Edward Kellett (7 November 1864 – 15 May 1922) was a New Zealand

Independent Labour An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for a

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...

electorate.

Biography

Kellett was born in

and served on the West Harbour Borough Council until 1919. He served on the

Dunedin City Council The Dunedin City Council ( mi, Kaunihera ā-Rohe o Ōtepoti) is the local government authority for Dunedin in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority elected to represent the people of Dunedin. Since October 2022, the Mayor of Dunedin is Jules ...

from 1917 to 1919. During the

First World War 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 ...

Kellett supported

conscription Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

and resigned from the Labour Party in 1916. He was an executive member of the Welfare League organised by former Labour Leader

David McLaren David McLaren may refer to: * David McLaren (colonial manager) (1785–1850), colonial manager (CEO) of the colony of South Australia (1837–1841) * David McLaren (politician) David McLaren (1872 – 3 November 1939) was a Mayor of Wellington ...

. At the , Kellett stood as an

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Labour candidate in the

Dunedin North Dunedin North, also known as North Dunedin, is a major inner suburb ''Inner suburb'' is a term used for a variety of suburban communities that are generally located very close to the centre of a large city (the inner city and central bus ...

electorate and defeated sitting Labour MP, Andrew Walker, in a straight contest. Kellett represented the electorate until his death on 15 May 1922. Twelve months prior to his death, Kellett formed a parliamentary alliance with another Dunedin Independent MP,

Charles Statham Sir Charles Ernest Statham (10 May 1875 – 5 March 1946) was a New Zealand politician, and the ninth Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 1923 to 1935. Private life He was born in Dunedin in 1875, and trained in law, practising in hi ...

, the so-called "''New Party''", which was moving towards fusion with the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

s when Kellett died several months before the general election in . Kellett was ill for several months. He underwent a serious operation and six weeks after that, he died.

Notes

References

*''Three Party Politics in New Zealand, 1911–1931'' by

Michael Bassett Michael Edward Rainton Bassett (born 28 August 1938) is a former New Zealand Labour Party, Labour Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and cabinet minister in the reformist Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand, fourth L ...

(1982, Historical Publications, Auckland) * * * Independent MPs of New Zealand Dunedin City Councillors New Zealand trade unionists 1864 births 1922 deaths New Zealand MPs for Dunedin electorates New Zealand Labour Party politicians Burials at Dunedin Northern Cemetery Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives {{NewZealand-politician-stub