1911 New Zealand general election

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| <- 1908 | 7 to 19 December 1911 | 1914 ->

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<- outgoing members

elected members ->

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All 80 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives
41 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout| 83.5%
|  | First party  | Second party  | Third party

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|  |  |
Leader  | Joseph Ward | William Massey | Alfred Hindmarsh
Party  | Liberal | Reform | Labour
Leader since  | 6 August 1906 | 11 February 1909  | July 1910
Leader's seat  | Awarua | Franklin | Wellington South
Last election  | 50 seats  | New | 1 seat
Seats won  | 33[1] | 37[1] | 4[1]
Seat change  |  17  |  37  |  3
Popular vote  | 163,401 | 161,773  | 35,869
Percentage  | 34.23% | 33.37%  | 7.51%
Swing  | 14.4%  |  33.37%  |  2.62%

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Results of the election.

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| Prime Minister before election

Joseph Ward
Liberal

| Subsequent Prime Minister

Joseph Ward
Liberal

|

The 1911 New Zealand general election was held on Thursday, 7 and 14 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 18th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 590,042 (83.5%) voters turned out to vote.[2] In two seats (Eastern Maori and Gisborne)[3] there was only one candidate (not one seat, as in Wilson[4]).

## Outcome

[edit]

The result was that the Liberal Party, which had won a majority of seats (50 of 80) in Parliament, lost 17 seats and its majority, winning only 33. The Reform Party gained 9 to obtain a plurality (37) of seats.[5] Liberal Prime Minister Joseph Ward was able to retain office, but in 1912, Reform Party founder William Massey formed a new government.[6]

Joseph Ward hoped to remain in power with the support of independents and Labour Party members. Several candidates before the election made commitments to support the Ward Government in the event of a no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives. Ward considered delaying a new session of the house, perhaps for six months until June 1912, but following some tough talking from the Governor-General John Dickson-Poynder, he set the date as 15 February.[7] To speed up the negotiating process, Ward promised to resign as Prime Minister after the Reform Party's no-confidence motion was defeated. The end result was even at 39 all, with the Speaker casting the deciding vote in favour of the Ward Government. Joseph Ward then resigned as Prime Minister on 28 March 1912. He was succeeded by Thomas Mackenzie and his new Cabinet was sworn in. The Mackenzie Government lasted only two months and was defeated by a no-confidence motion, 41 votes to 33 on 5 July 1912.[6]

The Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or runoff ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. The second ballot was held seven days after the first ballot except in ten large rural seats, where fourteen days was allowed. At the 1911 election, all 30 second ballots were held seven days later. Two 1913 by-elections (Grey and Lyttelton) also required second ballots.

The Second Ballot Act did not apply to the Maori electorates, and was used only in 1908 and 1911, as it was repealed in 1913.

In 1911 were the first triennial national referendum on prohibition of alcohol. Referendums were subsequently held in conjunction with each general election (except for 1931 and 1951) until they were abolished in 1989.

## Summary of results

[edit]

### Party totals

[edit]

Election results
Party  | Candidates  | Total votes  | Percentage  | Seats won
| Reform | 64  | 159,309  | 33.37  | 37
| Liberal | 89  | 163,401 | 34.23 | 33
| Labour | 20  | 35,869  | 7.51  | 4
| Socialist | 8  | 9,091  | 1.90  | 0
| Independent | 59  | 109,666  | 22.97  | 6
| 240  | 477,336  |  | 80

### Votes summary

[edit]

| Popular Vote

|  |
Liberal |

| 34.23%
Reform |

| 33.37%
Labour |

| 7.51%
Socialist |

| 1.90%
Independents |

| 22.97%

| Parliament seats

|  |
Reform |

| 46.25%
Liberal |

| 41.25%
Labour |

| 5.00%
Independents |

| 7.50%

## Results

[edit]

The following are the results of the 1911 general election:

Key

Reform |  Liberal |  Labour |  Independent Liberal |  Independent Labour

|
|
|
|

Socialist |  Liberal–Labour |  Independent |  Affiliation unknown
Electorate results for the 1911 New Zealand general election[8] Electorate  | Incumbent  | Winner  | Majority  | Runner up

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General electorates[nb 1]
Ashburton |  | William Nosworthy | 913†  |  | John Kennedy
Auckland Central |  | Albert Glover | 2,261  |  | Michael Joseph Savage
Auckland East |  | Arthur Myers | 1,993  |  | Arthur Withy
Auckland West |  | Charles Poole |  | James Bradney | 1,577  |  | Charles Poole
Avon |  | George Warren Russell | 271†  |  | James McCombs
Awarua |  | Joseph Ward | 628  |  | John Hamilton
Bay of Islands |  | Vernon Reed | 183  |  | George Wilkinson[9]
Bay of Plenty |  | William MacDonald | 535  |  | Harry De Lautour
Bruce |  | James Allen | 675  |  | Parker McKinlay
Buller |  | James Colvin | 150  |  | Fergus Ferguson Munro
Chalmers |  | Edward Henry Clark | 326†  |  | John Thomas Johnson
Christchurch East |  | Thomas Davey | 1181†  |  | Henry Thacker
Christchurch North |  | Leonard Isitt | 749†  |  | Dryden Hall
Christchurch South |  | Harry Ell | 631  |  | Gains Whiting
Clutha |  | Alexander Malcolm | 375  |  | George Livingstone[10]
Dunedin Central |  | James Arnold |  | Charles Statham | 1544  |  | James Arnold
Dunedin North |  | George Thomson | 759†  |  | Robert Douglas
Dunedin South |  | Thomas Sidey | 745  |  | John McManus
Dunedin West |  | John A. Millar | 639†  |  | Harry Bedford
Eden |  | John Bollard | 663  |  | William Speight
Egmont |  | Bradshaw Dive |  | Thomas Mackenzie | 327  |  | Bradshaw Dive
Ellesmere |  | Heaton Rhodes | 1581  |  | George Armstrong
Franklin |  | William Massey | 1963  |  | John McLarin[11]
Gisborne |  | James Carroll | Uncontested
Grey |  | Arthur Guinness | 1138  |  | Paddy Webb
Grey Lynn |  | George Fowlds |  | John Payne | 38†  |  | George Fowlds
Hawke's Bay |  | Alfred Dillon |  | Hugh Campbell | 1107†  |  | Horace Simson
Hurunui |  | George Forbes | 939  |  | David Macfarlane
Hutt |  | Thomas Wilford | 1931  |  | Michael Reardon
Invercargill |  | Josiah Hanan | 667†  |  | Thomas Fleming
Kaiapoi |  | David Buddo | 209†  |  | Richard Moore
Kaipara |  | John Stallworthy |  | Gordon Coates | 572†  |  | John Stallworthy
Lyttelton |  | George Laurenson | 2079  |  | Colin Cook
Manukau |  | Frederic Lang | 2307  |  | Ralph Stewart
Marsden |  | Francis Mander | 544  |  | Edmund Purdie
Masterton |  | Alexander Hogg |  | George Sykes | 581†  |  | Alexander Hogg
Mataura |  | George Anderson | 857  |  | John MacGibbon
Motueka |  | Roderick McKenzie | 1104  |  | Frederick Smith
Napier |  | Vigor Brown | 1064  |  | Henry Hill[12]
Nelson |  | John Graham |  | Harry Atmore | 1516†  |  | Walter Moffatt
Oamaru |  | Thomas Young Duncan |  | Ernest Lee | 1364  |  | Thomas Young Duncan
Ohinemuri |  | Hugh Poland | 1207†  |  | Pat Hickey
Oroua |  | David Guthrie | 1092  |  | Robert Hornblow
Otago Central | New electorate  |  | Robert Scott | 1810  |  | William Mason
Otaki |  | William Hughes Field |  | John Robertson | 21†  |  | William Hughes Field
Pahiatua |  | Robert Ross |  | James Escott | 573†  |  | Robert Ross
Palmerston |  | David Buick | 832  |  | Robert McNab
Parnell |  | Frank Lawry |  | James Samuel Dickson | 438†  |  | John Findlay
Patea |  | George Pearce | 960  |  | Patrick O'Dea
Raglan | New electorate  |  | Richard Bollard | 919†  |  | Allen Bell
Rangitikei |  | Robert William Smith |  | Edward Newman | 1028  |  | William Meldrum
Riccarton |  | George Witty | 1373†  |  | Charles Ensor
Selwyn |  | Charles Hardy |  | William Dickie | 271  |  | Charles Hardy
Stratford |  | John Hine | 730  |  | Joseph McCluggage
Taranaki |  | Henry Okey | 754  |  | Charles Bellringer
Taumarunui |  | William Thomas Jennings |  | Charles Wilson | 125  |  | William Thomas Jennings
Tauranga |  | William Herries | 1941  |  | Robert King
Temuka | New electorate  |  | Thomas Buxton | 1372  |  | William Jeffries
Thames |  | Edmund Taylor |  | Thomas William Rhodes | 66  |  | Edmund Taylor
Timaru |  | James Craigie | 1226  |  | Joseph Moore
Waikato |  | Henry Greenslade |  | Alexander Young | 1128  |  | Henry Greenslade
Waimarino | New electorate  |  | Robert William Smith | 480†  |  | Frank Hockly
Waipawa |  | Charles Hall |  | George Hunter | 569  |  | Albert Jull
Wairarapa |  | Walter Clarke Buchanan | 125  |  | J. T. Marryat Hornsby
Wairau |  | John Duncan |  | Richard McCallum | 142†  |  | John Duncan
Waitaki |  | William Steward |  | Francis Henry Smith | 84†  |  | John Macpherson
Waitemata |  | Leonard Phillips |  | James Samuel Dickson | 407†  |  | William Joseph Napier
Wakatipu |  | William Fraser | 91  |  | James Horn
Wallace |  | John Charles Thomson | 1962  |  | Alan Carmichael
Wanganui |  | James Thomas Hogan |  | Bill Veitch | 1156†  |  | James Thomas Hogan
Wellington East |  | David McLaren |  | Alfred Newman | 65†  |  | David McLaren
Wellington Central |  | Francis Fisher | 131†  |  | Robert Fletcher
Wellington North |  | Alexander Herdman | 1807  |  | Arnold Woolford Izard
Wellington South |  | Robert Wright |  | Alfred Hindmarsh | 254†  |  | Robert Wright
Wellington Suburbs and Country |  | John Luke |  | William Henry Dillon Bell | 399  |  | Frank Moore
Westland |  | Tom Seddon | 271  |  | Henry Michel
Māori electorates[nb 2]
Eastern Maori |  | Āpirana Ngata | Uncontested
Northern Maori |  | Te Rangi Hīroa | 405  |  | Riapo Timoti Puhipi
Southern Maori |  | Tame Parata |  | Taare Parata | 31  |  | Hopere Uru
Western Maori |  | Henare Kaihau |  | Māui Pōmare | 565  |  | Henare Kaihau

Table footnotes:

1. ^ † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
2. ^ The affiliation of many of the Maori candidates is unknown or uncertain; note that the Second Ballot Act 1908 did not apply to Maori constituencies.

## Summary of changes

[edit]

A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of four electorates:[13]

* Geraldine, held by Thomas Buxton
* Manawatu, held by Edward Newman
* Taieri, held by Thomas Mackenzie
* Tuapeka, held by Robert Scott
* Wellington Suburbs, held by John Luke

At the same time, four new electorates came into being:[14][15]

* Otago Central, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Raglan, previously abolished in 1870
* Temuka, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Waimarino, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Wellington Suburbs and Country, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Bassett 1982, p. 5.
2. ^ "General elections 1853-2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
3. ^ Bassett 1982, p. 66.
4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 286.
5. ^ "1890–1993 general elections". Electoral Commission New Zealand. Archived from the original on 8 April 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
6. ^ a b Bassett 1982, p. 3-14.
7. ^ Bassett 1982, p. 5-6.
8. ^ "The General Election, 1911". National Library. 1912. pp. 1–14. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
9. ^ "Political Gossip". The Marlborough Express. Vol. C, no. 266\. 16 November 1914. p. 3. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
10. ^ "Clutha". Otago Witness. No. 3008\. 8 November 1911. p. 37. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
11. ^ "Electoral district of Franklin: nominations". Auckland Star. Vol. XLII, no. 290\. 6 December 1911. p. 16. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
12. ^ Matthews, Kay Morris. "Henry Hill". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
13. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 71–76.
14. ^ McRobie 1989, pp. 75f.
15. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 269–273.

## References

[edit]

* Bassett, Michael (1982). Three Party Politics in New Zealand 1911–1931. Auckland: Historical Publications. ISBN 0-86870-006-1.
* McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
* Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

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