1931 New Zealand general election

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All 80 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives
41 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout 714,511 (83.3%)
  First party Second party
  Joseph Gordon Coates, 1931.jpg Harry Holland (1925).jpg
Leader Gordon Coates Harry Holland
Party Reform Labour
Alliance United-Reform Coalition
Leader since 1925 1919 (party formation)
Leader's seat Kaipara Buller
Last election 27 seats, 34.8% 19 seats, 26.2%
Seats won 28 24
Seat change Steady 0 Increase 5
Popular vote 190,170 244,881
Percentage 26.6% 34.3%
Swing Decrease 9.3% Increase 8.1%
  Third party Fourth party
  George William Forbes.jpg 120px
Leader George Forbes Harold Rushworth
Party United Country Party
Alliance United-Reform Coalition
Leader since 1930 1928
Leader's seat Hurunui Bay of Islands
Last election 27 seats, 29.8% 1 seat, 1.6%
Seats won 19 1
Seat change Decrease 8 Steady 0
Popular vote 120,801 16,710
Percentage 16.9% 2.3%
Swing Decrease 13.3% Increase 0.7%
Prime Minister before election

George Forbes
United

 Prime Minister-Designate

George Forbes
United-Reform Coalition

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 United-Reform coalition Government, although the opposition Labour Party made some minor gains.

Background

In the 1928 election, the Reform Party won 28 seats to the United Party's 27 seats. Shortly after the election the Reform Party lost a vote of no-confidence and the United Party managed to form a government, the United Government, with the support of the Labour Party, with governing Reform Party going into the opposition. In 1931, however, the agreement between United and Labour collapsed due to differing opinions on how to counter the Great Depression. The Reform Party, fearing that the Depression would give Labour a substantial boost, reluctantly agreed to form a coalition with United to avert elections. By forming a coalition, United and Reform were able to blunt Labour's advantage, ending the possibility of the anti-Labour vote being split.

The election

The date for the main 1931 elections was 2 December, a Wednesday. Elections to the four Māori electorates were held the day before. 874,787 people were registered to vote, and there was a turnout of 83.3%. This turnout was below average for the time period.

The number of seats was 80, a number which had been fixed since 1902.[1] However, in four electorates (Bay of Plenty, Oroua, Pahiatua, Waitomo) there was only one candidate.[2][3]

Results

Crowd on intersection of Willis and Mercer Streets, Wellington, outside the offices of The Evening Post, awaiting the results of the 1931 general election

The 1931 election saw the recently formed governing coalition retain office as the United-Reform Coalition, winning fifty-one seats, including four independents. This was a drop of four seats from what the two parties had won in the previous elections, but was still considerably better than many had expected given the economic situation. The Labour Party won twenty-four seats, a gain of five. In the popular vote (including pro-coalition independents), the coalition won 54.0% of the vote, down from the 66.1% that the two parties had won previously. Labour won 34.3%. The only other party to gain a place in Parliament was the Country Party, which won a single seat. Four other independents were elected. Four candidates were elected unopposed: Walter Broadfoot in Waitomo, John Cobbe in Oroua, Alfred Ransom in Pahiatua, and Kenneth Williams in Bay of Plenty.[4]

Result of the 24th election to the House of Representatives of New Zealand

Party totals

Election results
Party Leader Votes Percentage Seats change
Reform Gordon Coates 190,170 54.03 28 ±0
United George Forbes 120,801 19 -8
Independents (in support of Coalition) 75,069 4 +3
Labour Harry Holland 244,867 34.27 24 +5
Country Party Harold Rushworth 16,710 2.34 1 ±0
Independents (including Harry Atmore) 66,894 9.36 4 -1
Coalition win Total Votes 714,511 100% 80

Votes summary

Popular Vote
All Coalition Parties
  
 54.03%
Labour
  
 34.27%
Coalition Reform
  
 26.60%
Coalition United
  
 16.90%
Country Party
  
 2.34%
Coalition Independent
  
 10.53%
Independent
  
 9.36%
Parliament seats
All Coalition Parties
  
 63.75%
Coalition Reform
  
 35.00%
Labour
  
 30.00%
Coalition United
  
 23.75%
Country Party
  
 1.25%
Coalition Independent
  
 5.00%
Independent
  
 5.00%

The following table shows the detailed results:

Key

  Country Party     Independent     Labour     Reform     United     Independent Liberal     Ratana  

Electorate results for the New Zealand general election, 1931[5][6]
Electorate Incumbent Winner Majority Runner up
General electorates
Auckland Central Bill Parry 3,793[7] Harold Penfound Congdon
Auckland East James Donald Frederick Schramm 2,256[8] Harold Percy Burton
Auckland Suburbs Rex Mason 1,223 Richard Herbert Marryatt[9]
Auckland West Michael Joseph Savage 4,517 Hugh Ross Mackenzie[9]
Avon Dan Sullivan 3,039 Harben Robert Young
Awarua Philip De La Perrelle 2,148 Norman McIntyre[10]
Bay of Islands Harold Rushworth 1,209 Allen Bell
Bay of Plenty Kenneth Williams (uncontested)
Buller Harry Holland 3,631 John Menzies[11]
Central Otago William Bodkin 2,516 Charles Todd
Chalmers Alfred Ansell 172 Norman Hartley Campbell
Christchurch East Tim Armstrong 3,206 George Frederick Allen
Christchurch North Henry Holland 2,077 Elizabeth McCombs
Christchurch South Ted Howard 2,798[12] Charles Samuel "Charlie" McCully[13]
Clutha Fred Waite Peter McSkimming 1,530 Fred Waite
Dunedin Central Charles Statham 262 Peter Neilson
Dunedin North James Wright Munro 524 John McCrae[14][15]
Dunedin South William Burgoyne Taverner Fred Jones 3,644 William Burgoyne Taverner
Dunedin West William Downie Stewart, Jr. 924 John Gilchrist
Eden Arthur Stallworthy 1,270[12] Bill Anderton
Egmont Charles Wilkinson 1,308 F. Gawith
Franklin Jack Massey 2,457 Harry Oswald Mellsop[16]
Gisborne Douglas Lysnar David William Coleman 317[12] Douglas Lysnar
Grey Lynn John Fletcher John A. Lee 3,242[7] John Fletcher
Hamilton Alexander Young 3,072[17] Hubert Beebe
Hauraki Walter William Massey 2,750[7] Charles Robert Petrie
Hawke's Bay Hugh Campbell 2,259 Edward Cullen[18]
Hurunui George Forbes 3,953 R. J. Logan[19]
Hutt Walter Nash 2,823 James Kerr[nb 1]
Invercargill Vincent Ward James Hargest 508 W. McChesney
Kaiapoi Richard Hawke 1,414 John Archer[20]
Kaipara Gordon Coates 2,084 Albert Edward Robinson[21]
Lyttelton James McCombs 32 Frederick Willie Freeman[22]
Manawatu Joseph Linklater 2,246 Clifford Hunter
Manukau William Joseph Jordan 3,394[12] Stanley Rickards[9]
Marsden Alfred Murdoch 2,942 James Gillespie Barclay
Masterton George Sykes 1,951 Peter Butler
Mataura David McDougall 943 Thomas Golden[23]
Mid-Canterbury David Jones Jeremiah Connolly 136[24] David Jones
Motueka George Black 517 Keith Holyoake
Napier Bill Barnard 1,456 John Butler
Nelson Harry Atmore 100 Herbert Everett[25]
New Plymouth Sydney George Smith 3,472 William Sheat
Oamaru John Andrew MacPherson 1,046[12] John Craigie Kirkness
Oroua John Cobbe (uncontested)
Otaki William Hughes Field 1,321 Jim Thorn
Pahiatua Alfred Ransom (uncontested)
Palmerston Jimmy Nash 1,245 Joe Hodgens
Parnell Bill Endean 4,821[7] John William Yarnall
Patea Harold Dickie 3,495 W. G. Simpson
Raglan Lee Martin Stewart Reid 806 Lee Martin
Rangitikei James Thomas Hogan Alexander Stuart 15 James Thomas Hogan
Riccarton Herbert Kyle 589 Archibald Albany McLachlan[nb 2]
Roskill George Munns Arthur Shapton Richards 171[7] William John Holdsworth[26]
Rotorua Cecil Clinkard 57 Alexander Moncur
Stratford William Polson 1,518 J W McMillan[nb 3]
Tauranga Charles MacMillan 658 Bill Sullivan[nb 4]
Temuka Thomas Burnett 1,237 Thomas Herbert Langford
Thames Albert Samuel 464 John Sommerville Montgomerie[28]
Timaru Clyde Carr 820 Herbert N. Armstrong[29][nb 5]
Waikato Frederick Lye 981 Solomon Netheim Ziman[nb 6]
Waimarino Frank Langstone 591 William Henry Wackrow
Waipawa Albert Jull[nb 7] 386 John Davies Ormond, Jr.[nb 8]
Wairarapa Thomas McDonald Alexander McLeod 616 Thomas McDonald
Wairau Edward Healy 1,424 William Girling
Waitaki John Bitchener 885 Alexander McLean Paterson[31]
Waitemata Alexander Harris 2,378[7] Arthur Osborne[32]
Waitomo Walter Broadfoot (uncontested)
Wallace Adam Hamilton 2,842 Peter Gilfedder[33]
Wanganui Bill Veitch 590 Bill Rogers
Wellington Central Peter Fraser 2,471[34] Robert Darroch
Wellington East Bob Semple 593[34] Thomas Forsyth
Wellington North Charles Henry Chapman 1,061[34] George Troup
Wellington South Robert McKeen 2,659 Will Appleton[35]
Wellington Suburbs Robert Alexander Wright 2,570[34] Tom Brindle
Westland James O'Brien 1,121 John Greenslade
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori Apirana Ngata 3,211 Pita Moko
Northern Maori Taurekareka Henare 1,188 Paraire Karaka Paikea
Southern Maori Tuiti Makitanara 19 Eruera Tirikatene
Western Maori Taite Te Tomo 1,436 Toko Ratana

Table footnotes:

  1. ↑ For some biographical details of James Kerr refer to his father's article
  2. ↑ For some biographical details of McLachlan refer to his grandfather's article
  3. ↑ McMillan claimed to stand for the Reform Party, but he was not the official candidate, as the United/Reform Coalition endorsed William Polson, who ran as an Independent[27]
  4. ↑ Bill Sullivan was a member of the United Party, but Charles MacMillan was the official candidate of the United/Reform Coalition, hence Sullivan stood as an Independent
  5. ↑ The Reform and United parties could not agree on an official coalition candidate for the Timaru electorate, so neither Armstrong (Reform) nor Herbert Hall (United) were official candidates, and many sources show them as Independents
  6. ↑ Ziman was the father of John Ziman[30]
  7. ↑ Jull was the official candidate of the United/Reform Coalition
  8. ↑ Ormond was the son of John Davies Ormond and the father of John Ormond
  • Four of the eight independent MPs (Connolly, Hargest, McSkimming, and Polson) were aligned with the United-Reform coalition, and are not classified as independents by some sources.

Notes

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Bassett 1982, p. 67.
  3. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 286.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ McRobie 1989, pp. 87f.
  6. ↑ Skinner 1932, pp. 1–10.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

References

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