1947 Westland by-election

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1947 Westland by-election
Flag of New Zealand.svg
  1946 general 3 December 1947 (1947-12-03) 1949 general  
Turnout12,886 (90.35%)
  Jim Kent, 1960.jpg No image.png
Candidate Jim Kent Jack Lockington
Party Labour National
Popular vote7,4275,405
Percentage57.8842.12

Member before election

James O'Brien
Labour

Elected Member

Jim Kent
Labour

The 1947 Westland by-election was a by-election held during the 28th New Zealand Parliament in the South Island electorate of Westland. The by-election occurred following the death of MP James O'Brien and was won by Jim Kent.

Contents

Background

James O'Brien, who was first elected to represent Westland for the Labour Party in 1922 and had been Westland's MP continuously since 1928, died on 28 September 1947. This triggered the Westland by-election, which occurred on 3 December 1947.

Candidates

Labour

There were six nominations for the Labour Party candidacy: [1]

The former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Auckland East MP Bill Schramm, who was defeated in 1946 and was originally from Hokitika, was also speculated as a possible candidate but later dismissed. [2] Ware was selected as the candidate on 24 October. [3] Five days later Ware was taken ill suddenly, the same day he was to have opened his campaign at a meeting in Ngahere. After receiving advice from his doctor he withdrew his candidacy. [4] After Ware's withdrawal Kent was selected as the candidate on 31 October. [5]

National

Several names were put forward for the National Party candidacy: [6]

Two previous National candidates from past elections, Ted Taylor and Frank Chivers, were also considered. [1] Both declined nomination, as did Patrick Joseph O'Regan, a farmer from Inangahua Junction, owing to health reasons. [6] Lockington was selected by a meeting of delegates and members of the Westland electoral committee at Greymouth on 28 October. [7]

Others

After being unsuccessful in attaining the official Labour nomination, there was speculation that Wallace would stand as an Independent Labour candidate. This did not eventuate however. [8]

Previous election

1946 general election: Westland [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour James O'Brien 9,097 67.21
National Frank Chivers [10] [11] 4,38132.36
Informal votes570.42
Majority4,71634.99
Turnout 13,53594.45
Registered electors 14,330

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1947 Westland by-election [9]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jim Kent 7,427 57.64
National Jack Lockington5,40541.95
Informal votes540.41−0.01
Majority2,02215.76
Turnout 12,88690.35−4.10
Registered electors 14,262
Labour hold Swing

Kent obtained 57.9% of the votes and was successful. [9]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Westland Seat – Possible Candidates". The Press . Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25316. 16 October 1947. p. 8.
  2. "Westland Seat – Mr Schramm Unlikely Candidate". The Press . Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25308. 7 October 1947. p. 6.
  3. "Labour Candidate For Westland Seat". Northern Advocate . 24 October 1947. p. 2.
  4. "By-election in Westland – Labour Candidate Withdraws". Ashburton Guardian . Vol. 68, no. 16. 30 October 1947. p. 2.
  5. "Westland Byelection – Mr J. B. Kent Labour Candidate". The Press . Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25330. 1 November 1947. p. 8.
  6. 1 2 "By-election for Westland Seat – National Party's Nomination". The Press . Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25321. 22 October 1947. p. 3.
  7. "National Party Candidate – Mr Lockington to Stand for Westland". The Press . Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25327. 29 October 1947. p. 8.
  8. "Westland By-election – Possibility of Third Candidate". Otago Daily Times . No. 26617. 13 November 1947. p. 6.
  9. 1 2 3 Norton 1988, p. 391.
  10. "General Election". Auckland Star . Vol. LXXIV, no. 203. 27 August 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  11. "Chivers, E Frank, DSM, MID". Torpedo Bay Navy Museum . Retrieved 3 November 2014.

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