23-465: Robert Masters may refer to: Robert Masters (New Zealand politician) (1879–1967) Robert Masters (historian) (1713–1798), English clergyman and academic, historian of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Robert Masters (Wisconsin pioneer) (c. 1787–1867), American sailor, politician, and pioneer [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with
46-553: A coalition, Forbes relied on Masters heavily for support during the tense negotiations that created the United-Reform Coalition government in 1931. In the coalition government, he was both Minister of Education and Minister of Industries and Commerce . At the 1931 election he was the United Party's campaign chairman. He was frequently called on to resolve selection disputes as part of the coalition agreement with Reform
69-410: A compromise candidate. Policy wise he was a somewhat awkward fit for the new party as Ward was still an adherent to traditional Liberalism whilst the many of adherents to the new party were right-wing free-marketeers formerly linked with Reform. For the leadership four nominees were voted for in an exhaustive ballot by 51 United MPs and candidates. Veitch was eliminated in the first ballot and Forbes in
92-685: The United Party , which succeeded the Liberal Party in 1928. Notably he was the chairman of the September 1928 convention in Wellington that launched the party's formal existence, decided its policies and where delegates elected former Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward as its leader. He also negotiated successfully to bring about co-operation with several independent MPs and candidates (such as Harry Atmore , William Polson and Charles Wilkinson ) to support
115-502: The Liberal leader George Forbes (known as the "Nationals") and Liberal MP Bill Veitch who was advocating for a rejuvenation of the party. The party was caught between the right-leaning Reform Party government and the left-leaning Labour Party (which had superseded the Liberals as the official opposition) and was struggling for relevance. At the same time there was internal dissension among
138-558: The MP for Wanganui since 1911. Previously aligned with Labour he had become an independent before joining the Liberal Party at the 1922 election. As Liberal leader Forbes was not well known outside the South Island the Liberal campaign in the North Island had been run by Veitch. In March 1927 he had begun a campaign to revive the Liberal Party. He led a group of Liberals who wanted to rejuvenate
161-808: The Reform Party organisation over direction and policy. Reform's campaign manager, Albert Davy , had begun working with Auckland businessman John William Shaw McArthur to finance the creation of a new party. In August 1927 Davy founded the United New Zealand Political Organisation (UNZPO). He was joined in November by the National faction of the Liberal Party under Forbes and in April 1928 by Veitch and revived Liberal Party faction. By September, financed and supported by various groups disaffected from Reform,
184-530: The South Island and Ransom for the North Island. Veitch was then made president of the party. Ward was ecstatic to have won the leadership after nine years in the political wilderness since he stood down as Liberal leader in 1919. He was not happy with the name United for the party, still preferring the Liberal name, but as the name had been decided before he became its leader he was unable to change it. He led
207-724: The Stratford Electric Lighting Company, until it entered the ownership of the Stratford Borough Council. Masters entered politics via local government. In 1916 he was elected a member of the Taranaki Board of Education, and became its chairman by the end of the same year. Masters represented the Taranaki electorate of Stratford from 1919 for the Liberal Party ; though the result was declared void in
230-574: The UNZPO held its first conference in Wellington. The first two days of the conference, chaired by former Liberal MP Robert Masters , delegates debated and decided on party policy and the name of the party with the UNZPO being shortened to simply the United Party. With these matters settled, the leadership was then the last matter to be determined. Without consulting other party members, Davy had earlier invited former Liberal Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward (who
253-694: The United Party in the house. Masters was appointed to the New Zealand Legislative Council on 11 June 1930 and served for one seven-year term. When Ward retired as Prime Minister his successor, Forbes, added Masters to the cabinet on 20 August 1930 as a Minister without portfolio . In the Forbes Ministry, he was a Member of the Executive Council without portfolio from 1930 to 1931. When the United and Reform Party decided on entering in to
SECTION 10
#1732901254699276-401: The following year, he won the subsequent 1920 by-election . Masters was a personal friend of Liberal Party leader George Forbes and the two went for daily walks together. He took on a mentoring role with Forbes for which he was mockingly dubbed 'His Master's Voice'. He was defeated by Edward Walter in 1925. After losing his seat he remained politically active and was involved in setting up
299-472: The leadership of the United Party , which had replaced the New Zealand Liberal Party , was held at a conference on 17 September 1928 to choose the inaugural leader of the party. The election was won by Invercargill MP and former Liberal Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward . The Liberal Party was in decline after a humbling defeat at the 1925 election . Two factions were emerging coalescing around
322-550: The party and had recently toured the country giving speeches to attract more members and candidates for the party. Ward was a seasoned political figure in New Zealand, though was aging and frail at 72 years old. First elected to parliament in 1887 he had been a minister for 26 years and prime minister from 1906 to 1912 he had the experience and name recognition Davy wanted in a leader of a new party. Thinking that neither Forbes nor Veitch would be suitable Davy engineered for Ward to be
345-495: The party to a disastrous result at the 1925 general election, losing eleven seats while Reform totaled fifty-five. He even lost his status as Leader of the Opposition afterwards. He had remained the leader of the party in parliament whilst working with Davy on relaunching it. Alfred Ransom was a former Mayor of Dannevirke who had been MP for Pahiatua since 1922. In 1926 he had become the party's senior whip . Veitch had been
368-455: The party). On 9 September Ward returned to New Zealand and went straight to Wellington to attend parliament (deflecting questions from reporters over whether he would stand for the leadership) and then attend the United conference. Forbes had been the MP for Hurunui since 1908 and was Senior Whip of the Liberal Party from 1912 to 1923. In 1925 Forbes had been elected leader of the Liberal Party after Thomas Wilford 's resignation. He then led
391-541: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Masters&oldid=1240890493 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Robert Masters (New Zealand politician) Robert Masters CMG (15 June 1879 – 29 June 1967)
414-482: The second. The next ballot was inconclusive. One account is that it resulted in a tie, while another that Ransom narrowly won by one vote, but two more votes were cast than there were eligible delegates. In either case it was voided and another ballot was then held where several delegates, after being pressured by Davy, switched allegiance which resulted in Ward winning a majority. Two co-deputy leaders were appointed, Forbes for
437-524: Was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal and later United parties, as well as a cabinet minister. Masters was born in 1879 at Greymouth and was educated at Greymouth Boys' College. Around 1896 he moved to Stratford where he became a storekeeper with his father, Jonas Masters. He played representative rugby, and later, was a member of the Taranaki Rugby Football Union , executive. Masters
460-436: Was abroad visiting Canada ) to stand for the leadership. While Ward was visiting Winnipeg , he was contacted by a journalist hired by Davy to track him down who asked him about his availability to lead the new party. At the same time Davy (without Ward's knowledge) had told the press in New Zealand that Ward was potentially available for the leadership (having become certain he was the only credible leader to win an election for
483-533: Was also a member of the executive of the Stratford Chamber of Commerce . On 3 May 1906 he was married to Alice Gertrude Hopkins in Stratford. Interested in agricultural matters, he was a member of Stratford's Agricultural and pastoral Association of which he had been both president and treasurer. He helped set up the Stratford model farm and later a member of its executive. Masters was chairman of directors of
SECTION 20
#1732901254699506-638: Was appointed to the Electricity and Gas Co-ordination Board by the first National government . He was also the patron of the New Zealand Federation of Wholesale Hardware Guilds. He died in Stratford on 29 June 1967, aged 88. His wife had predeceased him on 27 May 1962. This article about a New Zealand Liberal Party politician is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 1928 United Party (New Zealand) leadership election George Forbes Sir Joseph Ward An election for
529-566: Was to not oppose each others MPs. He had to work with the Reform leadership to make sure that in as many electorates as possible there was only one "anti-Labour" candidate to avoid vote splitting . In 1935, Masters was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal . In the 1953 Coronation Honours , he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George , for public services. In 1957 he
#698301