First Labour Government of New Zealand
Encyclopedia
The First Labour Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand
Governments of New Zealand
The Government of New Zealand , formally Her Majesty's Government in New Zealand, is based on the Westminster system of responsible government...

 from 1935 to 1949. It set the tone of New Zealand's economic and welfare policies until the 1980s, establishing a welfare state
Welfare state
A welfare state is a "concept of government in which the state plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens. It is based on the principles of equality of opportunity, equitable distribution of wealth, and public responsibility for those...

, a system of Keynesian economic management, and high levels of state intervention. The government came to power towards the end of, and as a result of, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 of the 1930s, and also governed the country throughout World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Industrial

  • Significant improvements in working conditions took place, partly through greater competition for labour and partly through legislative provisions.
  • Enacted compulsory trade unionism (1936).
  • A Factories Act amendment introduced a 40-hour, five-day working week, with eight public holidays: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Labour Day, and sovereign's birthday. Legislation in 1945 and 1946 made the new 40-hour workweek almost universal, in industry as well as in shops and offices.
  • Relief jobs were abolished and in 1936 and 1937, sustenance payment took the place of relief work, and during those years an average of 20,000 received it.
  • Sustenance rates of pay were increased by amounts of up to 100% “to provide the transition to full employment on public works.” On rate of payment for all was also introduced, replacing the three different pre-existing levels in which urban workers received higher sustenance payments than Maoris (who received the lowers rate of sustenance) and those living in secondary towns.
  • The Arbitration Court’s compulsory powers were restored (1936), with preference given to unionists “and for all workers subject to a particular Court award to become members of the trade union to which the award applied.” Provision was also made for the registration of national trade unions. This new, more progressive system led to improvements in the pay and working conditions of New Zealanders who had never had a trade union to represent them.
  • The Agricultural Workers Act (1936) improved conditions for rural labourers by setting a minimum rate of pay and required a decent level of living conditions. The legislation restricted the employment of children under the age of fifteen on dairy farms, introduced minimum standards of housing accommodation for farm workers, four weeks of paid annual holiday, and a minimum wage for farm workers..
  • The Shops and Officers Amendment Act (1936) specified a maximum workweek of forty-four hours for people working in banks and insurance.
  • The Industrial Efficiency Bill (enacted in October 1936) gave the government wide powers to regulate industries.
  • A large public works programme was initiated to provide employment on full wages instead of relief.
  • The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act (1936) restored full jurisdiction to the Arbitration Court and required the court to make general orders fixing basic wages for both men and women which would apply to all awards and agreements in force.
  • Compulsory arbitration was restored. This expanded the range of minimum standards of pay and working conditions, benefiting the semi-skilled, those without craft training, and unorganised groups of workers..
  • Between 1935 and 1938, trade union membership rose to a figure “nearly two and half times that of the peak year of 1929,” encouraged by the Labour government's industrial policies.
  • In 1936, the government graduated the wages of young people so that year by year their rate of pay automatically increased until it reached a minimum standard wage when they reached the age of 21. The aims of this were to prevent adult wage rates from being undercut by young male or young female labour, to prevent the exploitation of young people’s labour and lack of bargaining power, and to prevent employers from sacking apprentices as they became qualified for journeymen’s pay.
  • Relief workers were granted award wages.
  • The Court of Arbitration was required in 1936 to lay down in its awards and agreements a basic wage sufficient to keep a man, his wife and three children "in a fair and reasonable standard of comfort".
  • A Profiteering Prevention Act was passed (1936).
  • The Minister of Mines was empowered to establish central rescue stations in mines (1936).
  • Improved rates of compensation were introduced for injured workers (1936).
  • Penal rates of pay were introduced for weekend work and overtime (1936).
  • The Minimum Wage Act (1945) established a minimum wage for all workers aged twenty-one and above.
  • Legislative provision was made in 1944 for an annual two weeks holiday for all workers.
  • Underground mine workers were granted a seven-hour workday in 1948 and 1949.
  • Compensation was increased for the dependants of deceased workers (1936).
  • The Wages Protection and Contractors Liens Act (1939) safeguarded the wages of certain types of workers mostly in construction projects by making various provisions “to ensure priority of payment of wages over other claims against principals, contractors, or subcontractors”.
  • The Government Railways Act (1949) established a Government Railways Industrial Tribunal with the power to stipulate salaries and wage rates, hours of work, and other conditions of employment for railway workers.
  • The government experimented with cooperative shops in the rapidly expanding post-war suburbs.
  • A National Employment Service was established (1946) with the principal function of promoting and maintaining full employment.
  • A Home Aid Service was established (1946).
  • A new Factories Act (1946) took measures against sweating and contained detailed provisions regarding workplace safety, dangerous liquids, protection from machinery, means of access, and fire-escapes. Other provisions of the act included the provision of a canteen if there were more than 100 people requiring meals at the factory, an increase in the air space available to each person from 250 to 400 cu ft (7.1 to 11.3 m3) and the requirement that factory inspectors had to pass a qualifying exam.
  • During the war years, the government’s financial and economic policies ensured that all New Zealanders had a reasonable minimum of what was available while scarce goods (both imported and domestically produced) were rationed in the public interest.
  • The wages of the lowest-paid workers were allowed to rise to a minimum level (1944).
  • The Bush Workers Act (1945) made provision for the protection and safety of bush workers..
  • Amendments were made to the Workers’ Compensation Act (1947), one making it compulsory for an employer to insure against his liability under the Act, and another making workers’ compensation insurance (with certain exceptions) a monopoly of the State Fire Insurance Office.

Foreign affairs and military

In the 1930s, Labour was a supporter of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...

 (a forerunner to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

), seeing the League as the best way to prevent another major war. However the League proved to be ineffectual, and was unable to prevent the Japanese invasion of Manchuria or the Italian invasion of Abyssinia
Abyssinia Crisis
The Abyssinia Crisis was a diplomatic crisis during the interwar period originating in the "Walwal incident." This incident resulted from the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Ethiopia...

. Under Labour, the New Zealand representative in the League spoke strongly against appeasement
Appeasement
The term appeasement is commonly understood to refer to a diplomatic policy aimed at avoiding war by making concessions to another power. Historian Paul Kennedy defines it as "the policy of settling international quarrels by admitting and satisfying grievances through rational negotiation and...

 of aggressors, particularly the Italian invasion of Abyssinia
Abyssinia Crisis
The Abyssinia Crisis was a diplomatic crisis during the interwar period originating in the "Walwal incident." This incident resulted from the ongoing conflict between the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Ethiopia...

 and the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...

. When World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 broke out, New Zealand immediately declared war on Germany, with Savage saying that 'where Britain goes, we go'. During the war, conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

 was introduced. This led some to accuse Labour of hypocrisy, as it had strongly opposed conscription in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. The government argued that while the First World War had been an unnecessary imperialist scuffle, the Second World War was a just war against fascist aggressors. Following the war, Fraser became involved in the setting up of the United Nations, and was especially concerned that small countries not be marginalised by the great powers.
Peacetime conscription was introduced in 1949, which proved to be an unpopular decision.

Economic

  • Government spending was increased in an effort to stimulate the economy.
  • The Finance Act (1936) required the reversal of all cuts made in wages and salaries during the Depression period.
  • The State Advances Corporation was set up in 1936 to provide cheap, long-term, urban and rural financing on first mortgages. It was also provided with the powers to lend to local authorities for the construction of workers’ housing and to make advances for developing existing industries and for setting up new ones.
  • The Reserve Bank of New Zealand was immediately nationalised, transferring control from private bankers to the Minister of Finance.
  • The Reserve Bank Amendment Act (1936) bought out the Bank’s private shareholding of £500,000.
  • The Bank of New Zealand was nationalised (1945) .
  • A State Advances Corporation Act was set up which stimulated house-building and provided cheap loans to farmers.
  • A Bureau of industry was established (1936) to plan new industries and reorganise existing ones by a system of licensing.
  • The New Zealand National Airways Act (1945) brought internal airways into public ownership in line with previous government participation in the overseas Tasman Empire Airways.
  • Large-scale hydro-electric installations were built on South Island rivers and lakes.
  • Introduced wide-ranging tariffs and other import controls.
  • The graduated land tax was reintroduced at high rates.
  • The top rate of income tax was significantly increased, from 42.9% (and 57% for ‘unearned income’ such as rent, interest or dividends) in 1939 to 76.5% by 1949.
  • The 1942 budget, which raised taxes, marked the beginnings of Keynesian thinking being explicitly followed in New Zealand.
  • Various attempts at government planning were made. The Industrial Efficiency Act of 1936 established a Bureau of Industry to guide the Minister of Industries and Commerce on planning and development, whilst the Organisation for National Development was set up in 1944 with the aim of studying and making plans for a post-war society.
  • Import and exchange controls were introduced in response to exhausting sterling reserves.
  • A comprehensive price stabilisation scheme was introduced during the Second World War, with subsidies on staples like bread and butter.
  • Via the 1944 Milk Act, the government extended a guaranteed price at a sufficient and attractive level to town milk suppliers to divert milk from butter and cheese production for urban supply.
  • In 1947, dairy farmers were provided with a joint industry and a government Marketing Commission with an independent chairman and the power to fix the guaranteed price and control their own marketing overseas.
  • The Sharemilking Agreements Act 1937 made provision for safeguarding the interests of sharemilkers under sharemilking agreements.
  • A Meat Stabilisation Account (established in 1942) built up large reserves which were used after the war for various forms of assistance to farmers.
  • Land development schemes were pushed ahead and the area being developed was greatly extended .
  • Coal mines gradually came under public ownership.
  • An Organisation for National Security was established (1937), with officials preparing sets of controls to be implemented in the case of war breaking out. During the Second World War, price controls were extended to prevent profiteering and subsidies on various foodstuffs were introduced.
  • Several amendments to the wartime Economic Stabilisation Regulations after 1942 were made in order to enable some levelling-up of wages for poorly paid workers.
  • Wartime inflation was successfully controlled, with prices rising by only 14% during the Second World War.
  • Commercial radio station were purchased by the government (1938), which subsequently acquired the sole right to radio advertising.

Health

  • Most fees for health care were removed, and as noted by the historian William Ball Sutch, “By the end of 1941 there were not only free hospital and maternity attention, free medicines and drugs, and essentially a free medical practitioner service, and, as a gesture to specialist services, free X-ray diagnosis”.
  • Free inpatient treatment for the whole population was introduced (1939).
  • Free outpatient treatment, free pharmaceuticals, and part payment of general practitioners' bills were introduced (1941).
  • The introduction (in 1941) of the Pharmaceutical Supplies Benefit provided for a wide range of drugs to be supplied free on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner.
  • Further health care benefits were introduced during the course of the Second World War, including physiotherapy benefits (1942), district nursing (1944), and laboratory diagnostic benefits (1946). A subsidy was also provided to organisations supplying home aids.
  • Free maternity care was introduced.
  • The School Dental Nurse Service (originally introduced in 1920) was significantly expanded and free dental treatment was introduced for adolescents.
  • Free x-rays were introduced (1941).
  • From 1947 onwards, hospital outpatients could be provided with facilities such contact lenses and hearing aids.
  • From 1948 onwards, artificial limbs were provided free.
  • The Tuberculosis Act (1948) introduced measures for controlling this disease.
  • The Physical Welfare and Recreation Act (1937) provided for central government “to grant sport facilities money to local governments and allowed local government to spend money on these facilities”.
  • The general rise in living standards encouraged by the first labour Government’s social and economic policies led to a significant rise in the health and well-being of the population as a whole. Deaths from typhoid fever, rheumatic fever, diphtheria, appendicitis, influenza, and tuberculosis fell dramatically, which the average life expectancy increased. In addition, the infant mortality rate fell, from 32.26 to 22.75 for Pakeha and from 109.20 to 69.74 for Maori.

Welfare

  • The government provided the unemployed and the recipients of charitable aid with a Christmas bonus upon taking office.
  • At the start of 1936 (following a decision made by the newly elected Labour cabinet in December 1935), a special grant consisting of a week’s pay was introduced for the unemployed, together with an additional amount for those in receipt of outdoor relief.
  • A landlord’s power to distrain on the goods of a tenant “as a means of ejecting him for non-payment of rent without reference to the Court” was removed (1936).
  • Increased retiring allowances were provided for New Zealanders who had compulsorily retired during the Great Depression (1936).
  • The Unemployment Fund was replaced by an Employment Promotion Fund (1936).
  • War pensions were increased, together with other pensions and allowances (1936).
  • Mothers were authorised to make applications for family allowances instead of that right being restricted to fathers (1936).
  • The old age pension was restored.
  • Eligibility for the old age pension was reduced from twenty-five years of residence in new Zealand to twenty (1936).
  • A Parliamentary Commission visited the Rarotongan group to investigate and report on conditions on those islands (1936).
  • Aid was provided to agricultural labourers.
  • The Pension Amendment Act (1936) extended pensions to a wider section of the population, including Lebanese, Chinese, invalids, and deserted wives.
  • The Social Security Act of 1938 introduced a comprehensive system of social security which was, according to one authority, “the first comprehensive and integrated system of social security in the western world”. The rates of family allowances and of existing benefits for the unemployed, miners, invalids, widows, the blind, and the aged were increased. The qualifying age for old-age benefits was reduced from 65 to 60. Family allowances were extended. New welfare benefits were introduced for orphans and those whose incomes had ceased on account of sickness. Provision was made for emergency benefits for persons suffering hardship who were not entitled to any other benefits. According to keith Sinclair,
  • Universal Superannuation, a universal benefit for all New Zealanders aged sixty-five and above, was introduced (1940).
  • Payments for deserted wives were introduced.
  • Old age and war pensions were increased (1936).
  • Deserted wives with children became eligible for widows benefit if they had taken maintenance proceedings against their husbands and were not divorced (1936). Eligibility was later extended to deserted wives whose husband's whereabouts were known (1943) and to deserted wives who had no dependent children (1945).
  • Employed unmarried pregnant women became eligible for an emergency sickness benefit for a limited period before and after giving birth, on the grounds that they were temporarily unable to go to work (1938).
  • The rate of family allowance was doubled and renamed Family Benefit (1938).
  • In 1938, George V memorial funds were used to set up health camps across the country to imrove child health (these camps became less necessary as the health of children generally improved during the course of the Fifth Labour Government).
  • The age at women were entitled to receive old-age pensions was reduced from 65 to 60.
  • A supplementary benefit for widows with children was introduced (1945).
  • Widows benefits were extended to widows without children (1945).
  • Family allowances, originally payable to the second child onwards, were gradually to the whole population. In 1940, the child allowance was extended to the second child and in 1941 the family benefit was extended to all children in families earning less than £5 a week. Universal family benefits were later introduced in 1946. As a result of this expansion of coverage, the number of families in receipt of these payments rose from 42,600 to 230,000. Also, because of deductions for dependants, family men paid less in income tax, and received more benefits..
  • An improved invalid pension for the totally blind and incapacitated was established (1936).
  • Compensation was increased for the dependants of deceased workers (1936).
  • The state housing
    State housing
    State housing is the system of public housing offered to New Zealand residents on low to moderate incomes. Some 66,000 houses are managed by Housing New Zealand Corporation, most of which are owned by the government.-The Liberal Government:...

     programme was launched, providing rental houses for low-income workers.
  • Farmers were provided with guaranteed prices for their produce.
  • The Mortgagors and Lessees Rehabilitation Act (1936) provided relief to farmers mired in mortgage debt.
  • Domestic Assistance benefits were introduced (1944) to provide assistance during a mother's incapacity, or in cases of hardship. The services were to be supplied through some approved organisation.
  • The State Advances Department (later Corporation) introduced quality controls for all houses it helped to finance. The government set new standards in design and construction, experimented with area planning, constructed some impressive apartment buildings, and democratised the bungalow.
  • The government effectively tackled the housing crisis at that time, with a new Department of Housing Construction building 3,445 houses within three years. From 1937 to 1949, nearly 29,000 state houses were built.
  • A 'needy families' scheme, administered by the Child Welfare Branch, was established (1941). This scheme provided assistance, primarily by re-housing large or poor families to maintain the household unit, and had assisted over 900 families and more than 5000 children by 1946.
  • A Fair Rents Act was passed (1936) with the intention of prohibiting excessive rents. It prevented rents from being increased unless a magistrate agreed..
  • Between 1939 and 1943, the widow’s benefit was increased from 20.6% of the nominal wage rate to 22.4%.
  • In 1942, the rates paid for means-tested benefits were increased with a 5% cost of living bonus when it was noted by the government that inflation was eroding the real value of social security benefits.
  • Regular increases were made to the family benefit during the course of the Second World War which went beyond the wartime prices index and raised the purchasing power of families with children. In May 1942, it represented 5.6% of the male nominal age rate, in July 1943, 6.7%, and in October 1944, 8.8%. By October that year, these increases meant the weekly income of an average wage-earner had been increased by 17.6% if the family had two children.
  • In 1945, benefit rates were substantially raised, including a supplementary amount for widows with children. The benefits for widowhood, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, and age were raised to 32% of nominal age rates (1945).
  • Pensions were extended to all New Zealanders over the age of sixty-five and were gradually increased to the level of subsistence (1940). Unemployment and other benefits were later increased to the same level (1945).
  • At the point of discharge, service personnel were provided with a gratuity of 2s6d for every day spent overseas and 8d per day for service in new Zealand. The money was paid into a Post office Savings Bank Account and received a 5% bonus each 31 March on the sum remaining in the account. Nearly £23 million was paid out in gratuities.
  • A war veteran’s allowance was introduced for ex-servicemen unable to work because of any kind of infirmity. Pensions were also introduced for disabled ex-servicemen.
  • A National Employment Service helped service personnel to find civilian employment.
  • A Rehabilitation Department was established in 1943. Service personnel were eased back into civilian life through a wide range of assistance schemes involving housing and furniture loans (with a total of 64,000 being granted, while another 18,000 returnees were allocated state houses), business (11,500 were granted loans), land settlement schemes (with 12,5000 settled), university bursaries and general educational assistance (with 27,000 beneficiaries), and trade-training (with 11,000 returnees provided with assistance.
  • Generous tax breaks and low-cost housing loans at 3% interest from 1946 onwards were introduced for young couples.
  • To prepare for returning servicemen looking for farms and houses, the Servicemen’s Settlement and Land Sales Act (1943) provided the government with the power to acquire land suitable for subdivision and to control prices in all land sales.
  • An extensive rehabilitation scheme for returned servicemen was set up after the war, with the development of farms for ex-servicemen, equipped with house constructed on state house plans, modified for their farm house function by including porches for outdoor clothing and boots. In the cities, ex-servicemen were given priority for jobs and state houses, while new “pressure cooker” courses at universities and teachers colleges provided men with opportunities unavailable before the war. The rehabilitation scheme also provided opportunities for Maori ex-servicemen.
  • From 1947 to 1949, the percentage of total government expenditure on social security benefits rose from 26.8% to 28.2%.

Education

  • Most fees for secondary education were removed.
  • The age at which children could commence school from six years to five years was restored (1936).
  • Five-year olds who had been kept from school as an economy measure were readmitted.
  • A "new freedom" was introduced in primary schools, with an attempt made to diminish formal instruction in the elementary years of schooling and replace it by experiential learning.
  • The Proficiency Examination was abolished (1938) to enable all pupils to proceed to full secondary schooling. This widened entry to secondary education and provided greater flexibility to the primary curriculum.
  • Cuts in teachers’ salaries were reversed and unemployed teachers moved back into teaching so that class sizes could fall.
  • Grants to kindergartens and adult education were restored and spending on bus transport for isolated pupils, the correspondence system, Maori education, libraries, crafts, materials, and school maintenance was increased.
  • Free post primary education was introduced for everyone up until the age of 19.
  • A National Library Service was set up (1938) and the government built or improved many country libraries with the help of the American Carnegie Foundation.
  • A School Publications Branch of the Education Department was established (1939).
  • Free secondary education was made compulsory for everyone under the age of fifteen (1944) .
  • University education was made more affordable and widely available.
  • Adult education was promoted, as exemplified by the establishment of the National Council for Adult Education (1938) and the provision of a government subsidy to the Workers’ Educational Association from 1937 onwards.
  • The curriculum was revamped, with new subjects such as social studies introduced in 1945 to replace the old rote-learned geography and history, and science and maths teaching were overhauled.
  • Surplus apples were provided to schoolchildren from 1941 to 1945.
  • A free school milk scheme was introduced (1937). This was extended during the Second World War.
  • A broader primary school curriculum was developed.
  • The Teachers’ Colleges were reopened.
  • Spending on staff, facilities, and assistance to students was increased.
  • The number of kindergartens and parent-run play centres for pre-schoolers was increased.
  • The education vote was increased.
  • Rural schools were consolidated in larger, more efficient establishments.
  • Free textbooks for primary school students were introduced (1943).
  • The school-leaving age was raised from 14 to 15 (1944).
  • A Literary Fund was established in 1946 to subsidise the arts and to assist writers.
  • Free travel facilities were extended to children living in the countryside.
  • The boarding allowance was significantly increased.
  • A horseback allowance was introduced.
  • The correspondence school broadened its activities to include hundreds more pupils.
  • Broadcasts to schoolchildren were extended.
  • The general curriculum was widened “in keeping with the newer concept of paying attention to the developmental needs of the growing child”.
  • A Country Library Service was established (1938) to improve the stock of books in rural libraries at a low cost while also encouraging the provision of free libraries in country towns. The establishment of this service led to greater provision of library facilities in rural areas, with new stocks of books acquired at low cost and the establishment of free libraries maintained by town boards and borough councils. A National Library Service followed later on (in 1945) with the establishment of a library school and a National Library Centre.
  • The establishment of the Library Centre and National Library Service maintained a flow of well-trained librarians, increased the quantity and quality of available books, and increased the number of library research facilities.
  • The writing of historical books was commissioned (1940) to celebrate New Zealand’s centenary.
  • State support was provided for music, literature, drama, ballet, and the plastic arts, while grants were introduced for students of these fields who wished to undertake further study.
  • An extensive school-building programme was launched.
  • Social studies, music, and art were included in the secondary school curriculum.
  • A National Orchestra was established.
  • Government grants to the Free Kindergarten and to the Workers’ Educational Association were restored.
  • The School Publications Branch of the Education Department was created (1939) to produce high-quality schoolbooks “having the new Zealand environment as its background.” The impact of the work carried out by this branch was such that according to the historian William Ball Sutch,


“These books and the work of the Branch became internationally famous for high standards of scholarship, humanity, editing, and presentation; and advisors from the Branch subsequently helped other countries set up their schemes of educational publications”.

Constitutional

  • Passed the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
    Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
    The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 was a constitutional Act of the New Zealand Parliament that formally accepted the full external autonomy offered by the British Parliament...

    , to adopt the Statute of Westminster 1931
    Statute of Westminster 1931
    The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom...

    . This Act was a significant step to the Independence of New Zealand
    Independence of New Zealand
    The independence of New Zealand is a matter of continued academic and social debate. New Zealand has no fixed date of independence, instead independence came about as a result of New Zealand's evolving constitutional status. New Zealand evolved as one of the British Dominions, colonies within the...

    , technically New Zealand ceased to be the Dominion of New Zealand
    Dominion of New Zealand
    The Dominion of New Zealand is the former name of the Realm of New Zealand.Originally administered from New South Wales, New Zealand became a direct British colony in 1841 and received a large measure of self-government following the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852...

     and became the Realm of New Zealand
    Realm of New Zealand
    The Realm of New Zealand is the entire area in which the Queen in right of New Zealand is head of state. The Realm comprises New Zealand, the Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency in Antarctica, and is defined by a 1983 Letters Patent constituting the office of Governor-General of New...

    , and was fully able to direct its own foreign affairs and military. It also legally separated the British Crown from a New Zealand Crown, meaning that the New Zealand monarchy
    Monarchy in New Zealand
    The monarchy of New Zealand also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand,...

     became legally independent of the British monarchy
    British monarchy
    The monarchy of the United Kingdom is the constitutional monarchy of the United Kingdom and its overseas territories. The present monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, has reigned since 6 February 1952. She and her immediate family undertake various official, ceremonial and representational duties...

    , and thus the King became King of New Zealand (the first monarch to be declared as such was Queen Elizabeth II in 1952).
  • Abolished the country quota
    Country quota
    The country quota was a part of the New Zealand electoral system from 1881 until 1945. Its effect was to make urban constituencies more populous than those in rural areas, thus making rural votes worth more in general elections....

    so that rural
    Rural
    Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

     and urban
    Urban area
    An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

     electorates contained the same number of voters.
  • The Political Disabilities Removal Act (1936) provided civil servants with full political rights and freedom of speech (1936).
  • Whipping in Children’s Courts was abolished (1936).
  • The definition of a child by New Zealand law was extended to include adopted or illegitimate children (1936).
  • The government provided for women to be appointed to the Legislative Council (1941), and two women were appointed in 1946.
  • Women were allowed to become members of the police force (1938).
  • Women between the ages of 25 and 60 were allowed to serve on juries if they wished to do so (1942).
  • Licensing Amendment Act: A Licensing Commission was established (1948) to supervise the manufacture and sale of alcohol.

The Main Highways Board was brought under the control of the Minister of Public Works. The principle highways were subsequently nationalised (1936) to ensure that” the main arteries of road traffic were the sole responsibility of the state.”
  • The Main Highways Board was brought under the control of the Minister of Public Works. The principle highways were subsequently nationalised (1936) to ensure that” the main arteries of road traffic were the sole responsibility of the state”.
  • The Broadcasting Board, the Transport Co-ordination Board, and the Railways Board were abolished (1936).

Treaty and Māori

  • The term 'Native' was replaced with 'Maori' in official usage, including the Minister of Māori Affairs
    Minister of Maori Affairs
    The Minister of Māori Affairs is the minister of the New Zealand government with broad responsibility for government policy towards Māori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. The current Minister of Māori Affairs is Dr. Pita Sharples.-Role:...

    , in all official documents from 1946 onwards.
  • Maoris were provided with equality of financial treatment in standard rates of pay on public works, unemployment benefit, and sustenance payments.
  • Maori living standards were considerably improved. The secret ballot was introduced for Maori citizens, unemployment benefits and opportunities for housing finance were equalised, spending on Maori education and health was increased, social security provision was improved and the first Maori welfare officers were provided, and contentious land claims in the South island and Waikato were settled.
  • The well-being of Maori improved as a result of the extension of health services by the Department of Health, the improvement of public health standards, and the expansion of land development schemes.
  • Maori housing standards were significantly improved. The government provided funding for the Native Housing Act (passed by the Coalition government in 1935) in 1937. By 1940, 1,592 new houses were provided by this measure as well as under the land development schemes. By 1951, 3,051 homes (16% of Maori homes) had been constructed. The number of occupied huts and whare fell from 4,676 in 1936 to 2,275 in 1951, the number of camps and tents from 1,528 to 568, and overcrowded houses and shacks from 71% to 32% of all Maori houses.
  • Spectacular improvements in Maori health took place.
  • Maori children benefited from the general upgrading of the education system.
  • The Maori Social and Economic Advancement Act (1945) established tribal committees and executives, from the marae to the regional level, concerned especially with welfare and marae administration. Welfare officers were appointed to the Department of Maori Affairs, and Maori wardens were given welfare functions under tribal committees. By 1949, there were 381 committees and 63 tribal executives.
  • Attempts were made to promote race relations by educating young Pakeha teachers about Maori culture.
  • The Native Affairs Department was replaced with the Maori Affairs Department (1947).
  • Welfare officers and Maori wardens were appointed who came to play a major role both in the cities and in tribal areas as Maori started to move from remote pa to provincial towns.
  • Maori enrolment in public primary schools administered by education boards was significantly increased.
  • Rural secondary education for Maori was improved by the construction of eight Maori district high schools between 1941 and 1951, with emphasis on vocational training, especially metalwork and woodwork.
  • Cuts in Maori Education Scholarships were reversed (1936).
  • The development of Maori land and housing was accelerated, a start was made on trade training, and Maori access to education was significantly expanded.
  • More spending was devoted to Maori schools than to European ones.
  • Conditions of eligibility and rates of widows benefit differed for Māori until 1945.
  • Maori were granted the same unemployment payments as the Pakeha.
  • The government gradually brought Maori pensions (traditionally lower than the Pakeha) to the level of white New Zealanders.
  • Between 1935 and 1939, the number of Maori land development schemes were doubled, while capital expenditure was increased almost fivefold. By March 1939, £4,300,000 had been spent on Maori land development, and 253000 acres (1,023.9 km²) had been farmed or ‘broken in.’ This area had been increased to 559000 acres (2,262.2 km²) by 1946, on which 1,800 Maori “settlers” were established. The state schemes were of such significance to the well-being of Maoris that it was estimated that about a fifth of the Maori population derived at least part of their livelihood from such schemes.
  • A series of treaty settlements were signed with iwi between 1944 and 1946 whose grievances had been unresolved since the 1920s. As a form of compensation for the vast land confiscations of the nineteenth century, the Waikato-Maniapoto Maori Claims Settlement Act (1944) provided a lump sum of £10,000 and annual payments for the next forty-five years to Tainui. Successive settlements allocated £5000 annually to the Taranaki Trust Board for confiscated land and compensation to Ngai Tahu of £10,000 for thirty years.
  • Significant improvements were made in Maori housing and sanitary conditions. Slum clearances took place, thousands of new houses and privies were built, and whole villages were transferred to better sites. These measures led to a reduction in Maori infant mortality rates while increasing Maori life expectancy by 15 to 20 years.

Formation

The immediate context of the 1935 election was the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

 which had started in 1929 and affected New Zealand as badly as most other Western countries. Following the 1931 election
New Zealand general election, 1931
The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...

 the Reform and United
United Party (New Zealand)
The United Party of New Zealand, a party formed out of the remnants of the Liberal Party, formed a government between 1928 and 1935, and in 1936 merged with the Reform Party to establish the National Party...

 (also known as Liberal
New Zealand Liberal Party
The New Zealand Liberal Party is generally regarded as having been the first real political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912. Out of office, the Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party...

) parties had formed a coalition to deal with it. The Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....

 formed the opposition, arguing that the only way out of the depression was socialism
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

. The coalition government instead supported the economic orthodoxy which was that a balanced budget
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...

 was of paramount importance and that state spending had to be cut in order to offset the decline in taxation revenue. They also believed that to provide the unemployed with money without making them work was morally wrong, and so put thousands of unemployed to work on often-pointless 'relief work'. Labour argued that the government needed to increase spending and create real jobs. By 1935 - after the election had been delayed a year because of the depression - many voters who would not otherwise have trusted Labour were disillusioned with the economic orthodoxy and prepared to try something new. Labour was helped by a change of leadership in 1933, after leader Harry Holland
Harry Holland
Henry Edmund Holland was a New Zealand politician and unionist. He was the first leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.-Early life:...

 died and was replaced by Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

, who did not seem to be a frightening communist but rather a kindly uncle figure. Labour achieved an overwhelming victory, taking 53 out of 80 seats. A further two were won by the Māori Ratana
Ratana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...

 movement, which formed an alliance with Labour. Despite the size of its victory, Labour won only 46.1% of the popular vote; the government vote was split between Reform and United, and both parties lost votes on the right to the Democrats
New Zealand Democrat Party
The New Zealand Democrat Party was a political party in New Zealand, founded in 1934 with the purpose of opposing "socialist" legislation by the government....

 and the Country Party
Country Party (New Zealand)
The Country Party of New Zealand was a political party which based itself around rural voters. It was represented in Parliament from 1928 to 1938. Its policies were a mixture of rural advocacy and social credit theory....

.

The 1938 election

The government increased in popularity during its first term, as people felt the benefits of its policies and of economic recovery. It cannot realisticly be credited with ending the Depression in New Zealand, as most economic indicators were showing signs of improvement before the 1935 election. However government policies such as an increase in pay for relief workers, job creation and generous education policies did bring major benefits to many. Labour's share of the popular vote increased by nearly 10%, but it did not gain any new seats. While in 1935 the anti-Labour vote had been split between two major and two minor parties, by 1938 the United
United Party (New Zealand)
The United Party of New Zealand, a party formed out of the remnants of the Liberal Party, formed a government between 1928 and 1935, and in 1936 merged with the Reform Party to establish the National Party...

 and Reform
New Zealand Reform Party
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

 parties had merged into the New Zealand National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...

, which was able to achieve 40.3% of the popular vote and win 25 seats. The Country
Country Party (New Zealand)
The Country Party of New Zealand was a political party which based itself around rural voters. It was represented in Parliament from 1928 to 1938. Its policies were a mixture of rural advocacy and social credit theory....

 and Democrat
New Zealand Democrat Party
The New Zealand Democrat Party was a political party in New Zealand, founded in 1934 with the purpose of opposing "socialist" legislation by the government....

 parties' share of the vote collapsed, with the Country Party losing both its seats. From this point on, New Zealand politics would be dominated by the Labour and National parties.

The 1943 election

The 1943 election was held during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and had been postponed by about two years due to the war. Conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...

 was a minor issue in the election; although both major parties supported it, some saw Labour as hypocrites as they had strongly opposed conscription during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. The issue may have lost Labour some support on the left, to the Democratic Labour Party
Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand)
The Democratic Labour Party was a left-wing political party in New Zealand in the 1940s. It was a splinter from the larger Labour Party, and was led by the prominent socialist John A. Lee.-Party history:...

, which had been formed by dissident Labour MP John A. Lee
John A. Lee
John Alfred Alexander Lee DCM was a New Zealand politician and writer. He is one of the more prominent avowed socialists in New Zealand's political history.-Early life:...

 following his expulsion from the Labour Party. However the new party received only 4.3% of the vote and won no seats. Labour was given significant help by the votes of New Zealand soldiers overseas, who turned an apparent election-night victory for National into one for Labour. The election was also notable for the defeat of Māori statesman Apirana Ngata
Apirana Ngata
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand politician and lawyer. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.-Early life:One of 15 children, Ngata...

, by the Labour-Ratana
Ratana
The Rātana movement is a Māori religion and pan-tribal political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th century New Zealand...

 candidate Tiaka Omana. Labour was to hold the four Māori seats
Maori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...

 until 1996
New Zealand general election, 1996
The 1996 New Zealand general election was held on 12 October 1996 to determine the composition of the 45th New Zealand Parliament. It was notable for being the first election to be held under the new Mixed Member Proportional electoral system, and produced a parliament considerably more diverse...

.

The 1946 election

By 1946 the National Party had gained in strength and credibility. However its support was strongest in rural areas, and in previous elections it had benefited from the country quota
Country quota
The country quota was a part of the New Zealand electoral system from 1881 until 1945. Its effect was to make urban constituencies more populous than those in rural areas, thus making rural votes worth more in general elections....

, which organised New Zealand electorates
New Zealand electorates
An electorate is a voting district for elections to the Parliament of New Zealand. In informal discussion, electorates are often called seats. The most formal description, electoral district, is rarely seen outside of electoral legislation. Before 1996, all Members of Parliament were directly...

 so that rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...

 electorates had fewer voters, and therefore rural votes were worth more. In 1945 the government had abolished the quota, which may have cost National the election. Labour gained nearly 4% of the popular vote, but lost three seats, reducing its majority to four. Since the seats it held included the four Māori seats
Maori seats
In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially also called Māori seats, are a special category of electorate that gives reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament...

, the government was said by its opponents to rely on a 'Māori mandate'. It was insinuated that Labour would need to pass unwise pro-Māori policies in order to stay in power.

Defeat

By 1949 the government had been in power for 14 years, five of them in wartime. It seemed increasingly worn out and uncertain. The three referendums held in 1949 (in addition to the usual referendum on alcohol licensing, which was held in conjunction with every election), were symptomatic of this. Meanwhile, National had announced that it would not repeal any of Labour's welfare state policies, which endeared it to many who had supported and benefitted from these policies but were tired of the government. National won 51.9% of the popular vote and 46 of out the 80 seats in parliament. Labour would be out of power for another eight years, and would not be in government for more than a single term until the 1980s.

Electoral results

Election Parliament Seats Total votes Percentage Gain (loss) Seats won Change Majority
1935
New Zealand general election, 1935
The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 25th term. It resulted in the Labour Party's first electoral victory, with Michael Joseph Savage becoming the first Labour Prime Minister...

25th
25th New Zealand Parliament
The 25th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 25 March 1936, following the 1935 election. It was dissolved on 16 September 1938 in preparation for the 1938 election....

80 46.1% +11.8% 53 +29 26
1938
New Zealand general election, 1938
The 1938 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 26th term. It resulted in the governing Labour Party being re-elected, although the newly-founded National Party gained a certain amount of ground.-Background:The Labour Party had won...

26th 80 946,393 55.8% +9.7% 53 - 26
1943
New Zealand general election, 1943
The 1943 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 27th term. With the onset of World War II, elections were initially postponed, but it was eventually decided to hold a general election in September 1943, around two years after it...

27th 80 47.6% -8.2% 45 -8 10
1946
New Zealand general election, 1946
The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections...

28th 80 51.3% +3.7% 42 -3 4
1949
New Zealand general election, 1949
The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 29th term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the opposition National Party...

29th
29th New Zealand Parliament
The 29th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened in 1950, following the 1949 general election. It was dissolved in 1951 in preparation for the 1951 general election. The governing Labour Party had been defeated in the election by the National Party...

80 1,073,154 47.2% -4.1% 34 -8 -

Prime ministers

The government was led by Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

 until his death in 1940. He was succeeded by Peter Fraser, who was Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...

 for the rest of the government's term.

Cabinet Ministers

Ministry Minister Term(s)
Attorney-General
Attorney-General (New Zealand)
The Attorney-General is a political office in New Zealand. It is simultaneously a ministerial position and an administrative office, and has responsibility for supervising New Zealand law and advising the government on legal matters...

 
Rex Mason
Rex Mason
Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...

 
1935–1949
Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (New Zealand)
The Minister of Defence is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand armed forces and the Ministry of Defence.The present Minister is Dr...

 
Fred Jones  1935–1949
Minister of Education
Minister of Education (New Zealand)
The Minister of Education is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the country's schools, and is in charge of the Ministry of Education.The present Minister is Anne Tolley, a member of the National Party.-History:...

 
Peter Fraser 1935–1940
Rex Mason
Rex Mason
Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...

 
1940–1947
Terry McCombs  1947–1949
Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....

 
Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...

 
1935–1949
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)
The Minister of Foreign Affairs is a major ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Murray McCully, who was National Party Spokeperson of Foreign Affairs and Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs. There are also Associate Minister roles...

 
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

 
1935–1940
Frank Langstone
Frank Langstone
Frank Langstone was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to Canada.-Member of Parliament:...

 
1940–1942
Peter Fraser  1942–1949
Minister of Health
Minister of Health (New Zealand)
The Minister of Health is a minister in the government of New Zealand with responsibility for the New Zealand Ministry of Health and the District Health Boards.The present Minister is Tony Ryall, a member of the National Party.-History:...

 
Peter Fraser  1935–1940
Tim Armstrong  1940–1941
Arnold Nordmeyer
Arnold Nordmeyer
Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...

1941–1947
Mabel Howard
Mabel Howard
|-...

1947–1949
Minister of Justice
Minister of Justice (New Zealand)
The Minister of Justice is a minister in the government of New Zealand. The minister has responsibility for the formulation of justice policy and for the administration of law courts....

 
Rex Mason
Rex Mason
Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...

 
1935–1949
Minister of Māori Affairs
Minister of Maori Affairs
The Minister of Māori Affairs is the minister of the New Zealand government with broad responsibility for government policy towards Māori, the first inhabitants of New Zealand. The current Minister of Māori Affairs is Dr. Pita Sharples.-Role:...

 
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage
Michael Joseph Savage was the first Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand.- Early life :Born in Tatong, Victoria, Australia, Savage first became involved in politics while working in that state. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1907. There he worked in a variety of jobs, as a miner, flax-cutter and...

 
1935–1940
Frank Langstone
Frank Langstone
Frank Langstone was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and High Commissioner to Canada.-Member of Parliament:...

 
1940–1942
Rex Mason
Rex Mason
Henry Greathead Rex Mason was a New Zealand politician. He served as Attorney General, Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, and Minister of Native Affairs, and had a significant influence on the direction of the Labour Party...

 
1942–1946
Peter Fraser  1946–1949
Minister of Railways
Minister of Railways (New Zealand)
The Minister of Railways was the minister in the government responsible for the New Zealand Railways Department 1895–1981, the New Zealand Railways Corporation 1981–1993, and New Zealand Rail Limited 1990–1993...

 
Daniel Sullivan
Daniel Giles Sullivan
Daniel Giles "Dan" Sullivan was a New Zealand Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Mayor of Christchurch.-Early years:...

 
1935–1941
Bob Semple
Bob Semple
Robert "Bob" Semple was a union leader and later Minister of Public Works for the first Labour Government of New Zealand....

 
1941–1949
Minister without portfolio Mark Fagan
Mark Fagan
Mark Anthony Fagan was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party and a union secretary. He stood several times for Labour but was not elected, although he was on Labour’s National Executive from 1930. In 1935 he was appointed to the Legislative Council, where he was Speaker, to 1947...

 (MLC)
1935–1939
Minister without portfolio David Wilson (MLC) 1939–1949
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