The United Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1928 to 1931, defeating the long-lived Reform Government. The United Party had been formed in 1927 from the remnants of the Liberal Party under Sir Joseph Ward, who had made a political comeback. They did not manage an outright win, but formed a government with Labour Party support. However, Ward was in poor health and was eventually succeeded by George Forbes. The new cabinet was notable for its inexperience, with four ministers not having sat in the House of Representatives previously. [1]
During the election campaign, Ward startled both his supporters and his audience by promising to borrow £70 million in a year to revive the economy; while this is believed to have been a mistake caused by Ward's failing eyesight, or was intended to be £70 million over eight to ten years, borrowed at £6 to £8 million per year (possibly a sympathetic amendment by the newspaper), [2] : 100–101 it was popular with the electorate. Labour lost two urban seats: Auckland East (John A. Lee) and Grey Lynn (Fred Bartram), and many town workers and unionists must have heard "the musical chink of the seventy million". ... More by accident than design United seems to have manage to recreate to some extent the old Liberal combination of urban worker and rural support. In the circumstances it was ephemeral. [2] : 103 Chapman says that it is now clear that Ward inadvertently substituted 'seventy' for 'seven' when reading out the amount he would borrow in the first twelve months, and the correction to seventy millions spread over ten or eight years actually represented a shade less than Reform had already raised. But Reform's tactic of emphasising the larger amount backfired as many voters did not share Reform's financial orthodoxy. Ward amended the loan scheme in his final address in Dunedin to raise the sixty million portion for settlers by issuing bonds over the counter like packets of tea, and said that United would vote with Labour to oust the (Reform) Government. The resulting three-party vote astounded everyone, and was similar to 1919. [3]
Election | Parliament | Seats | Total votes | Percentage | Gain (loss) | Seats won | Change | Majority |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1928 | 23rd | 80 | 228,438 | 30.20% | 27 | +16 | ||
1931 | 24th | 80 | 396,004 | 55.4% | 51 | -3 | 11 | |
The government was led by Sir Joseph Ward from 1928 to 1930, and then George Forbes from 1930 to 1931. Wilson gives the dates of office-holding as 10 December 1928 to 28 May 1930 for the Ward Ministry, and 28 May 1930 to 22 September 1931 for the Forbes Ministry.
Party key | United Party | |
---|---|---|
Independent |
Portfolio | Minister | Start | End | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prime Minister | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Agriculture | George Forbes | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Alfred Murdoch | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Attorney-General | Thomas Sidey | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | |
Minister of Customs | William Taverner | 10 December 1928 | 20 December 1929 | |
James Donald | 20 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | ||
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Defence | Thomas Wilford | 10 December 1928 | 10 December 1929 | |
John Cobbe | 10 December 1929 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Education | Harry Atmore | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | |
Minister of Finance | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Foreign Affairs | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Commissioner of State Forests | William Taverner | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Alfred Ransom | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Health | Arthur Stallworthy | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | |
Minister of Immigration | John Cobbe | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Sydney George Smith | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Industries and Commerce | John Cobbe | 10 December 1928 | 18 December 1929 | |
James Donald | 18 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | ||
Philip De La Perrelle | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Internal Affairs | Philip De La Perrelle | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | |
Minister of Island Territories | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Justice | Thomas Wilford | 10 December 1928 | 18 December 1929 | |
Thomas Sidey | 18 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | ||
John Cobbe | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Labour | Bill Veitch | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Sydney George Smith | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Marine | John Cobbe | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
James Donald | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Mines | Bill Veitch | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Alfred Murdoch | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Native Affairs | Āpirana Ngata | 10 December 1928 | 22 September 1931 | |
Postmaster-General | James Donald | 10 December 1928 | 18 December 1929 | |
Joseph Ward | 18 December 1929 | 28 May 1930 | ||
James Donald | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Railways | William Taverner | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
Bill Veitch | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Revenue | Joseph Ward | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Science & Industrial Research | Harry Atmore | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
George Forbes | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Transport | Bill Veitch | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
William Taverner | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
Minister of Works | Alfred Ransom | 10 December 1928 | 28 May 1930 | |
William Taverner | 28 May 1930 | 22 September 1931 | ||
George William Forbes was a New Zealand politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of New Zealand from 28 May 1930 to 6 December 1935.
The United Party was a political party in New Zealand. It was founded in 1927, party out of the remnants of the Liberal Party, and formed the United Government between 1928 and 1931, and the United–Reform coalition Government between 1931 and 1935. In 1936, it merged with the Reform Party to form the National Party.
The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party. It was in government between 1912 and 1928, and later formed a coalition with the United Party, and then merged with United to form the modern National Party.
Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet, 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 United ministries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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