David Wilson (New Zealand politician)

New Zealand politician (1880–1977)

The Honourable

David Wilson

27th Leader of the Legislative Council
In office
17 September 1939 – 26 September 1944
Prime Minister| Michael Joseph Savage
Peter Fraser
Preceded by| Mark Fagan
Succeeded by| Angus McLagan
In office
25 June 1947 – 27 June 1950
Prime Minister| Peter Fraser
Preceded by| Angus McLagan
Succeeded by| William Polson
28th Minister of Immigration
In office
30 April 1940 – 12 April 1944
Prime Minister| Peter Fraser
Preceded by| Tim Armstrong
Succeeded by| Paddy Webb
3rd Minister of Broadcasting
In office
21 January 1941 – 8 April 1944
Prime Minister| Peter Fraser
Preceded by| Peter Fraser
Succeeded by| Fred Jones
Personal details
Born| (1880-07-06)6 July 1880
Glasgow, Scotland
Died| 24 August 1977(1977-08-24) (aged 97)
Wellington, New Zealand
Political party| Labour

David Wilson (6 July 1880 – 24 August 1977) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. Through membership of the Legislative Council, he was a minister in the First Labour Government.

## Biography

[edit]

### Early life and career

[edit]

He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, a tailor, and was a union organiser in Derbyshire, England, before migrating to Australia in 1911.[1] He set up his own tailoring store but went out of business in 1915 following a fall in demand due to men serving overseas.[2] In 1916 he moved to New Zealand with his wife and two children where he found work in first Nelson then Auckland as a designer and cutter at several tailoring firms.[2] In 1926 he became a paid Labour Party organiser and secretary of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee (LRC), and assistant to Walter Nash then Jim Thorn.[3] Wilson unsuccessfully stood for the Auckland City Council on a Labour ticket in the 1921 local elections.[4] In 1935 he was campaign manager to Labour leader Michael Joseph Savage in Auckland West.[2]

Wilson served as the Labour Party's Secretary-Treasurer from 1936 until 1940.[5] Wilson wrote a well publicised pamphlet on progress made by the government in its first year. Titled History in the Making it was published in London by the New Fabian Research Bureau.[6] In 1938 he was overall campaign manager for Labour's election campaign where Labour boosted their vote percentage by 10 percentage points.[2]

### Political career

[edit]

He was a member of the New Zealand Legislative Council from 22 September 1937 to 21 September 1944, when his term ended; and 16 June 1947 to 31 December 1950, when the Council was abolished.[7] He was a Member of the Executive Council in the First Labour Government. He was elected in a caucus ballot after the size of the cabinet was increased by one seat narrowly ahead of Gervan McMillan 19 votes to 18.[8] He was Minister without Portfolio from 8 November 1939 to 13 December 1949; Minister of Immigration and Minister for State Fire Insurance from 30 April 1940 to 12 April 1944; Minister of Civil Defence from 30 October 1942 to 12 April 1944; Minister of Broadcasting and Associate Minister of National Service from 21 January 1941 to 12 April 1944.[9] Later Labour leader Bill Rowling, whose father was a personal friend of Wilson, said that while not being in the public eye as much as many of his contemporaries Wilson's contribution to the Labour Party and government policy from 1935 to 1949 were just as substantial.[10]

### Diplomatic career

[edit]

He was High Commissioner to Canada and New Zealand delegate to the UN General Assembly 1944–47, and to FAO 1945, UNESCO and UNICEF 1946–47.[1]

### Later life and death

[edit]

Drawing on his experiences he authored two books History in the Making and Preferential Voting System Explained.[2] He was also an enthusiast for soccer, theatre and travelling.

A 91-year old Wilson was a guest of honour at the first meeting of caucus following Labour's victory in the 1972 election and oversaw the election of the cabinet for the Third Labour Government.[11]

He died in Wellington Hospital on 24 August 1977. He was survived by his daughter, his wife and son had predeceased him.[2]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b Gustafson 1986.
2. ^ a b c d e f "War Cabinet Minister Wilson Dies". The Dominion. 25 August 1977.
3. ^ Sinclair 1976, p. 66.
4. ^ "Electoral". Vol. LII, no. 106\. Auckland Star. 5 May 1921. p. 7. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
5. ^ Paul, J.T. (1946). Humanism in Politics: New Zealand Labour Party in Retrospect. Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Worker Printing and Publishing.
6. ^ Sinclair 1976, p. 132.
7. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 167.
8. ^ Sinclair 1976, p. 193.
9. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 82–83, 116–117, 131, 167.
10. ^ "Party's Loss Saddens". The Evening Post. 26 August 1977.
11. ^ Grant 2014, p. 220.

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Wilson (New Zealand politician).

* Grant, David (2014). The Mighty Totara: The life and times of Norman Kirk. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 9781775535799.
* Gustafson, Barry (1986). From the Cradle to the Grave: a biography of Michael Joseph Savage. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00138-5.
* Sinclair, Keith (1976). Walter Nash. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-647949-5.
* Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

Government offices

Preceded by

Mark Fagan

|  Leader of the Legislative Council
1939–1944

1947–1950  | Succeeded by

Angus McLagan

Preceded by

Angus McLagan

| Succeeded by

William Polson

Political offices
Preceded by

Tim Armstrong

|  Minister of Immigration
1940–1944  | Succeeded by

Paddy Webb

Preceded by

Peter Fraser

|  Minister of Broadcasting
1941–1944  | Succeeded by

Fred Jones

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by

Robert M. Firth

|  New Zealand High Commissioner to Canada
1944–1947  | Succeeded by

Jim Thorn

Party political offices
Preceded by

Jim Thorn

|  Secretary of the Labour Party
1936–1940  | Succeeded by

Mick Moohan

* v
* t
* e

New Zealand Labour Party

Leadership

| Leaders
Names in bold served
as prime minister|

* Alfred Hindmarsh (1916–18)
* Harry Holland (1919–33)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1933–40)
* Peter Fraser (1940–50)
* Walter Nash (1950–63)
* Arnold Nordmeyer (1963–65)
* Norman Kirk (1965–74)
* Bill Rowling (1974–83)
* David Lange (1983–89)
* Geoffrey Palmer (1989–90)
* Mike Moore (1990–93)
* Helen Clark (1993–2008)
* Phil Goff (2008–11)
* David Shearer (2011–13)
* David Cunliffe (2013–14)
* Andrew Little (2014–17)
* Jacinda Ardern (2017–23)
* Chris Hipkins (2023–present)

* * *

|

Deputy leaders|

* James McCombs (1919–23)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1923–33)
* Peter Fraser (1933–40)
* Walter Nash (1940–51)
* Jerry Skinner (1951–62)
* Fred Hackett (1962–63)
* Hugh Watt (1963–74)
* Bob Tizard (1974–79)
* David Lange (1979–83)
* Geoffrey Palmer (1983–89)
* Helen Clark (1989–93)
* David Caygill (1993–96)
* Michael Cullen (1996–2008)
* Annette King (2008–11)
* Grant Robertson (2011–13)
* David Parker (2013–14)
* Annette King (2014–17)
* Jacinda Ardern (2017)
* Kelvin Davis (2017–23)
* Carmel Sepuloni (2023–present)

* * *

Leadership elections|

* 1919
* 1920
* 1921
* 1922
* 1923
* 1933
* 1940
* 1951
* 1954
* 1963
* 1965
* 1974
* 1980
* 1983
* 1988
* 1989
* 1990
* 1993
* 1996
* 2008
* 2011
* 2013
* 2014
* 2017
* 2023

Internal offices

| Party presidents|

* James McCombs (1916–17)
* Andrew Walker (1917–18)
* Tom Paul (1918–20)
* Peter Fraser (1920–21)
* Frederick Cooke (1921–22)
* Tom Brindle (1922–26)
* Bob Semple (1926–28)
* John Archer (1928–29)
* Jim Thorn (1929–31)
* Rex Mason (1931–32)
* Bill Jordan (1932–33)
* Frank Langstone (1933–34)
* Tim Armstrong (1934–35)
* Walter Nash (1935–36)
* Clyde Carr (1936–37)
* James Roberts (1937–50)
* Arnold Nordmeyer (1950–55)
* Mick Moohan (1955–60)
* Martyn Finlay (1960–64)
* Norman Kirk (1964–66)
* Norman Douglas (1966–70)
* Bill Rowling (1970–73)
* Charles Bennett (1973–76)
* Arthur Faulkner (1976–79)
* Jim Anderton (1979–84)
* Margaret Wilson (1984–87)
* Rex Jones (1987–88)
* Ruth Dyson (1988–93)
* Maryan Street (1993–95)
* Michael Hirschfeld (1995–99)
* Bob Harvey (1999–2000)
* Mike Williams (2000–09)
* Andrew Little (2009–11)
* Moira Coatsworth (2011–15)
* Nigel Haworth (2015–19)
* Claire Szabó (2019–22)
* Jill Day (2022–present)

* * *

|

General secretaries|

* John Glover (1916–19)
* Michael Joseph Savage (1919–20)
* Moses Ayrton (1920–22)
* Walter Nash (1922–32)
* Jim Thorn (1932–36)
* David Wilson (1936–40)
* Mick Moohan (1940–48)
* Allan McDonald (1948–71)
* John Wybrow (1971–85)
* Tony Timms (1985–95)
* Rob Allen (1995–2000)
* Mike Smith (2001–08)
* Chris Flatt (2008–12)
* Tim Barnett (2012–16)
* Andrew Kirton (2016–18)
* Andre Anderson (2018–20)
* Rob Salmond (2020–present)

* * *

Senior Whips|

* Andrew Walker (1916–19)
* James McCombs (1919–22)
* Dan Sullivan (1922–35)
* Bill Jordan (1935–36)
* Robert McKeen (1937–39)
* James O'Brien (1939–42)
* Arthur Shapton Richards (1942–47)
* Robert Macfarlane (1947–51)
* Phil Connolly (1951–52)
* Joe Cotterill (1952–58)
* Henry May (1958–72)
* Ron Barclay (1972–76)
* Roger Drayton (1976–78)
* Russell Marshall (1978–80)
* Jonathan Hunt (1980–84)
* Michael Cullen (1984–87)
* Margaret Austin (1987–90)
* Trevor Mallard (1990)
* Jonathan Hunt (1990–96)
* Mark Burton (1996–99)
* Rick Barker (1999–2002)
* David Benson-Pope (2002–04)
* Jill Pettis (2004–05)
* Tim Barnett (2005–08)
* Darren Hughes (2008–11)
* Rick Barker (2011)
* Chris Hipkins (2011–13)
* Sue Moroney (2013–14)
* Chris Hipkins (2014–16)
* Kris Faafoi (2016–17)
* Ruth Dyson (2017–19)
* Michael Wood (2019–20)
* Kieran McAnulty (2020–22)
* Duncan Webb (2022–23)
* Tangi Utikere (2023–present)

Organisation

| Current members
of parliament
Names without
electorates are list MPs
(List of former MPs)|

* Leader: Chris Hipkins (Remutaka)
* Deputy Leader: Carmel Sepuloni (Kelston)

* Ginny Andersen
* Camilla Belich
* Glen Bennett
* Rachel Boyack (Nelson)
* Rachel Brooking (Dunedin)
* Reuben Davidson (Christchurch East)
* Barbara Edmonds (Mana)
* Shanan Halbert
* Peeni Henare
* Willie Jackson
* Ingrid Leary (Taieri)
* Jo Luxton
* Kieran McAnulty
* Tracey McLellan
* Damien O'Connor
* Greg O'Connor (Ōhāriu)
* David Parker
* Willow-Jean Prime
* Priyanca Radhakrishnan
* Adrian Rurawhe
* Deborah Russell
* Jenny Salesa (Panmure-Ōtāhuhu)
* Lemauga Lydia Sosene (Māngere)
* Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (Ikaroa-Rāwhiti)
* Jan Tinetti
* Phil Twyford (Te Atatū)
* Tangi Utikere (Palmerston North)
* Ayesha Verrall
* Duncan Webb (Christchurch Central)
* Helen White (Mount Albert)
* Arena Williams (Manurewa)
* Megan Woods (Wigram)

* * *

|

Related organisations|

* City Vision
* The People's Choice
* Princes Street Labour
* Rainbow Labour
* Rātana
* VicLabour
* Young Labour

History

| History and related topics|

* Liberal–Labour
* Labour Unity Conferences
* Lee affair
* Black Budget
* Mason Affair
* It's Time
* Citizens for Rowling
* Moyle Affair
* Fish and Chip Brigade
* Rogernomics
* Māori loan affair
* Backbone club
* Closing the Gaps
* Helengrad
* Corngate
* Foreshore and seabed controversy
* KiwiSaver

* * *

|

Labour governments|

* First (1935–49)
* Second (1957–60)
* Third (1972–75)
* Fourth (1984–90)
* Fifth (1999–2008)
* Sixth (2017–23)

* * *

Shadow cabinets|

* Kirk
* Rowling
* Lange
* Moore
* Clark
* Goff
* Shearer
* Cunliffe
* Little
* Ardern
* Hipkins

* * *

Predecessor parties|

* New Zealand Liberal Party
* New Zealand Socialist Party
* Independent Political Labour League
* New Zealand Labour Party (1910)
* United Labour Party
* Social Democratic Party

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

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