# 18th New Zealand Parliament

The 18th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1911 general election in December of that year.

## 1911 general election

The Second Ballot Act 1908 was used for the 1911 general election. The first ballot was held on Thursday, 7 December in the general electorates. The second ballots were held one week later on 14 December. The Second Ballot Act did not apply to the four Māori electorates and the election was held on Tuesday, 19 December. A total of 80 MPs were elected; 42 represented North Island electorates, 34 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates. 590,042 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 83.5%.

## Sessions

The 18th Parliament sat for four sessions (there were two sessions in 1912), and was prorogued on 20 November 1914.
| Session | Opened | Adjourned |
| first | 15 February 1912 | 1 March 1912 |
| second | 27 June 1912 | 7 November 1912 |
| third | 26 June 1913 | 16 December 1913 |
| fourth | 25 June 1914 | 5 November 1914 |

## Party standings
### Start of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at start |
| Reform Party | William Massey | 37 |
| Liberal Party | Joseph Ward | 33 |
| Labour Party | Alfred Hindmarsh | 4 |
| Independents | Independents | 6 |

### End of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at end |
| Reform Party | William Massey | 38 |
| Liberal Party | Joseph Ward | 31 |
| United Labour Party | Alfred Hindmarsh | 3 |
| Social Democrat Party | James McCombs | 2 |
| Independents | Independents | 6 |

## Ministries

The Liberal Government of New Zealand had taken office on 24 January 1891. Joseph Ward formed the Ward Ministry on 6 August 1906. The Ward Ministry remained in power until Ward's resignation as Prime Minister in March 1912. The Liberal Party remained in power only on the casting vote of the Speaker, Arthur Guinness. The party selected Thomas Mackenzie as leader (and Prime Minister) and he formed the Mackenzie Ministry on 28 March 1912. In July 1912, Mackenzie lost a vote of no confidence, resigned as Prime Minister and handed over to William Massey of the Reform Party, bringing to an end the long reign of the Liberal Party. The Massey Ministry lasted for the remainder of the parliamentary term.

## Initial composition of the 18th Parliament

The following are the results of the 1911 general election:
Key
| Reform | Liberal | Labour | Independent Liberal | Independent Labour |
| Socialist | Liberal–Labour | Independent | Affiliation unknown |
Electorate results for the 1911 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | William Nosworthy | William Nosworthy | William Nosworthy | 913† | | John Kennedy |
| Auckland Central | | Albert Glover | Albert Glover | Albert Glover | 2,261 | | Michael Joseph Savage |
| Auckland East | | Arthur Myers | Arthur Myers | Arthur Myers | 1,993 | | Arthur Withy |
| Auckland West | | Charles Poole | | James Bradney | 1,577 | | Charles Poole |
| Avon | | George Warren Russell | George Warren Russell | George Warren Russell | 271† | | James McCombs |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 628 | | John Hamilton |
| Bay of Islands | | Vernon Reed | Vernon Reed | Vernon Reed | 183 | | George Wilkinson |
| Bay of Plenty | | William MacDonald | William MacDonald | William MacDonald | 535 | | Harry De Lautour |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 675 | | Parker McKinlay |
| Buller | | James Colvin | James Colvin | James Colvin | 150 | | Fergus Ferguson Munro |
| Chalmers | | Edward Henry Clark | Edward Henry Clark | Edward Henry Clark | 326† | | John Thomas Johnson |
| Christchurch East | | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | 1181† | | Henry Thacker |
| Christchurch North | | Leonard Isitt | Leonard Isitt | Leonard Isitt | 749† | | Dryden Hall |
| Christchurch South | | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | 631 | | Gains Whiting |
| Clutha | | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | 375 | | George Livingstone |
| Dunedin Central | | James Arnold | | Charles Statham | 1544 | | James Arnold |
| Dunedin North | | George Thomson | George Thomson | George Thomson | 759† | | Robert Douglas |
| Dunedin South | | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | 745 | | John McManus |
| Dunedin West | | John A. Millar | John A. Millar | John A. Millar | 639† | | Harry Bedford |
| Eden | | John Bollard | John Bollard | John Bollard | 663 | | William Speight |
| Egmont | | Bradshaw Dive | | Thomas Mackenzie | 327 | | Bradshaw Dive |
| Ellesmere | | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | 1581 | | George Armstrong |
| Franklin | | William Massey | William Massey | William Massey | 1963 | | John McLarin |
| Gisborne | | James Carroll | James Carroll | James Carroll | Uncontested | Uncontested | Uncontested |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 1138 | | Paddy Webb |
| Grey Lynn | | George Fowlds | | John Payne | 38† | | George Fowlds |
| Hawke's Bay | | Alfred Dillon | | Hugh Campbell | 1107† | | Horace Simson |
| Hurunui | | George Forbes | George Forbes | George Forbes | 939 | | David Macfarlane |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1931 | | Michael Reardon |
| Invercargill | | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | 667† | | Thomas Fleming |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | David Buddo | David Buddo | 209† | | Richard Moore |
| Kaipara | | John Stallworthy | | Gordon Coates | 572† | | John Stallworthy |
| Lyttelton | | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | 2079 | | Colin Cook |
| Manukau | | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | 2307 | | Ralph Stewart |
| Marsden | | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | 544 | | Edmund Purdie |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | | George Sykes | 581† | | Alexander Hogg |
| Mataura | | George Anderson | George Anderson | George Anderson | 857 | | John MacGibbon |
| Motueka | | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | 1104 | | Frederick Smith |
| Napier | | Vigor Brown | Vigor Brown | Vigor Brown | 1064 | | Henry Hill |
| Nelson | | John Graham | | Harry Atmore | 1516† | | Walter Moffatt |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Young Duncan | | Ernest Lee | 1364 | | Thomas Young Duncan |
| Ohinemuri | | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | 1207† | | Pat Hickey |
| Oroua | | David Guthrie | David Guthrie | David Guthrie | 1092 | | Robert Hornblow |
| Otago Central | New electorate | New electorate | | Robert Scott | 1810 | | William Mason |
| Otaki | | William Hughes Field | | John Robertson | 21† | | William Hughes Field |
| Pahiatua | | Robert Ross | | James Escott | 573† | | Robert Ross |
| Palmerston | | David Buick | David Buick | David Buick | 832 | | Robert McNab |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | | James Samuel Dickson | 438† | | John Findlay |
| Patea | | George Pearce | George Pearce | George Pearce | 960 | | Patrick O'Dea |
| Raglan | New electorate | New electorate | | Richard Bollard | 919† | | Allen Bell |
| Rangitikei | | Robert William Smith | | Edward Newman | 1028 | | William Meldrum |
| Riccarton | | George Witty | George Witty | George Witty | 1373† | | Charles Ensor |
| Selwyn | | Charles Hardy | | William Dickie | 271 | | Charles Hardy |
| Stratford | | John Hine | John Hine | John Hine | 730 | | Joseph McCluggage |
| Taranaki | | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | 754 | | Charles Bellringer |
| Taumarunui | | William Thomas Jennings | | Charles Wilson | 125 | | William Thomas Jennings |
| Tauranga | | William Herries | William Herries | William Herries | 1941 | | Robert King |
| Temuka | New electorate | New electorate | | Thomas Buxton | 1372 | | William Jeffries |
| Thames | | Edmund Taylor | | Thomas William Rhodes | 66 | | Edmund Taylor |
| Timaru | | James Craigie | James Craigie | James Craigie | 1226 | | Joseph Moore |
| Waikato | | Henry Greenslade | | Alexander Young | 1128 | | Henry Greenslade |
| Waimarino | New electorate | New electorate | | Robert William Smith | 480† | | Frank Hockly |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | | George Hunter | 569 | | Albert Jull |
| Wairarapa | | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | 125 | | J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
| Wairau | | John Duncan | | Richard McCallum | 142† | | John Duncan |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | | Francis Henry Smith | 84† | | John Macpherson |
| Waitemata | | Leonard Phillips | | James Samuel Dickson | 407† | | William Joseph Napier |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 91 | | James Horn |
| Wallace | | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | 1962 | | Alan Carmichael |
| Wanganui | | James Thomas Hogan | | Bill Veitch | 1156† | | James Thomas Hogan |
| Wellington East | | David McLaren | | Alfred Newman | 65† | | David McLaren |
| Wellington Central | | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | 131† | | Robert Fletcher |
| Wellington North | | Alexander Herdman | Alexander Herdman | Alexander Herdman | 1807 | | Arnold Woolford Izard |
| Wellington South | | Robert Wright | | Alfred Hindmarsh | 254† | | Robert Wright |
| Wellington Suburbs and Country | | John Luke | | William Henry Dillon Bell | 399 | | Frank Moore |
| Westland | | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | 271 | | Henry Michel |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Uncontested | Uncontested | Uncontested |
| Northern Maori | | Te Rangi Hīroa | Te Rangi Hīroa | Te Rangi Hīroa | 405 | | Riapo Timoti Puhipi |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | | Taare Parata | 31 | | Hopere Uru |
| Western Maori | | Henare Kaihau | | Māui Pōmare | 565 | | Henare Kaihau |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
* ↑ The affiliation of many of the Maori candidates is unknown or uncertain; note that the Second Ballot Act 1908 did not apply to Maori constituencies.

## By-elections during 18th Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 18th Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner |
| Egmont | 1912 | 17 September | Thomas Mackenzie | Resignation | Charles Wilkinson |
| Grey | 1913 | 17 & 24 July | Arthur Guinness | Death | Paddy Webb |
| Lyttelton | 1913 | 9 & 16 December | George Laurenson | Death | James McCombs |
| Name | Year | Seat | From | To |
| Alfred Hindmarsh | 1912 | Wellington South | Labour | United Labour |
| John Payne | 1912 | Grey Lynn | Labour | Independent Labour |
| Bill Veitch | 1912 | Wanganui | Independent Labour | United Labour |