William Donald Stuart MacDonald (1862 – 31 August 1920) was a New Zealand politician, Cabinet Minister, and briefly

Leader of the Opposition The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...

Biography

Early life

MacDonald was born in

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in 1862. He emigrated to

Poverty Bay Poverty Bay (Māori: ''Tūranganui-a-Kiwa'') is the largest of several small bays on the east coast of New Zealand's North Island to the north of Hawke Bay. It stretches for from Young Nick's Head in the southwest to Tuaheni Point in the north ...

in New Zealand in 1882 where he became a pastoralist. Several years after arriving in New Zealand he became manager of the

Bank of New Zealand Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) is one of New Zealand's Big Four (banking), big four banks and has been operating in the country since the first office was opened in Auckland in October 1861 followed shortly after by the first branch in Dunedin in D ...

estates at Gisborne in 1887, a position which he occupied until 1902. Also during this period he conducted a large amount of agricultural development work, clearing 70,000 acres of bush into farmland. He also managed several sheep stations during his career.

Member of Parliament

He was Member of the

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for the

Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runawa ...

from 1908 to 1920. Unlike most of his Liberal Party colleagues MacDonald was a freeholder in regards to land ownership. He rose rapidly through the ranks and in 1910 he became senior party whip. He served as

Minister of Public Works This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure. See also * Public works * Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...

and Minister of Native Affairs in the short lived 1912

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

Thomas Mackenzie Sir Thomas Mackenzie (10 March 1853 – 14 February 1930) was a Scotland, Scottish-born New Zealand politician and explorer who briefly served as the List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand, 18th prime minister of New Zealand in 1912, and ...

. He also served in the wartime (1915–19) National cabinet as

Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister f ...

, Minister of Mines and Minister in Charge of the Legislative, Public Buildings, Inspection of Machinery, State Fire and Accident Insurance Departments. In 1919 MacDonald deputised several times for Sir

Joseph Ward Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 17th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the Liberal and Unit ...

while he was overseas. On one such occasion in May he called a caucus meeting to discuss the coalition between the Liberal and Reform parties where a majority of members voted in favour of ending the arrangement upon Ward's return. MacDonald was himself unsure the correct decision was reached and he cabled Ward for his opinion, who agreed with the consensus in the caucus. Consequently, MacDonald worked with his colleagues (particularly

George Warren Russell George Warren Russell (24 February 1854 – 28 June 1937) was a New Zealand politician from Christchurch. He served as Minister of Internal Affairs and Minister of Public Health in the wartime National government, and was responsible for the N ...

and

Thomas Wilford Sir Thomas Mason Wilford (20 June 1870 – 22 June 1939) was a New Zealand politician. He held the seats of Wellington Suburbs then Hutt continuously for thirty years, from 1899 to 1929. Wilford was leader of the New Zealand Liberal Party, and ...

) to develop an updated policy manifesto for the next election. Following Ward's failure to gain re-election to parliament at the 1919 general election, MacDonald assumed the leadership. A month later he was formally elected to replace him as leader of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

unopposed. He filled that role until his death in 1920.

Death

Macdonald's health had deteriorated after he broke his arm in an accident in mid-1919. Not long before his death he took leave from his Parliamentary duties for several weeks in order to go on a health recuperating visit to Auckland, leaving his deputy

to act as Leader of the Opposition. Macdonald recovered following the treatment and resumed his seat in Parliament and was still speaking in the house the day before he died. MacDonald died suddenly in his Kelburn home of a heart attack aged 56. He left a widow, two sons and three daughters.

Notes

References

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External links

Bay of Plenty MPs 1893-1941