1938 New Zealand general election
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All 80 seats in the New Zealand Parliament 41 seats were needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Results of the election. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1938 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 26th term. It resulted in the governing Labour Party being re-elected, although the newly founded National Party gained a certain amount of ground.
This was the first election in which the Māori were given a secret ballot which had been available to white voters since 1870.
Background
The
The election
The date for the main 1938 elections was 15 October, a Saturday. Elections to the four
Results
The 1938 election saw a decisive win for the governing Labour Party, which won fifty-three seats. This was a drop of two from what it held prior to the election. While Labour gained the seats of Bay of Islands, Motueka (previously held by Keith Holyoake), New Plymouth, Wellington Suburbs, and Northern Maori, it lost Tauranga and the rural seats of Manawatu, Rangitikei, Waikato, Mid-Canterbury, and Waipawa.
The National Party won twenty-five seats, an increase of six from that the United–Reform Coalition had previously won. Both Labour and National increased their share of the popular vote, with Labour winning 55.8% (up from 46.1%) and National winning 40.3% (up from 32.9%). This increase was at the expense of the
Independent candidates also lost ground, with only two being elected, Harry Atmore (Nelson) and Charles Wilkinson (Egmont). As in 1935, the independents were tactically supported by one of the major parties who did not stand a candidate against them, and they generally voted with that party; Wilkinson and Wright had supported National while Atmore had supported Labour. But Robert Wright was defeated for the new electorate of Wellington West by Labour despite National not running a candidate against him.[3]
An analysis of men and women on the rolls against the votes recorded showed that in the 1938 election 92.85% of those on the European rolls voted; men 93.43% and women 92.27%. In the 1935 election the figures were 90.75% with men 92.02% and women 89.46%. As the Māori electorates did not have electoral rolls they could not be included.[4][5]
This was the first election in which the Māori were given a secret ballot. Secret ballots had been available to white voters since 1870, but it was not extended to Māori voters until the 1937 Electoral Amendment Act was passed. The number of votes cast in the Māori seats in the 1938 election rose 18.3% from the 1935 election. Opponents of the secret ballot for the Māori claimed that the Māori suffered from illiteracy, but only 2.28% of the ballots were ruled invalid. Member of Parliament Eruera Tirikatene praised the secret ballot for the Māori as he regarded it as one of the rights promised in the Treaty of Waitangi.[6][7]
Party standings
Election results | ||||||
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Party | Candidates | Votes | Percentage | Seats won | change | |
Labour | 78 | 528,290 | 55.80 | 53 | -2* | |
National | 77 | 381,081 | 40.30 | 25 | +9 | |
Country Party | 5 | 2,199 | 0.23 | 0 | -2 | |
Independents | 16 | 34,823 | 3.65 | 2 | -3 | |
Total | 176 | 946,393 | 80 |
*includes two Ratana MPs (Toko Ratana, Eruera Tirikatene) who joined the Labour caucus after the 1935 election
Votes summary
Electorate results
The following table shows the detailed results:
Key
Labour National Country Party Independent Independent Liberal
References
- ^ "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 7.
- Clarendon Press. p. 76.
- ^ New Zealand Official Year-book, 1942 p778
- ^ "The New Zealand Official Year-Book, 1942". Government Printer. 28 June 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ^ "Progress of Maoris". Gisborne Herald. 14 July 1939. p. 5. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "No Secret Ballot until 1937". New Zealand Parliament. Archived from the original on 14 July 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
- ^ "The General Election, 1938". National Library. 1939. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ^ "Candidates for tomorrow's election". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 91. 14 October 1938. p. 18. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
- ^ "Notice of Nominations Received and Polling Places Appointed". Auckland Star. Vol. LXVI, no. 268. 12 November 1935. p. 9. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
- ^ a b "Parliamentary Election". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 254. 27 October 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, pp. 26, 28.
- ^ a b c "Electoral". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXV, no. 23180. 28 October 1938. p. 3. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 370.
- ^ "Declaration of result of poll for the electoral district of Awarua". Western Star. 28 October 1938. p. 3. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Electoral". The New Zealand Herald. Vol. LXXV, no. 23181. 29 October 1938. p. 25. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ "Declaration of Result of Poll for the Electoral District of Central Otago". Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette. 13 October 1943. p. 4. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
- ^ "The By-Election". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVII, no. 128. 2 June 1939. p. 8. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ Ammentorp, Steen. "Falconer". generals.dk. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ "Alexander Smith Falconer". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Retrieved 8 July 2022 – via Online Cenotaph.
- New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 362.
- ^ a b "The Mantle of Seddon". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 90. 13 October 1938. p. 24. Retrieved 3 November 2013.
- ^ "Election Review". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 83. 5 October 1938. p. 15. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 366.
- ^ Webb, Brendan (20 September 2010). "No Sign of Mayors". BayBuzz. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ "Hawke's Bay Seats". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 90. 13 October 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
- ^ "Public Notices". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 82. 4 October 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ "The Lyttelton seat: National Party candidate". The Press. Vol. LXXIV, no. 22464. 27 July 1938. p. 12. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
- ^ Bremer, Robert James. "Ormond, John Davies Wilder". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ "Otago Contests". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 73. 23 September 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "The Onehunga Seat". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 59. 7 September 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Discover Onehunga's Rich History". Onehunga Business Association. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
- ^ "Parliamentary Elections". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 233. 3 October 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Public Notices". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 82. 4 October 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Labour Candidates". Evening Post. Vol. CXXV, no. 82. 7 April 1938. p. 17. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "J. A. Nash". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 89. 12 October 1938. p. 18. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "The Labour Party". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 192. 16 August 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "Labour Candidates". Evening Post. Vol. CX, no. 61. 9 September 1925. p. 6. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 345.
- ^ Laracy, Hugh. "Dreaver, Mary Manson". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ "Tammany Hall". Evening Post. Vol. CXL, no. 52. 30 August 1945. p. 9. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ^ "General Election". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 116. 19 May 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
- ^ "Wairarapa Electorate". Upper Hutt Weekly Review. Vol. III, no. 43. 14 October 1938. p. 3. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ^ "Mrs. R. Bleasel". Auckland Star. Vol. LXIX, no. 277. 23 November 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
- ^ Buchan, Allison. "Appleton, William". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ "Public Notices". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 98. 22 October 1938. p. 5. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ Labrum, Bronwyn. "Gilmer, Elizabeth May". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
- ^ "General Election". Evening Post. Vol. CXXVI, no. 45. 22 August 1938. p. 10. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
Other sources
- ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
- Lipson, Leslie (2011) [1948]. The Politics of Equality: New Zealand's Adventures in Democracy. Wellington: Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-0-86473-646-8.
- Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Govt. Printer.
- Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.