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16th New Zealand Parliament

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16th Parliament of New Zealand
15th Parliament 17th Parliament
Overview
Legislative bodyNew Zealand Parliament
Term27 June 1906 – 10 October 1908
Election1905 New Zealand general election
GovernmentLiberal Government
House of Representatives
Members80
Speaker of the HouseArthur Guinness
Prime MinisterJoseph Ward
William Hall-Jones until 6 August 1906 as Premier
Leader of the OppositionWilliam Massey
Legislative Council
Members44
Speaker of the CouncilCharles Bowen
Sovereign
MonarchHM Edward VII
GovernorHE Rt. Hon. The Lord Plunket

The 16th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1905 general election in December of that year.

Changes to the electoral law

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The 1903 City Single Electorates Act declared that at the dissolution of the 15th Parliament, the four multi-member electorates would be abolished and replaced each with three single-member electorates.[1] It was also the year absentee voting was introduced for all electors unable to be in their own electorate on election day. The first Chief Electoral Officer was appointed.

Accordingly, the multi-member urban electorates of City of Auckland, City of Christchurch, City of Dunedin and City of Wellington were abolished and replaced with the following single-member seats:

Nine of these twelve electorates had existed before. Wellington Central, Wellington North, and Dunedin North were established for the first time.[2]

1905 general election

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The 1905 general election was held on Wednesday, 6 December in the general electorates and on Wednesday, 20 December in the Māori electorates, respectively.[3] A total of 80 MPs were elected; 38 represented North Island electorates, 38 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates.[4] 476,473 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 83.3%.[3]

Sessions

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The 16th Parliament sat for four sessions (there were two sessions in 1906), and was prorogued on 29 October 1908.[5]

Session Opened Adjourned
first 27 June 1906 29 June 1906
second 21 August 1906 29 October 1906
third 27 June 1907 25 November 1907
fourth 29 June 1908 10 October 1908

Ministries

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The Liberal Government of New Zealand had taken office on 24 January 1891.[6] The Seddon Ministry under Richard Seddon had taken office in 1893 during the term of the 11th Parliament.[7] The Seddon Ministry remained in power for the whole term of this Parliament and held power until Seddon's death on 10 June 1906.[8] Seddon was travelling overseas at the time of his death, and William Hall-Jones was a reluctant acting Premier at the time. Joseph Ward would normally have been acting Premier, but he was also overseas.[9] So upon Seddon's death, Hall-Jones was sworn in as Prime Minister (the first time this new title was used) and formed the Hall-Jones Ministry on 21 June 1906.[9][10] Upon Ward's return from overseas, the leadership was offered to him, which he accepted. Hall-Jones resigned as Prime Minister, succeeded by Ward who formed the Ward Ministry on 6 August 1906.[9] The Ward Ministry remained in power for the remainder of the parliamentary term and subsequently until Ward's resignation as Prime Minister in 1912.[11][12]

Party composition

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Start of term

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Party Seats
Liberal 58
Conservative 16
Independent 6
Source[13]

Initial composition of the 16th Parliament

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The following are the results of the 1905 general election:

Key

  Liberal   Conservative   New Liberal   Liberal–Labour   Independent Liberal   Independent

Electorate results for the 1905 New Zealand general election[14][15]
Electorate Incumbent Winner Majority Runner up
General electorates
Ashburton John McLachlan 244 John Studholme
Auckland Central New electorate Alfred Kidd 939 Lemuel Bagnall
Auckland East New electorate Frederick Baume 871 Harry Bamford
Auckland West New electorate Charles Poole 340 James Parr
Avon William Tanner 725 John Russell Brunt
Awarua Joseph Ward 2,848 Henry Woodnorth
Bay of Islands Robert Houston 470 John Charles Johnson
Bay of Plenty William Herries 211 Joseph Foster
Bruce James Allen 435 William Darcy Mason
Buller James Colvin 2,798 Frank Isitt
Caversham Thomas Sidey 1,760 William Earnshaw
Chalmers Edmund Allen 1,437 William Pryor
Christchurch East New electorate Thomas Davey 565 Henry Featherston Toogood
Christchurch North New electorate Charles Gray 1,084 Tommy Taylor
Christchurch South New electorate Harry Ell 2,511 Charles Henry Winny
Clutha James Thomson Alexander Malcolm 272 Daniel Stewart
Courtenay Charles Lewis 232 Thomas Jones McBride
Dunedin Central New electorate John A. Millar 1,919 Alexander Samuel Adam
Dunedin North New electorate Alfred Richard Barclay 514 Harry Bedford
Dunedin South New electorate James Arnold 780 William Downie Stewart
Eden John Bollard 2,760 Robert French
Egmont William Thomas Jennings 651 Charles Leech
Ellesmere Heaton Rhodes 283 George Rennie
Franklin William Massey 935 William Wilson McCardle
Geraldine Frederick Flatman 1,233 William Jeffries
Grey Arthur Guinness 377 Joseph Petrie
Grey Lynn George Fowlds 230 John Farrell
Hawera Charles E. Major 449 Felix McGuire
Hawke's Bay William Russell Alfred Dillon 1,043 William Russell
Hurunui Andrew Rutherford 1,186 Obed Frederick Clothier
Hutt Thomas Wilford 1,912 George Yerex
Invercargill Josiah Hanan 1,721 Irvin Willis Raymond
Kaiapoi David Buddo 45 Richard Moore
Kaipara Alfred Harding John Stallworthy 9 Alfred Harding
Lyttelton George Laurenson 1,108 William Radcliffe
Manawatu Job Vile John Stevens 359 Job Vile
Manukau Matthew Kirkbride 663 Ralph Duncan Stewart
Marsden Francis Mander 348 Robert Thompson
Masterton Alexander Hogg 859 James Christopher Cooper
Mataura Robert McNab 435 Thomas MacGibbon
Motueka Roderick McKenzie 2,733 Frank Isitt
Mount Ida Alexander Herdman John MacPherson 394 Alexander Herdman
Napier Alfred Fraser 1,469 Montague W. P. Lascelles[16][17]
Nelson John Graham 29 Harry Atmore
Newtown William Henry Peter Barber 1,213 Thomas William Hislop
Oamaru Thomas Young Duncan 2,009 James Mitchell
Ohinemuri Edward Moss Hugh Poland 351 Edward Moss
Oroua Frank Lethbridge 986 Owen Carlin Pleasants
Otaki William Hughes Field 1,394 Byron Paul Brown
Pahiatua Bill Hawkins Robert Beatson Ross 206 Bill Hawkins
Palmerston William Wood 480 Frederick Pirani
Parnell Frank Lawry 122 Murdoch McLean
Patea Walter Symes 143 John Hine
Rangitikei Arthur Remington 1,710 Joe Reginald Sommerville
Riccarton George Witty 1,240 Thomas Caverhill
Selwyn Charles Hardy 322 Joseph Ivess
Taieri Donald Reid 535 Alexander Marshall
Taranaki Edward Smith 236 Henry Okey
Thames James McGowan 1,229 Malcolm Fleming
Timaru William Hall-Jones 1,063 Frank Rolleston
Tuapeka James Bennet 977 Robert Gilkison
Waiapu James Carroll 1,798 Lissant Clayton
Waikato Frederic Lang Henry Greenslade 78 Frederic Lang
Waikouaiti Thomas Mackenzie 702 Edward Henry Clark
Waipawa Charles Hall 1,254 George Hunter
Wairarapa Walter Clarke Buchanan J. T. Marryat Hornsby 531 Walter Clarke Buchanan
Wairau Charles H. Mills 977 John Duncan
Waitaki William Steward 1,643 George Dash
Waitemata Ewen Alison 971 Cecil Clinkard
Wakatipu William Fraser 423 Michael Gilfedder
Wallace John Charles Thomson 461 Dugald Macpherson
Wanganui Archibald Willis James Thomas Hogan 924 Archibald Willis
Wellington Central New electorate Francis Fisher 445 Patrick O'Regan
Wellington East New electorate John Aitken 19 William McLean
Wellington North New electorate Charles Hayward Izard 660 John Duthie
Westland Richard Seddon 3,180 Harry Cowin
Māori electorates
Eastern Maori Wi Pere Āpirana Ngata 757 Wi Pere
Northern Maori Hone Heke 627 Ru Reweti
Southern Maori Tame Parata 160 Hopere Uru
Western Maori Henare Kaihau 1,688 Tureiti Te Heuheu Tukino V

By-elections during 16th Parliament

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There were a number of changes during the term of the 16th Parliament.

Electorate and by-election Date Incumbent Cause Winner
Westland 1906 13 July Richard Seddon Death Tom Seddon
Manukau 1906 6 December Matthew Kirkbride[18] Death Frederic Lang[19]
Taranaki 1907 4 May Edward Smith[20] Death Henry Okey[21]
Tuapeka 1908 5 June James Bennet Death William Chapple

Notes

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  1. ^ McRobie 1989, p. 67.
  2. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 262, 276.
  3. ^ a b "General elections 1853–2005 - dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  4. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 90.
  5. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 69.
  6. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 40.
  7. ^ Scholefield 1950, pp. 40–41.
  8. ^ Hamer, David. "Seddon, Richard John - Biography". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  9. ^ a b c Hall-Jones, John. "Hall-Jones, William 1851-1936". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  10. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 42.
  11. ^ Bassett, Michael. "Ward, Joseph George 1856–1930". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 10 December 2011.
  12. ^ Scholefield 1950, pp. 42–43.
  13. ^ "1890–1993 general elections | Elections". Elections.nz. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  14. ^ "The General Election, 1905". National Library. 1906. pp. 1–6. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  15. ^ "The Nominations". Vol. XXXVIII, no. 284. Marlborough Express. 29 November 1905. p. 3. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Personal Matters". The Evening Post. Vol. LXX, no. 61. 9 September 1905. p. 5. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Deaths". The Evening Post. Vol. CXXVIII, no. 72. 22 September 1939. p. 1. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  18. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 118.
  19. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 119.
  20. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 139.
  21. ^ Scholefield 1950, p. 130.

References

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  • McRobie, Alan (1989). Electoral Atlas of New Zealand. Wellington: GP Books. ISBN 0-477-01384-8.
  • 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.