United Government of New Zealand

Government of New Zealand, 1928–1931

United cabinet, 1928.

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]

## Significant policies

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### Economic

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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]

## Formation

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Main article: 1928 New Zealand general election

## Defeat

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Main article: 1931 New Zealand general election

## Electoral results

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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

## Prime ministers

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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.

* Prime Ministers of the United Government
* Joseph Ward
served 1928-1930

* George Forbes
served 1930-1931

## Cabinet ministers

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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

## See also

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* Governments of New Zealand
* New Zealand Liberal Party
* Reform Party (New Zealand)

## Further reading

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* Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

## References

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1. ^ Undiplomatic Dialogue: Letters between Carl Berendsen and Alister McIntosh 1943–52 edited by Ian McGibbon page 219 note 2 (1993, Auckland University Press) ISBN 1-86940-095-X
2. ^ a b Brown, Bruce The Rise of New Zealand Labour (1962, Price Milburn, Wellington).
3. ^ Chapman R. M. The Political Scene 1919–1931 (1969, New Zealand History Topic Book by Heinemann), pp. 50–54.

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