Clinkard	200	Frank Hockly
Stratford		Edward Walter	William Polson	982	Edward Walter
Tauranga		Charles Macmillan		678	Douglas Charles Chalmers^[26]
Temuka		Thomas Burnett		86	Thomas Herbert Langford
Thames		Thomas Rhodes	Albert Samuel	1,302	John Sommerville Montgomerie^[27]
Timaru		Frank Rolleston	Clyde Carr	467	Frank Rolleston
Waikato		Stewart Reid	Frederick Lye	86	Stewart Reid
Waimarino		Robert Smith	Frank Langstone	985	Robert Smith
Waipawa		Sir George Hunter		1,860	Ernest Albert Goodger^[28]
Wairarapa		Alex McLeod	Thomas McDonald	566	Alex McLeod
Wairau		William Girling	Edward Healy	292	William Girling
Waitaki		John Bitchener		1,202	Frederick Cooke
Waitemata		Alexander Harris		315	Reginald Greville
Waitomo		John Rolleston	Walter Broadfoot	532	John Rolleston
Wallace		Adam Hamilton		20	Walter Taylor
Wanganui		Bill Veitch		2,137	Bill Rogers
Wellington Central		Peter Fraser		3,458	Dunbar Sloane
Wellington East		Thomas Forsyth	Bob Semple	966	Thomas Forsyth
Wellington North		Sir John Luke	Charles Chapman	47	Sir John Luke
Wellington South		Robert McKeen		2,953	Martin Luckie
Wellington Suburbs		Robert Wright		1,985	Tom Brindle
Westland		Tom Seddon	James O'Brien	185	Tom Seddon
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori		Sir Āpirana Ngata		3,104	Pita Moko
Northern Maori		Taurekareka Henare		880	Paraire Karaka Paikea
Southern Maori		Henare Uru	Tuiti Makitanara	1	Eruera Tirikatene
Western Maori		Sir Māui Pōmare		1,599	Toko Ratana

By-elections during 23rd Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 23rd Parliament.

More information Electorate and by-election, Date ...

Electorate and by-election		Date		Cause
Bay of Islands	1929	10 April^[29]	Harold Rushworth	Election declared void	Harold Rushworth
Hutt	1929	18 December^[30]	Thomas Wilford	Resignation	Walter Nash
Parnell	1930	7 May^[31]	Harry Jenkins	Resignation	Bill Endean
Invercargill	1930	13 August^[32]	Sir Joseph Ward	Death	Vincent Ward
Waipawa	1930	8 October^[33]	Sir George Hunter	Death	Albert Jull
Western Maori	1930	8 October^[34]	Sir Māui Pōmare	Death	Taite Te Tomo
Hauraki	1931	27 May^[35]	Arthur Hall	Death	Walter Massey

Notes

[1]
"General elections 1853–2005 – dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
[2]
Scholefield 1950, p. 90.
[3]
Scholefield 1950, p. 69.
[4]
Scholefield 1950, pp. 46–47.
[5]
Bassett, Michael. "Coates, Joseph Gordon 1878–1943". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
[6]
Scholefield 1950, p. 47.
[7]
Bassett, Michael. "Ward, Joseph George 1856–1930". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
[8]
Gardner, W. J. "Forbes, George William – Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
[9]
Skinner 1929, pp. 1–7.
[10]
"Electoral Notices". The Press. Vol. LXIV, no. 19454. 30 October 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
[11]
"Robertson, Dugald Macdonald, fl 1909-1971 : Papers". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
[12]
"Notice of nominations received and polling places appointed". Dunstan Times. No. 3395. 5 November 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
[13]
"Christchurch Nominations". The Press. Vol. LXIV, no. 19451. 26 October 1928. p. 14. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
[14]
"Straight Grained". New Zealand Truth. No. 1197. 8 November 1928. p. 6. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
[15]
"Labour's Candidates". Maoriland Worker. Vol. 12, no. 299. 22 November 1922. p. 12. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
[16]
"Nominations". Otago Daily Times. No. 20550. 27 October 1928. p. 9. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
[17]
"The election : nomination day". Evening Star. No. 20009. 29 October 1928. p. 7. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
[18]
"Election Candidates". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXV, no. 19939. 7 May 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
[19]
"Death in Action". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXVIII, no. 23984. 6 June 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 29 June 2014.
[20]
"Electoral notices". The Press. Vol. LXIV, no. 19454. 30 October 1928. p. 15. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
[21]
"General notices". Manawatu Times. Vol. LIII, no. 6748. 30 October 1928. p. 16. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
[22]
"Electoral". Auckland Star. Vol. LIX, no. 256. 29 October 1928. p. 5. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
[23]
"Notice of nominations received and polling places appointed". Wairarapa Daily Times. 30 October 1928. p. 4. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
[24]
"Patea". The Evening Post. Vol. CVI, no. 85. 19 October 1928. p. 11. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
[25]
"General election : date drawing nearer". Franklin Times. Vol. XVIII, no. 124. 29 October 1928. p. 5. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
[26]
"Declarations of result of poll for the electoral district of Tauranga". Bay of Plenty Times. Vol. LVII, no. 9936. 24 November 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
[27]
"Public notices". Waihi Daily Telegraph. Vol. XXV, no. 7769. 1 November 1928. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
[28]
"Personal Items". The Evening Post. Vol. CIX, no. 72. 26 March 1930. p. 13. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
[29]
Scholefield 1950, p. 136.
[30]
Scholefield 1950, p. 128.
[31]
Scholefield 1950, p. 104.
[32]
Scholefield 1950, p. 146.
[33]
Scholefield 1950, p. 117.
[34]
Scholefield 1950, p. 144.
[35]
Scholefield 1950, p. 125.

References

Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
Skinner, W. A. G. (1929). The General Election, 1928. Government Printer. Retrieved 4 December 2013.

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