History of the Labour Party
Rise of the Labour Government
The Labour Government was elected as Government in 1935, after gaining 46% of the vote and 53 of the 80 parliamentary seats and held in office since 1949, when the National Party was elected. The first leader of the Labour Party Michael Joseph Savage was popular. He brought in several major, radical changes the contemporary economic system and as in an attempt to ease the harsh policies which the coalition government had introduced. These were the Labour Party gained widespread support for their works to improve the economic and social impacts of the depression. The Labour party introduced a "series of measures which have become fundamentals of New Zealand society of the future," (Te Ara) and this included the provision of low cost housing, comprehensive social welfare system that gave support and security to the elderly, the sick and those without employment, affordable health care systems and access to secondary and tertiary education. Under Labour's new plan designed to improve the New Zealand economy and working conditions, the economy was transformed with the high rate of unemployment being reduced dramatically. Workers benefited from the introduction of 40-hour work limit and legislations making it easier for unions to negotiate on their behalf. The continuing support for the Labour Party and its policy had allowed the Labour to hold office into and immediately after the Second World War. The Labour held office for fourteen years, first elected in 1935 general elections until the last victory in 1946 general elections when the National was elected in favour. Peter Fraser, who succeeded Michael Joseph Savage, was the 34th Prime Minister in 1940.
Peter Fraser and the Labour Party
The Labour Party was in office since 1936, a Peter Fraser had been New Zealand's war Prime Minister. Prime Minister Fraser felt that it was New Zealanders duty and obligation to support Britain in struggle against the Nazi Germany and during the War, he introduced military conscription, industry manpowering, comprehensive economic stabilization system and censorship laws. Despite the criticism from a
section of society that Prime Minister Fraser's introduction of compulsary military contradicted his stand against military conscription and compulsary military training in the First World War, large sections of New Zealand accepted the military conscription New Zealanders generally accepted hardships and restrictions of the war yeas as necessary as fighting against fascism. However, the Government's expanding the control over the lives of New Zealanders during the Second World War and actions to maintain similar regulations after the war had slowly turned away general support from the large sections of New Zealand society, who, after the war, demanded a "greater share in the spill of
victory." (New Zealand History Online)
section of society that Prime Minister Fraser's introduction of compulsary military contradicted his stand against military conscription and compulsary military training in the First World War, large sections of New Zealand accepted the military conscription New Zealanders generally accepted hardships and restrictions of the war yeas as necessary as fighting against fascism. However, the Government's expanding the control over the lives of New Zealanders during the Second World War and actions to maintain similar regulations after the war had slowly turned away general support from the large sections of New Zealand society, who, after the war, demanded a "greater share in the spill of
victory." (New Zealand History Online)
Peter Fraser (1884 - 1950)
Peter Fraser was a Scottish migrant who arrived in New Zealand in 1911 and initially, he worked as waterside worker. In his early political career, he became heavily involved in militant socialism; he was involved in the New Zealand Socialist Party and founded the New Zealand Social Democratic Party before helping establish the New Zealand Labour Party in 1916. During the First World War, he was a socialist objector who was jailed for his socialist beliefs against compulsary military training and military conscription. Peter Fraser rose as a key figure and a principal architect of Labour policy, and became one of the influential members. He was elected to Parliament in 1918, and served as Prime Minister from 1940 to 1949, when the previous Labour PM died in 1939. He died one year before the waterfront dispute. Between 1918 and 1946, his electorate was Wellington Central, and then he stood for Brooklyn.