Grey Ministry | |
---|---|
ministries of New Zealand | |
1877–1879 | |
Date formed | 13 October 1877 |
Date dissolved | 8 October 1879 |
People and organisations | |
Head of state | Victoria |
Head of government | George Grey |
Member party | Greyites |
Opposition party | Conservatives |
Opposition leader | |
History | |
Election(s) | |
Predecessor | Atkinson Ministry, 1876–1877 |
Successor | Hall Ministry, 1879–1882 |
The Grey Ministry was a responsible government that was formed in New Zealand. It formed in October 1877 and governed for two years until October 1879. From the outset, Sir George Grey served as Prime Minister.
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments in Westminster democracies are responsible to parliament rather than to the monarch, or, in a colonial context, to the imperial government, and in a republican context, to the president, either in full or in part. If the parliament is bicameral, then the government is responsible first to the parliament's lower house, which is more representative than the upper house, as it has more members and they are always directly elected.
New Zealand is a sovereign island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The country geographically comprises two main landmasses—the North Island, and the South Island —and around 600 smaller islands. New Zealand is situated some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) east of Australia across the Tasman Sea and roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 mi) south of the Pacific island areas of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga. Because of its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans. During its long period of isolation, New Zealand developed a distinct biodiversity of animal, fungal, and plant life. The country's varied topography and its sharp mountain peaks, such as the Southern Alps, owe much to the tectonic uplift of land and volcanic eruptions. New Zealand's capital city is Wellington, while its most populous city is Auckland.
Sir George Grey, KCB was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony, and the 11th Premier of New Zealand.
As Premier, Grey was highly active in promoting middle-class liberalism to New Zealanders sponsoring ideas such as electoral reform, land taxes, breaking up large estates, regulation of wages and working hours and accessible education. However his ideas were too radical for many of his contemporaries. Grey's administration was perceived as defective and his leadership poor. As he never had a safe majority in Parliament, Grey unsuccessfully asked for a dissolution in 1878. Soon after the economy began to slide into recession, which caused much unemployment and as a result, unpopularity. The next year Grey's government lost a division in the House triggering an election. Grey and his followers failed to win a majority and in October 1879 Grey resigned. [1]
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support limited government, individual rights, capitalism, democracy, secularism, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.
The following members served in the Grey Ministry: [2]
Name | Image | Office | Term |
---|---|---|---|
Sir George Grey | Prime Minister | 15 October 1877 – 8 October 1879 | |
Colonial Secretary | 15 October 1877 – 18 October 1877 | ||
Minister of Customs | 15 October 1877 – 12 January 1878 12 July 1878 – 8 October 1879 | ||
Minister of Finance | 13 July 1879 – 8 October 1879 | ||
William Larnach | Minister of Finance | 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878 | |
Minister of Public Works | 15 October 1877 – 5 March 1878 | ||
James Macandrew | Minister of Lands | 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878 | |
Minister of Immigration | 15 October 1877 – 25 July 1878 | ||
Minister of Public Works | 28 March 1878 – 8 October 1879 | ||
John Sheehan | Minister of Native Affairs | 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879 | |
Minister of Justice | 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879 | ||
James Temple Fisher | Postmaster-General | 13 October 1877 – 8 October 1879 | |
George Stoddart Whitmore | Colonial Secretary | 18 October 1877 – 8 October 1879 | |
John Ballance | Minister of Education | 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879 | |
Minister of Finance | 12 January 1878 – 1 July 1879 | ||
Robert Stout | Attorney-General | 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879 | |
Minister of Lands | 13 March 1878 – 25 June 1879 | ||
Hoani Nahi | Member of Executive Council | 17 November 1877 – 8 October 1879 | |
John Nathanial Wilson | Member of Executive Council | 2 November 1878 – 8 October 1879 | |
William Swanson | Member of Executive Council | 17 April 1879 – 15 July 1879 | |
William Gisborne | Minister of Lands | 5 July 1879 – 15 July 1879 | |
Minister of Mines | 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879 | ||
Minister of Immigration | 5 July 1879 – 8 October 1879 | ||
James William Thomson | Member of Executive Council | 15 July 1879 – 8 October 1879 | |
Minister of Lands | 16 July 1879 – 8 October 1879 | ||
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