19th New Zealand Parliament

The 19th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the Parliament of New Zealand. It opened on 24 June 1915, following the 1914 election. It was dissolved on 27 November 1919 in preparation for 1919 election.

The 19th Parliament was the second term of the Reform Party government, which had been elected in the 1911 election. William Massey, the leader of the Reform Party, remained Prime Minister. The Liberal Party, led by former Prime Minister Joseph Ward, was technically the main opposition party, although for the majority of the term, the Liberals were part of a war-time coalition with Reform. Two small left-wing parties, the Social Democratic Party and the loosely grouped remnants of the United Labour Party, also held seats, and there was one left-wing independent (John Payne). During the 19th Parliament, the Social Democrats and most of the United Labour Party merged to form the modern Labour Party.

Party standings

There were 616,043 electors on the European roll, with 521,525 (84.66%) voting, including 5,618 informal votes. Turnout including Maori voters was 540,075.

Party		Candidates	Total Votes	Percentage	Swing	Seats won	Change
	Reform	79	243,025	45.47		41
	Liberal	70	223,633	41.84		33
	United Labour	10	23,907	4.47		3
	Social Democrat	10	22,500	4.21		2
	Independent	24	21,329	3.99		1
Total Valid Votes			534,457			80

Members

Initial MPs

	Party	Name	Electorate	Term
	Reform	Nosworthy, WilliamWilliam Nosworthy	Ashburton	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Glover, AlbertAlbert Glover	Auckland Central	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Myers, ArthurArthur Myers	Auckland East	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Poole, CharlesCharles Poole	Auckland West	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Russell, GeorgeGeorge Russell	Avon	&10000000000000005000000Fifth
	Liberal	Ward, JosephJoseph Ward	Awarua	&10000000000000010000000Tenth
	Reform	Reed, VernonVernon Reed	Bay of Islands	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Macdonald, WilliamWilliam Macdonald	Bay of Plenty	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Allen, JamesJames Allen	Bruce	&10000000000000010000000Tenth
	Liberal	Colvin, JamesJames Colvin	Buller	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Reform	Dickson, James McCollJames McColl Dickson	Chalmers	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Thacker, HenryHenry Thacker	Christchurch East	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Isitt, LeonardLeonard Isitt	Christchurch North	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Ell, HarryHarry Ell	Christchurch South	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Reform	Malcolm, AlexanderAlexander Malcolm	Clutha	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Reform	Statham, CharlesCharles Statham	Dunedin Central	&10000000000000002000000Second
	United Labour	Walker, AndrewAndrew Walker	Dunedin North	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Sidey, ThomasThomas Sidey	Dunedin South	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Reform	Stewart, William DownieWilliam Downie Stewart	Dunedin West	&10000000000000001000000First
	Reform	Parr, JamesJames Parr	Eden	&10000000000000001000000First
	Reform	Wilkinson, CharlesCharles Wilkinson	Egmont	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Rhodes, HeatonHeaton Rhodes	Ellesmere	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Reform	Massey, WilliamWilliam Massey	Franklin	&10000000000000008000000Eighth
	Liberal	Carroll, JamesJames Carroll	Gisborne	&10000000000000010000000Tenth
	Social Democrat	Webb, PaddyPaddy Webb	Grey	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Independent	Payne, JohnJohn Payne	Grey Lynn	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	McNab, RobertRobert McNab	Hawkes Bay	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Liberal	Forbes, GeorgeGeorge Forbes	Hurunui	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Wilford, ThomasThomas Wilford	Hutt	&10000000000000007000000Seventh
	Liberal	Hanan, JosiahJosiah Hanan	Invercargill	&10000000000000006000000Sixth
	Liberal	Buddo, DavidDavid Buddo	Kaiapoi	&10000000000000007000000Seventh
	Reform	Coates, GordonGordon Coates	Kaipara	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Social Democrat	McCombs, JamesJames McCombs	Lyttelton	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Lang, FredericFrederic Lang	Manukau	&10000000000000008000000Eighth
	Reform	Mander, FrancisFrancis Mander	Marsden	&10000000000000005000000Fifth
	Reform	Sykes, GeorgeGeorge Sykes	Masterton	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Anderson, GeorgeGeorge Anderson	Mataura	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Hudson, RichardRichard Hudson	Motueka	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Brown, VigorVigor Brown	Napier	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Field, ThomasThomas Field	Nelson	&10000000000000001000000First
	Reform	Lee, ErnestErnest Lee	Oamaru	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Poland, HughHugh Poland	Ohinemuri	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Reform	Guthrie, DavidDavid Guthrie	Oroua	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Scott, RobertRobert Scott	Otago Central	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Field, WilliamWilliam Field	Otaki	&10000000000000005000000Fifth
	Reform	Escott, JamesJames Escott	Pahiatua	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Buick, DavidDavid Buick	Palmerston	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Dickson, James SamuelJames Samuel Dickson	Parnell	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Pearce, GeorgeGeorge Pearce	Patea	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Bollard, RichardRichard Bollard	Raglan	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Newman, EdwardEdward Newman	Rangitikei	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Witty, GeorgeGeorge Witty	Riccarton	&10000000000000005000000Fifth
	Liberal	Dickie, WilliamWilliam Dickie	Selwyn	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Hine, JohnJohn Hine	Stratford	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Okey, HenryHenry Okey	Taranaki	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Liberal	Jennings, WilliamWilliam Jennings	Taumarunui	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Reform	Herries, WilliamWilliam Herries	Tauranga	&10000000000000007000000Seventh
	Liberal	Talbot, CharlesCharles Talbot	Temuka	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Rhodes, ThomasThomas Rhodes	Thames	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Craigie, JamesJames Craigie	Timaru	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Young, JamesJames Young	Waikato	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Smith, RobertRobert Smith	Waimarino	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Reform	Hunter, GeorgeGeorge Hunter	Waipawa	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	Hornsby, JohnJohn Hornsby	Wairarapa	&10000000000000003000000Third
	Liberal	McCallum, RichardRichard McCallum	Wairau	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Anstey, JohnJohn Anstey	Waitaki	&10000000000000001000000First
	Reform	Harris, AlexanderAlexander Harris	Waitemata	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Fraser, WilliamWilliam Fraser	Wakatipu	&10000000000000008000000Eighth
	Liberal	Thomson, JohnJohn Thomson	Wallace	&10000000000000005000000Fifth
	United Labour	Veitch, BillBill Veitch	Wanganui	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Fletcher, RobertRobert Fletcher	Wellington Central	&10000000000000001000000First
	Reform	Newman, AlfredAlfred Newman	Wellington East	&10000000000000007000000Seventh
	Reform	Herdman, AlexanderAlexander Herdman	Wellington North	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	United Labour	Hindmarsh, AlfredAlfred Hindmarsh	Wellington South	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Wright, RobertRobert Wright	Wellington Suburbs and Country	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Liberal	Seddon, TomTom Seddon	Westland	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Liberal	Ngata, ApiranaApirana Ngata	X-01Eastern Maori	&10000000000000004000000Fourth
	Reform	Henare, TaurekarekaTaurekareka Henare	X-02Northern Maori	&10000000000000001000000First
	Liberal	Parata, TaareTaare Parata	X-03Southern Maori	&10000000000000002000000Second
	Reform	Pomare, MauiMaui Pomare	X-04Western Maori	&10000000000000002000000Second

By-elections during the 19th Parliament

By-election	Electorate	Date	Incumbent	Party		Cause	Winner	Party
By-elections 1915–1919
1915	Dunedin Central	3 February	Charles Statham		Reform	Resignation	Charles Statham		Reform
1915	Bay of Islands	8 June	Vernon Reed		Reform	Election declared void	William Stewart		Reform
1915	Taumarunui	15 June	William Jennings		Liberal	Election declared void	William Jennings		Liberal
1916	Pahiatua	17 August	James Escott		Reform	Death	George Smith		Reform
1917	Hawke's Bay	8 March	Robert McNab		Liberal	Death	John Findlay		Liberal
1917	Bay of Islands	17 March	William Stewart		Reform	Resignation	Vernon Reed		Reform
1917	Grey	24 November	Paddy Webb		Labour	Resignation	Paddy Webb		Labour
1918	Wellington North	12 February	Alexander Herdman		Reform	Resignation	John Luke		Liberal
1918	Southern Maori	21 February	Taare Parata		Liberal	Death	Hopere Uru		Independent
1918	Grey	29 May	Paddy Webb		Labour	Imprisonment	Harry Holland		Labour
1918	Wellington Central	3 October	Robert Fletcher		Liberal	Death	Peter Fraser		Labour
1918	Taranaki	10 October	Henry Okey		Reform	Death	Sydney Smith		Liberal
1918	Palmerston	19 December	David Buick		Reform	Death	James Nash		Reform
1918	Wellington South	19 December	Alfred Hindmarsh		Labour	Death	Bob Semple		Labour

Summary of changes

Party changes

• Thomas Rhodes, the Liberal Party MP for Thames, changed affiliation to the Reform Party in 1915.

• The Social Democratic Party and the loose United Labour Party grouping merged to form the modern Labour Party on 7 July 1916. One ULP member, Bill Veitch, rejected the merger, and carried on as an independent.

Deaths

• James Escott (Reform, Pahiatua) died on 28 July 1916.
  • Pahiatua by-election 1916 — won by George Smith (Reform)

• Robert McNab (Liberal, Hawkes Bay) died on 3 February 1917.
  • Hawkes Bay by-election 1917 — won by John Findlay (Liberal)

• Taare Parata (Liberal, Southern Maori) died on 8 January 1918.
  • Southern Maori by-election 1918 — won by John Uru (Independent)

• Robert Fletcher (Liberal, Wellington Central) died on 4 September 1918.
  • Wellington Central by-election 1918 — won by Peter Fraser (Labour)

• Henry Okey (Reform, Taranaki) died on 13 September 1918
  • Taranaki by-election 1918 — won by Sydney Smith (Independent aligned with Liberals)

• Alfred Hindmarsh (Labour, Wellington South) died on 13 November 1918.
  • Wellington South by-election 1918 — won by Bob Semple (Labour)

• David Buick (Reform, Palmerston) died on 18 November 1918.
  • Palmerston by-election 1918 — won by James Nash (Reform)

• James Colvin (Liberal, Buller) died on 29 October 1919.
  • Seat remained vacant, as it was only two months until the general election.

Resignations

• William Stewart (Reform, Bay of Islands) resigned in March 1917. Stewart won the seat in a by-election when the victory of another Reform candidate, Vernon Reed, had been overturned, and Stewart's resignation opened the way for Reed to return via another by-election.
  • Bay of Islands by-election 1915 — won by William Stewart (Reform)
  • Bay of Islands by-election 1917 — won by Vernon Reed (Reform)

• Paddy Webb (Labour, Grey) resigned in November 1917. He then challenged the government to fight the resulting by-election on the issue of conscription, which Webb opposed. The government declined the challenge, and did not contest the by-election.
  • Grey by-election 1917 — won by Paddy Webb (Labour)

• Alexander Herdman (Reform, Wellington North) resigned in February 1918. Herdman, as Attorney-General, had just appointed himself to a judicial position, and was resigning in order to take up this role.
  • Wellington North by-election 1918 — won by John Luke (Liberal)

Expulsions

• William Jennings (Liberal Party, Taumarunui) lost his seat in May 1915 when his election the previous year was declared void.
  • Taumarunui by-election 1915 — won by William Jennings (Liberal)

• Vernon Reed (Reform, Bay of Islands) lost his seat in May 1915 when his election the previous year was declared void. (His replacement later resigned, allowing Reed to reclaim the seat).
  • Bay of Islands by-election 1915 — won by William Stewart (Reform)

• Paddy Webb (Labour, Grey) lost his seat in April 1918, having been jailed for refusing military service. (He had previously fought and won a by-election on the issue).
  • Grey by-election 1918 — won by Harry Holland (Labour)