The 24th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the
New Zealand Parliament
The New Zealand Parliament ( mi, Pāremata Aotearoa) is the unicameral legislature of New Zealand, consisting of the King of New Zealand ( King-in-Parliament) and the New Zealand House of Representatives. The King is usually represented by h ...
. It opened on 23 February 1932, following the
1931 election. It was dissolved on 1 November 1935 in preparation for the
1935 election. The 24th Parliament was extended by one year because the 1935 election was held later than anticipated due to the ongoing
depression, similarly the
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...
, and the
1943
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured.
* January 4 – ...
elections were held two years late, having been postponed during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
respectively.
The
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
during the 24th Parliament was
George Forbes, leader of the United Party. Many commentators at the time, however, alleged that
Gordon Coates
Joseph Gordon Coates (3 February 1878 – 27 May 1943) served as the 21st prime minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912.
Born in rural Northland, Coates grew up on a cattle run ...
, leader of the larger Reform Party, had the greater influence.
The 24th Parliament consisted of eighty representatives, each elected from separate geographical electorates.
Ministries
The 24th Parliament was led by a coalition of the
Reform Party and the
United Party; Reform had twenty-eight seats, United had nineteen, and there were four pro-coalition independents. The primary opposition was from the
Labour Party, which had twenty-four seats. The small
Country Party had one seat, and there were four non-aligned independents. The distribution of seats between three large parties (also a feature of the
previous parliament) was relatively unusual, as New Zealand tended towards a
two-party system
A two-party system is a political party system in which two major political parties consistently dominate the political landscape. At any point in time, one of the two parties typically holds a majority in the legislature and is usually referre ...
at the time.
The coalition government had been formed on 22 September 1931 during the term of the previous Parliament. During the difficult times of the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, Forbes had 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.
Party standings
Start of Parliament
End of Parliament
Electoral boundaries
Members
Initial MPs
By-elections during 24th Parliament
There were a number of changes during the term of the 24th Parliament.
Summary of changes
*
Tuiti Makitanara
Tuiti Makitanara (8 August 1874 – 24 June 1932), sometimes known as Sweet MacDonald, was a Māori and United Party Member of Parliament in New Zealand.
Early life and family
Of Rangitāne, Ngāti Kuia, Muaūpoko and Ngāti Apa descent, Makit ...
, the United MP for Southern Maori, died on 26 June 1932. The resulting
1932 by-election was won by
Eruera Tirikatene
Sir Eruera Tihema Te Aika Tirikatene (5 January 1895 – 11 January 1967) was a New Zealand Māori politician of the Ngāi Tahu tribe. Known in early life as Edward James Te Aika Tregerthen, he was the first Ratana Member of Parliament and wa ...
, an independent candidate associated with the
Rātana
The Rātana movement ( mi, Te Haahi Rātana) is a church and pan-''iwi'' political movement founded by Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana in early 20th-century New Zealand. The Rātana Church has its headquarters at the settlement of Rātana Pā near W ...
religious movement.
*
George Black, the independent MP for Motueka, died on 7 October 1932. The resulting
1932 by-election was won by
Keith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, (; 11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also the 13th governor-general of New Zealand, serving from 1977 ...
of the Reform Party.
*
James McCombs
James (Jimmy) McCombs (9 December 1873 – 2 August 1933) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament for Lyttelton.
Biography Early life and career
McCombs was born in Treanmore, Mohill, County Leitrim, Ireland, the elder child of George McCombs, ...
, the Labour MP for Lyttelton, died on 2 August 1933. The resulting
1933 by-election Labour victory by his wife,
Elizabeth McCombs
Elizabeth Reid McCombs (née Henderson, 19 November 1873 – 7 June 1935) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party who in 1933 became the first woman elected to the New Zealand Parliament. New Zealand women gained the right to vote in ...
, made her the first woman to win election to the New Zealand Parliament.
*
Harry Holland
Henry Edmund Holland (10 June 1868 – 8 October 1933) was an Australian-born newspaper owner, politician and unionist who relocated to New Zealand. He was the second leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.
Early life
Holland was born at G ...
, leader of the Labour Party and MP for Buller, died on 8 October 1933. The resulting
1933 by-election was won by
Paddy Webb
Patrick Charles Webb (30 November 1884 – 23 March 1950) was a New Zealand trade unionist and politician.
Early life
Webb was born in Rutherglen, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria. His father, George Webb, was a miner, and P ...
, also of the Labour Party.
*Elizabeth McCombs died on 7 June 1935, twenty-two months after her husband's death, and the resulting
1935 by-election returned her son,
Terry McCombs
Sir Terence Henderson McCombs (5 September 1905 – 6 November 1982) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, a High Commissioner, and the first principal of Cashmere High School.
Biography Early life
McCombs was born in 1905 and rec ...
.
Notes
References
*
*
*{{cite book , last=Skinner , first=W. A. G. , title=The General Election, 1931 , year=1932 , publisher=Government Printer , url= https://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1932-I-II.2.3.2.31 , access-date=2 November 2014
New Zealand parliaments