90-624: Sir Joseph George Ward, 1st Baronet , GCMG , PC (26 April 1856 – 8 July 1930) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 16th prime minister of New Zealand from 1906 to 1912 and from 1928 to 1930. He was a dominant figure in the Liberal and United ministries of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Ward was born into an Irish Catholic family in Melbourne , Victoria. In 1863, financial hardship forced his family to move to New Zealand, where he completed his education. Ward established
180-563: A conservative , Ballance began to organise the liberal-aligned opposition into a more united movement, and was officially named Leader of the Opposition in July 1889. In the 1890 elections , Ballance led his liberal faction to victory, and early in the new year, became Premier . Ballance and his allies, recognising the benefit that they had gained from their unity, set about building a permanent organisation. The Liberal Party, with common policies and
270-526: A Dominion. He presided over a period of economic prosperity and provided state funds to help new settlers to the country. Public works schemes continued under his government with new infrastructure being built. In the 1908 election the Liberals won a majority, but in the 1911 election Parliament appeared to be deadlocked. The Liberals survived for a time on the casting vote of the Speaker , but Ward, discouraged by
360-760: A GCMG in Skyfall . Daniel Craig , who has portrayed Bond on film, was appointed (CMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to film and theatre. The general release on 30 September 2021 of his last appearance as James Bond, in No Time to Die , had been delayed by almost two years due to a change of director and the COVID-19 pandemic. Coinciding with the film's premiere, and matching his fictional character's rank, Craig became an Honorary Commander in Britain's Royal Navy . Following this appointment, he committed to being an ambassador for
450-525: A Liberal Party politician and theorist, said that while the party supported an active role for the state, particularly in social matters, it did not in any way seek to discourage or inhibit private enterprise. Many historians have claimed that the Liberal Party's policies were based more on pragmatism than on ideology, although politicians such as Ballance and Reeves definitely had theories behind their actions. In 1893, John Ballance died unexpectedly, leaving
540-482: A clear advantage. Davy invited Ward to step in as a compromise candidate, perhaps hoping that Ward's status as a former Prime Minister would create a sense of unity. Ward accepted an offer from Albert Davy and became leader of the new United Party, fighting off three other contenders. His health, however, was still poor, and he found the task difficult. In the 1928 election campaign, Ward startled both his supporters and his audience by promising to borrow £70 million in
630-432: A consistent and approved set of policies. Candidate selection was ultimately determined by Seddon. The Federation was New Zealand's first national party political organisation, and had most of the features of a modern political party , including: subscribing members, a central council and an annual conference. The Liberal Party aggressively promoted agrarianism during their dominant period from 1891 to 1912. They believed
720-458: A depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. In the satirical British television programme Yes Minister , Jim Hacker MP is told a joke by his Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley , about what
810-572: A good understanding of business from his mother. In 1869, Ward found a job at the Post Office , and later as a clerk. Later, with the help of a loan from his mother, Ward began to work as a freelance trader, selling supplies to the newly established Southland farming community. Ward became involved in local politics very quickly. He was elected to the Campbelltown (Bluff) Borough Council in 1878, despite being only 21 years old – at age 25 he became Mayor,
900-468: A joint administration for World War I. Ward became deputy leader of the administration, also holding the Finance portfolio. Relations between Ward and Massey were not good – besides their political differences, Ward was an Irish Catholic, and Massey was an Irish Protestant. The administration ended on 21 August 1919 following a decision made by caucus to do so two months earlier. In the 1919 election Ward lost
990-527: A judge declared Ward "hopelessly insolvent". This placed Ward, as Treasurer, in a politically difficult situation, and he was forced to resign his portfolios on 16 June. In 1897, he was forced to file for bankruptcy, which legally obligated him to resign his seat in Parliament. A loophole meant that there was nothing to stop him contesting it again, however. In the resulting by-election he was elected with an increased majority. Ward gained considerable popularity as
SECTION 10
#17330846026721080-697: A member of the cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio , but died shortly afterwards, on 8 July. He was given a state funeral with a Requiem Mass celebrated on 9 July at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Hill St, Wellington . Ward had been an active worshipper there (and at its destroyed predecessor, St Mary's Cathedral ) for all of his thirty-seven years as an MP. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop O'Shea (the Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington ), and Archbishop Redwood , 1st Archbishop of Wellington, delivered
1170-429: A period of stewardship by William Hall-Jones ), did not have the same charismatic flair. Increasingly, the Liberals found themselves losing support on two fronts – farmers, having obtained their goal of land reform, were gradually drifting to the conservative opposition, and workers, having become dissatisfied at the slowed pace of reform, were beginning to talk of an independent labour party. The Liberals were aware of
1260-467: A policy it called "populism." Seddon had proclaimed the goal as early as 1884: "It is the rich and the poor; it is the wealthy and the landowners against the middle and labouring classes. That, Sir, shows the real political position of New Zealand." The Liberal strategy was to create a large class of small land-owning farmers who supported Liberal ideals. To obtain land for farmers the Liberal government, over
1350-473: A result of his financial troubles – he was widely seen as a great benefactor of the Southland region, and public perceptions were that he was being persecuted by his enemies over an honest mistake. Gradually, Ward rebuilt his businesses, and paid off his creditors. Seddon, still Prime Minister, quickly reappointed him to Cabinet where he served as Minister of Railways and Postmaster-General. On 19 June 1901 , on
1440-631: A successful grain trade in Invercargill in 1877 and soon became prominent in local politics. He became a Member of Parliament in 1887. Following the election of the Liberal Government in 1891, Ward was appointed as Postmaster-General under John Ballance ; he was promoted to Minister of Finance in the succeeding ministry of Richard Seddon . Ward became Prime Minister on 6 August 1906, following Seddon's death two months earlier. In his first period of government, Ward advocated greater unity within
1530-429: A system for settling industrial disputes , which was accepted by both employers and trade unions. In 1893 it extended voting rights to women , making New Zealand the first country in the world to enact universal adult suffrage . The Liberal Party became extremely successful, winning seven consecutive elections and the popular vote in each. New Zealand gained international attention for the Liberal reforms, especially how
1620-476: A truly democratic society had to rest on the foundations of an independent land-owning class of small farmers, as opposed to large farms with hired help, or urban factories. The landed gentry and aristocracy ruled the United Kingdom at this point in time. New Zealand never had an aristocracy but it did have wealthy landowners who largely controlled politics prior to 1891. The Liberal Party set out to change that by
1710-511: A twenty-year period from 1891 to 1911 purchased 3.1 million acres (13,000 km ) of Maori land. The government also purchased 1.3 million acres (5,300 km ) from large estate holders for subdivision and closer settlement by small farmers. In South Island, the 84,000 acre Cheviot estate was broken up. In eleven years, 176 South Island pastoral estates were broken up; totalling 940,000 acres (3,800 km ) and divided into 3,500 farm. The main method used to persuade pastoralists to sell
1800-439: A visit to England, where he was created a baronet by King George V on 20 June 1911. On 11 September 1913, however, Ward finally accepted the leadership of the Liberal Party once again. Ward extracted a number of important concessions from the party, insisting on a very high level of personal control – he felt that the party's previous lack of direction was the primary cause for its failure. He also worked to build alliances with
1890-503: A watered down land tax. In October, under increasing pressure from Labour, Ward made moves to reduce the growing unemployment numbers. Ward's health continued to decline. From late-September 1929 Ward seldom attended debates in the House and from March 1930 Ward was too ill to even hold meetings of the Cabinet. He suffered a number of heart attacks, and soon it was Forbes who was effectively running
SECTION 20
#17330846026721980-568: A well-defined leadership, was proclaimed. A national party organisation (called the Liberal Federation) was established, with supporters of the new party encouraged to become members and help organise party activities – this was a new development in New Zealand, as previously, parliamentary factions existed only as loose groupings of politicians, not as structured party organizations . The Liberal Party drew its support from two basic sources –
2070-457: Is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about
2160-622: Is mentioned in the novels From Russia, with Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service , and on-screen in his obituary in Skyfall . He was offered appointment as KCMG (which would have elevated him from Companion to Knight Commander in the Order) in The Man with the Golden Gun , but he rejected the offer as he did not wish to become a public figure. Judi Dench 's character "M" is "offered" early retirement as
2250-504: Is the traditional award for members of the FCO. The Order's motto is Auspicium melioris ævi ( Latin for "Token of a better age"). Its patron saints, as the name suggests, are St. Michael the Archangel, and St. George , patron saint of England and of soldiers . One of its primary symbols is that of St Michael trampling over and subduing Satan in battle. The Order is the sixth-most senior in
2340-466: The 1911 general election , the Liberal Party won four fewer seats than the Reform Party, but managed to remain in power with the support of some labour-aligned MPs and independents. In 1912, Sir Joseph Ward stepped down and was replaced by Thomas Mackenzie , who defeated George Laurenson by 22 votes to 9 ( John A. Millar did not stand in this leadership ballot on 22 March). In July 1912, coupled with
2430-566: The British Empire , led New Zealand to Dominion status , and increased New Zealand's contribution to the Royal Navy . His government faced strong opposition from the Reform Party and the newly formed socialist parties . He led the Liberal Party to two election victories, in 1908 and 1911, albeit with a one-seat majority in the latter. He resigned as head of government on 28 March 1912. During
2520-538: The British Empire . It is at present awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service to the United Kingdom in a foreign country, and it can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. The three classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: It is used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations. People are appointed to
2610-772: The British honours system , after The Most Noble Order of the Garter , The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle , The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick , The Most Honourable Order of the Bath , and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India . The third of the aforementioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer fully a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1936. The last of
2700-467: The First World War , Ward led his party in a coalition with the Reform Party. As co-leader of the government, Ward had a strained working relationship with Prime Minister William Massey . The coalition was dissolved in 1919 and Ward resigned as Liberal leader. After a six-year absence from national politics, Ward returned to parliament in 1925. He became Prime Minister on 10 December 1928, as leader of
2790-542: The panegyric . Ward was buried with considerable ceremony in Bluff. His son Vincent was elected to replace him as MP for Invercargill. Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV ), while he
Joseph Ward - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-511: The Agriculture Department disseminated information on the best farming methods. The Liberals proclaimed success in forging an egalitarian, anti-monopoly land policy. The policy built up support for the Liberal Party in rural North Island electorates. By 1903, the Liberals were so dominant that there was no longer an organised opposition in Parliament. Slowly, however, the Liberal Party's dominance began to erode. The "reforming fires" of
2970-507: The Blue Rod . Blue Rod does not, unlike the usher of the Order of the Garter , perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Members of the Order wear elaborate regalia on important occasions (such as coronations ), which vary by rank: At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used: Prior to 2011, the devil was portrayed with black skin while St Michael was shown as being white; this
3060-559: The Crown in relation to the foreign affairs of the Empire". Accordingly, nowadays, almost all Governors-General and Governors feature as recipients of awards in the order, typically as Knights or Dames Grand Cross. In 1965 the order was opened to women, with Evelyn Bark becoming the first female CMG in 1967. The British sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of
3150-641: The Ionian Islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean ". In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became part of Greece . A revision of the basis of the Order in 1868, saw membership granted to those who "hold high and confidential offices within Her Majesty 's colonial possessions, and in reward for services rendered to
3240-468: The Liberal Party's leadership open. It is believed that Ballance wished Robert Stout , a colleague known for his liberal views, to succeed him, but in the end, the leadership passed to Richard Seddon . Although Seddon went on to become New Zealand's longest serving Prime Minister, he was not as highly regarded by the Liberal Party as he was by the general public. In particular, Seddon's social views were more conservative than those of Ballance or Stout, and he
3330-476: The Liberal Party, many believed, had been held together only by Seddon's strength of personality and his powers of persuasion – Ward was not seen as having the same qualities. Frequent internal disputes led to indecision and frequent policy changes, with the result being paralysis of government. The Liberal Party's two main support bases, left-leaning urban workers and conservative small farmers, were increasingly at odds, and Ward lacked any coherent strategy to solve
3420-658: The Liberals gradually found themselves pressed between the conservative Reform Party and the growing Labour Party . The Liberals fragmented in the 1920s, and the remnant of the Liberal Party—later known as the United Party —eventually merged with Reform in 1936 to establish the modern National Party . Prior to the establishment of the Liberal Party, MPs were all independent, although often grouped themselves into loose factions. Some of these factions were occasionally referred to as "parties", but were vague and ill-defined. In
3510-412: The Liberals were no longer able to provide the reforms that workers needed. The Liberal Party found itself torn between its two primary constituencies, unable to satisfy both. This coincided with a gradual decline in the organisational standards of the Liberal Party, with the situation having reached the point where in some cases, multiple "Liberal" candidates were contesting the same electoral race. At
3600-527: The Order In July, the Cabinet Office announced that officers of the Order who were unhappy with their insignia could exchange them for one of the newer models. On certain collar days designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or morning wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations),
3690-575: The Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office was formerly filled by the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands ; now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Grand Masters include: The Order originally included 15 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commanders, and 25 Companions but has since been expanded and
Joseph Ward - Misplaced Pages Continue
3780-572: The Order rather than awarded it. British Ambassadors to foreign nations are regularly appointed as KCMGs, DCMGs, or CMGs. For example, the former British Ambassador to the United States, Sir David Manning , was appointed a CMG when he worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and then after his appointment as British Ambassador to the US, he was promoted to a Knight Commander (KCMG). It
3870-716: The Order's chapel has been in St Paul's Cathedral in London. (The cathedral also serves as home to the chapels of the Order of the British Empire and the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor .) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are allotted stalls in
3960-613: The Orders on the list, related to India, has also been in disuse since that country's independence in 1947. The Prince Regent founded the Order to commemorate the British amical protectorate over the Ionian Islands , which had come under British control in 1814 and had been granted their own constitution as the United States of the Ionian Islands in 1817. It was intended to reward "natives of
4050-473: The Royal Navy, particularly in its international role, and to the welfare of its service families. Long-time Doctor Who companion Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart wore the ribbon of the order as the highest of his decorations. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of St Michael and St George . New Zealand Liberal Party The New Zealand Liberal Party ( Māori : Pāti Rīpera )
4140-587: The United Party, which had formed from the remnants of the former Liberal Party. Ward attempted to rejuvenate liberal support in New Zealand but his party lost ground to the New Zealand Labour Party . Failing health forced his retirement from leadership on 28 May 1930. Ward was born in Melbourne on 26 April 1856 to a Roman Catholic family of Irish descent. His father, William, died in 1860, aged 31 – Ward
4230-499: The United States. It is widely argued that the New Zealand Liberal Party in 1891 lacked a clearcut ideology to guide them. Instead they approached the nation's problems pragmatically , keeping in mind the constraints imposed by democratic public opinion. To deal with the issue of land distribution, they worked out innovative solutions to access, tenure, and a graduated tax on unimproved values. Out of office after 1912,
4320-673: The badge is suspended from the collar. All collars which have been awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . The other insignia may be retained. The original home of the Order was the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu , the residence of the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and the seat of the Ionian Senate. Since 1906,
4410-484: The basis on which the Labour Party 's Michael Joseph Savage built the modern NZ welfare state . Seddon was extremely popular with common New Zealanders, and under his particular brand of populism , the Liberal Party established itself as the dominant party of New Zealand politics. In 1899, the Liberal and Labour Federation was formed to select candidates approved by the party leadership and ensure that they promoted
4500-419: The chances of labour-aligned candidates from splitting the non-conservative vote, but this only applied in the 1908 and 1911 general elections, and the rule was repealed in 1913. In 1909, the conservative opposition (led by William Massey ) established the Reform Party , a united organisation to challenge the Liberals. At the same time, the first noteworthy labour-orientated parties were appearing, saying that
4590-412: The changes introduced were land reforms , progressive taxes on land and income, and legislation to improve the working conditions of urban labourers. Many of the Liberal Party's policies were described as " socialist " by both its opponents and sympathetic international observers such as André Siegfried and Albert Métin , but there is debate over whether this label is valid. William Pember Reeves ,
SECTION 50
#17330846026724680-413: The choir of the chapel, above which their heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank, if there is one, is used. Above the crest or coronet, the stall's occupant's heraldic banner
4770-500: The cities, and small farmers. In the cities, the Liberals were supported particularly strongly by workers and labourers, but also by the more socially progressive members of the middle class. In the countryside, the Liberals won support from those farmers who lacked the ability to compete with the large runholders , who monopolised most of the available land. Both groups saw themselves as being mistreated and oppressed by what had been described as New Zealand's "early colonial gentry" –
4860-504: The course of a year to revive the economy – this is believed to have been a mistake caused by Ward's failing eyesight. Despite the strong objections his party had to this "promise", it was sufficient to prompt a massive surge in support for United – in the election United gained the same number of seats as Reform. With the backing of the Labour Party , Ward became Prime Minister again, 22 years after his original appointment. He also briefly served as Minister of External Affairs in 1929. Ward
4950-520: The current limits on membership are 125, 375, and 1,750 respectively. Members of the royal family who are appointed to the Order do not count towards the limit, nor do foreign members appointed as "honorary members". The Order has six officers. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms , like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman or Lady Usher of
5040-462: The defection of some Liberal MPs like Millar; this arrangement collapsed, and twenty-one years of Liberal Party government came to an end. The Liberals adopted a number of new policies in an attempt to win back votes, including an increase in land tax (supported by the labour movement) and the introduction of proportional representation , with Grey Lynn MP George Fowlds ' Proportional Representation And Effective Voting Bill 1911 (86–1). However,
5130-471: The electorate holding meetings to encourage the electors to vote for the Labour candidate Jim Munro . In the event of a Labour victory it was conceivable for Ward to form a minority government with Labour support. Ward had made preparation for a return to power, but the Reform Party managed to hold the seat. On 12 August 1915, Ward and accepted a proposal by William Massey and the governing Reform Party to form
5220-622: The end, the pro-suffrage MPs were able to get enough support to pass the measure despite their leader actively campaigning against it. In other matters, however, Seddon was more closely aligned with Ballance's original vision. Many of the party's earlier reforms were strengthened. William Pember Reeves, now the party's foremost theorist, promoted a number of other similar reforms including the world's first compulsory system of state arbitration . Reeve's efforts to introduce further union-friendly regulation created friction with Seddon, who disagreed with Reeves's intellectual view of political matters and
5310-430: The establishment of the Liberal Party was John Ballance . Ballance, an MP, had served in a number of liberal-orientated governments, and had held office in posts such as Treasurer , Minister of Defence , and Minister of Native Affairs . He had a well-established reputation as a liberal, and was known for supporting land reform , women's suffrage , and Māori rights. During the last term in power of Harry Atkinson ,
5400-484: The former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary (foreign) members and clergymen do not receive the accolade and thus are not entitled to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame". Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GCMG"; Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders use "KCMG" and "DCMG" respectively; Companions use "CMG". Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with
5490-573: The foundation of the Labour Party in 1916 deprived the Liberals of many votes from working-class areas, while the business world, concerned at Labour's rise, was uniting behind Reform's "anti-socialism" platform. The Liberal Party was accused by Labour of being a party of the elite, and by Reform of having socialist sympathies – between the two, many predicted that the Liberals would continue to decline. Several leadership changes – back to Ward in mid-1912, to William MacDonald and then Thomas Wilford in 1920, and to George Forbes in 1925 – failed to revive
SECTION 60
#17330846026725580-410: The general rule of honours, that a husband never derives any style or title from his wife.) Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame", to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but husbands of Dames derive no title from their wives. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of
5670-412: The government. Ward was determined not to resign, and remained Prime Minister until well after he had lost the ability to perform the role effectively. On 28 May 1930, Ward succumbed to strong pressure from his colleagues and his family, and passed the premiership to Forbes. Ward had been promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1930 New Year Honours . Ward remained
5760-521: The growing labour movement, which was now standing candidates in many seats. Ward lead the Liberals into the 1914 election and gained two seats. Despite the gains the Reform government was reduced to a bare minimum majority and when a by-election in Dunedin Central was triggered early the next year there was much at stake. The Liberal Party chose not contest the election themselves but Ward actively toured
5850-419: The history of Parliament, factions were formed around a number of different views – at one time, centralism and provincialism were the basis of factions, while at another time, factions were based on geographical region. Towards the 1880s, however, factions had gradually become stabilised along lines of liberalism and conservatism , although the line between the two was by no means certain. The key figure in
5940-416: The leadership, but Ward was unwilling. In 1906, Seddon unexpectedly died. Ward was in London at the time. It was generally agreed in the party that Ward would succeed him, although the return journey would take two months – William Hall-Jones became Prime Minister until Ward arrived. Ward was sworn in on 6 August 1906. Ward was not seen by most as being of the same calibre as Seddon. The diverse interests of
6030-561: The newly founded Liberal Party came to power, the new Prime Minister, John Ballance , appointed Ward as Postmaster General. Later, when Richard Seddon became Prime Minister after Ballance's death, Ward became Treasurer ( Minister of Finance ). Ward's basic political outlook was that the state existed to support and promote private enterprise, and his conduct as Treasurer reflects this. Ward's increasing occupation with government affairs led to neglect of his own business interests, however, and his personal finances began to deteriorate. In 1896,
6120-608: The occasion of the visit of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (later King George V and Queen Mary ) to New Zealand, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) for overseeing the introduction of the Penny Post throughout New Zealand. Ward gradually emerged as the most prominent of Seddon's supporters, and was seen as a possible successor. As Seddon's long tenure as Prime Minister continued, some suggested that Ward should challenge Seddon for
6210-723: The party itself, United won a considerable victory, and formed a government in 1928. Later, United would reluctantly merge with Reform to counter the Labour Party. The result of this merger, the National Party , remains prominent in New Zealand politics. Both the National and the Labour Parties, the two main powers since 1936, claim to be the Liberal's successors. Key: Liberal Conservatives Reform PM : Prime Minister LO : Leader of
6300-437: The party's fortunes. In June 1926, the Liberals were overtaken as the second-largest party and official opposition by Labour who won the 1926 by-election for Eden . Gradually, the Liberal Party's organisation decayed to the point of collapse. In 1927, a faction of the Liberal Party formed a new organisation, which was eventually named the United Party . To the considerable surprise of most observers, including many members of
6390-567: The party, the basis of their original success, were dying, and there was little innovation in the field of policy. In 1896, a splinter group formed the Radical Party , to advocate more "advanced" policies than Seddon's. In 1905, a similar group formed the New Liberal Party to push for more "progressive" policies, but this group was defunct by the time of the 1908 NZ general election. In 1906, Seddon died. Joseph Ward , his replacement (after
6480-537: The past, and of attempting to fight the same battles over again. Ward's health was also failing. In 1928 the remnants of the Liberal Party reasserted themselves as the new United Party , focused around George Forbes (leader of one faction of the Liberals), Bill Veitch (leader of another faction), and Albert Davy (a former organiser for the Reform Party). Forbes and Veitch both sought the leadership, and neither gained
6570-429: The problem facing them, and attempted to counter it. As early as 1899, Seddon had founded the "Liberal and Labour Federation", an attempt to relaunch Ballance's old Liberal Federation with more support from workers. Later, Joseph Ward declared a "holiday" from socially progressive legislation, halting any changes that might drive away conservatives. The party also introduced runoff voting (second ballot), hoping to reduce
6660-422: The problem – any attempt to please one group simply alienated the other. Ward increasingly focused on foreign affairs, which was seen by his opponents as a sign that he could not cope with the country's problems. In 1901, Ward established the world's first Ministry of Health and Tourism, and became the British Empire's first Minister of Public Health. On 26 September 1907, Ward proclaimed New Zealand's new status as
6750-497: The result, resigned from the premiership in March the following year. The party replaced him with Thomas Mackenzie , his Minister of Agriculture , whose government survived only a few more months. Ward, who most believed had finished his political career, returned to the back benches and refused several requests to resume the leadership of the disorganised Liberals. He occupied himself with relatively minor matters, and took his family on
6840-548: The seat of Awarua, and left Parliament. In 1923, he contested a by-election in Tauranga , but was defeated by a Reform Party candidate, Charles Macmillan . Ward was largely considered a spent force. In the 1925 election , however, he narrowly returned to Parliament as MP for Invercargill . Ward contested the seat under the "Liberal" label, despite the fact that the remnants of the Liberal Party were now calling themselves by different names – his opponents characterised him as living in
6930-728: The stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1906. The reredos within the chapel was commissioned from Henry Poole in 1927. Members of the Order of St Michael are assigned positions in the order of precedence in England and Wales . Wives of male members also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of female members, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (Individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives. This follows
7020-411: The state regulated labour relations . It was innovating in the areas of maximum hour regulations and compulsory arbitration procedures. Under the Liberal administration the country also became the first to implement a minimum wage and to give women the right to vote . The goal was to encourage unions but discourage strikes and class conflict. The impact was especially strong on the reform movement in
7110-527: The various post-nominals stand for. From Series 2, Episode 2 "Doing the Honours": Woolley : In the service, CMG stands for "Call Me God". And KCMG for "Kindly Call Me God". Hacker : What does GCMG stand for? Woolley (deadpan): "God Calls Me God". Ian Fleming's spy, James Bond , a commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), was fictionally decorated as a CMG in 1953. This
7200-471: The well-educated and aristocratic land-owners and commercial magnates. It was this group that most strongly opposed the Liberal Party, denouncing its policies as an attempt by the unsuccessful to rob the prosperous. In power, the Liberals enacted a large number of social, health, and economic reforms. This was made possible by their unity – previously, reforms had stalled due to the need for long and complex negotiations to win support from individual MPs. Among
7290-491: The youngest in New Zealand. He also served on the Bluff Harbour Board, eventually becoming its chairman. In 1887, Ward stood for Parliament , winning the seat of Awarua . Politically, Ward was a supporter of politicians such as Julius Vogel and Robert Stout , leaders of the liberal wing of Parliament – Ward's support was unusual in the far south. Ward became known as a strong debater on economic matters. In 1891, when
7380-469: Was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III . It is named in honour of two military saints , Michael and George . The Order of St Michael and St George was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in the Mediterranean territories acquired in the Napoleonic Wars , and it was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of
7470-429: Was also attempting to rejuvenate liberal support in New Zealand. His cabinet was rather youthful, with only two members ( Thomas Wilford and Āpirana Ngata ), other than himself, having held ministerial portfolios before. Ward, as Finance Minister, passed a mini-budget at the end of 1928 appropriating £1,175,000 for public works construction. In 1929 the government reneged on the £70 million borrowing promise and introduced
7560-418: Was changed that year to show both with same skin colour, although St Michael's wings were changed from being multi-colour to being pure white. The alleged racism of this imagery has resulted in the government of Jamaica suspending the use of the badge entirely. In June 2020, calls were made for a complete redesign of the insignia, including from Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, a Knight Commander of
7650-468: Was correctly predicted that he would win considerable support from the public. An early clash between the Liberal Party's two wings came over the issue of women's suffrage . Ballance had been a strong supporter of the suffrage movement, having proclaimed his belief in the "absolute equality of the sexes", but Seddon was opposed. Considerable bitterness arose over the matter, with Stout and his allies strongly promoting suffrage despite Seddon's hostility. In
7740-563: Was nervous about public toleration of the Liberals' pace of reforms. In 1895, Reeves resigned from his cabinet portfolio and became New Zealand's Agent-General (later High Commissioner) in the United Kingdom. Seddon also introduced a number of new welfare and pension measures, sometimes compared to the welfare reforms of the UK Liberal Party under Prime Minister H. H. Asquith in the United Kingdom . These measures eventually formed
7830-452: Was raised by his mother, successful businesswoman Hannah Ward Barron . In 1863, the family moved to Bluff (then officially known as Campbelltown), in New Zealand's Southland region, seeking better financial security – Hannah Ward Barron established a shop and a boarding house. Ward received his formal education at primary schools in Melbourne and Bluff. He did not go to secondary school. He did, however, read extensively, and also picked up
7920-401: Was seen by many as having a controlling and autocratic style of management. Seddon had originally assumed the leadership on an interim basis, with a full caucus vote intended for a later date, but no such vote was ever held. Stout and his liberal colleagues challenged this, but were unsuccessful – although many in the party were uneasy about Seddon's views, Seddon himself was charismatic, and it
8010-519: Was taxation of large land holdings. Coupled with this, many of the early pioneer estate owners were dying and the estates were being divided amongst their often large families. Equal partibility was the norm amongst families of Irish and middle-class English backgrounds. The success of the small farm enterprises went hand-in-hand with the rapid development of dairy farming, underpinned by the invention of refrigerated shipping in 1882. The Advances to Settlers Act of 1894 provided low-interest mortgages, while
8100-398: Was the first organised political party in New Zealand. It governed from 1891 until 1912 . The Liberal strategy was to create a large class of small land-owning farmers who supported Liberal ideals, by buying large tracts of Māori land and selling it to small farmers on credit. The Liberal Government also established the basis of the later welfare state , with old age pensions , developed
#671328