1947 Mount Albert by-election

The 1947 Mount Albert by-election was a by-election held during the 28th New Zealand Parliament in the Auckland electorate of Mount Albert. The by-election occurred following the death of MP Arthur Richards and was won by Warren Freer.

1947 Mount Albert by-election
24 September 1947 (1947-09-24)
The Mount Albert seat in the House of Representatives.
Election by simple majority using first-past-the-post voting.
Turnout12,943 (87.09%)
 
Candidate Warren Freer Jack Garland
Party Labour National
Popular vote 7,235 5,682
Percentage 56.01% 43.99%
Member before election

Arthur Richards
Labour

 Elected Member

Warren Freer
Labour

Background

Arthur Richards, who was first elected to represent Roskill for the Labour Party in 1931, died on 5 August 1947.[1] This triggered the Mount Albert by-election, which occurred on 24 September 1947. Warren Freer was the candidate for the Labour Party, and Jack Garland was the candidate for the National Party.

Candidates
Labour

There were nine nominees for the Labour Party candidacy who included:[2]

  • Alex Dixon, a former RNZAF pilot and Labour's candidate for Rodney in 1946.
  • James Freeman, Vice-President of the Timber Workers' Union and Labour's candidate for Remuera in 1946.
  • Warren Freer, secretary of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee and Labour's candidate for Eden in 1946.
  • Bill Schramm former MP for Auckland East and Speaker who was defeated in Parnell in 1946.

The decision was deferred to the Labour Party's national executive. Freer was only 26 and relatively unknown to executive members, but local member Dick Barter convinced party leader Peter Fraser that his candidacy in Eden was adequate apprenticeship.[3] He was eventually selected.[4][5] Richards had urged Freer to stand for the safe Labour seat of Mt Albert when he died.[3]

National

The National Party had five nominations which were:[6]

  • Alfred Thomas Dow, secretary of the Auckland Provincial School Committees' Association and a former member of the Mount Eden Borough Council.
  • Peter Collingwood Fisher, of Hamilton, a wounded RNZAF officer, who served in Britain.
  • Jack Garland, a former member of the Auckland City Council and a candidate for the council at the next municipal elections.
  • Leon Götz, National candidate for Auckland Central in 1946.
  • Joan Rattray, a member of the Auckland City Council and the Metropolitan Youth Council.

Garland was chosen after winning a ballot of local members.[7]

Campaign

Freer recalled two inspiring campaign speeches delivered by Martyn Finlay and Mabel Howard which were received well by voters.[8]

Previous election
1946 general election: Mount Albert[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Arthur Richards 7,681 56.88
National Frederick Ashley Hosking 5,824 43.12
Informal votes 74 0.54
Majority 1,857 13.75
Turnout 13,579 94.47
Registered electors 14,374

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1947 Mount Albert by-election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Warren Freer 7,235 56.01
National Jack Garland 5,682 43.99
Majority 1,553 12.02
Informal votes 26 0.20 -0.34
Turnout 12,943 87.09 -7.38
Registered electors 14,861
Labour hold Swing

Freer obtained 56% of the votes and was successful.[9] Freer was staggered when his majority was close to that of Richards in 1946, rather than being well below (as for most by-elections).[10] At the November local-body elections Garland was elected a member of the Auckland City Council.

Freer would hold the Mount Albert electorate for more than three decades until he retired at the 1981 election.

See also

Notes
  1. "Fatal Illness - Member for Mt. Albert - Death of Mr A. S. Richards". Otago Daily Times. No. 26532. 6 August 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  2. "Labour Considers Mt Albert Nominee". The Northern Advocate. 20 August 1947. p. 8. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. Freer 2004, pp. 26.
  4. "Labour Party Selects Candidate for Mount Albert Seat". Evening Star. No. 26189. 26 August 1947. p. 6. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  5. "Mount Albert Poll - Labour Candidate Selected". The New Zealand Herald. 26 August 1947. p. 6.
  6. "National Nominees For Mt Albert". The Northern Advocate. 23 August 1947. p. 4. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  7. "National Candidate for Mt Albert Seat". The Northern Advocate. 2 September 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  8. Freer 2004, pp. 28.
  9. Norton 1988, p. 280.
  10. Freer 2004, pp. 29.

References
  • Freer, Warren (2004). A Lifetime in Politics: the memoirs of Warren Freer. Wellington: Victoria University Press. ISBN 0-86473-478-6.
  • Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.
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