# 26th New Zealand Parliament

The 26th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1938 general election in October of that year.

## 1938 general election

The 1938 general election was held on Friday, 14 October in the Māori electorates and on Saturday, 15 October in the general electorates, respectively. A total of 80 MPs were elected; 48 represented North Island electorates, 28 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates. 995,173 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 92.9%.

## Sessions

The 26th Parliament sat for an unusual five sessions by omitting the 1941 general election, and was prorogued on 30 August 1943. A 1941 act extended the life of parliament to 1 November 1942, and a 1942 act allowed extension to "one year from the termination of the present war", although a general election was held in 1943.
| Session | Opened | Adjourned |
| first | 27 June 1939 | 6 October 1939 |
| second | 30 May 1940 | 6 December 1940 |
| third | 12 March 1941 | 17 October 1941 |
| fourth | 11 December 1941 | 12 December 1942 |
| fifth | 24 February 1943 | 26 August 1943 |

## Ministries

The Labour Party had been in power since December 1935, and Michael Joseph Savage led the Savage Ministry. The opposition had consisted of the United Party and the Reform Party, which merged in 1936 during the term of the 25th Parliament to form the National Party. The First Labour Government was confirmed at the 1938 general election with an increased majority, and the Savage Ministry remained until Savage's death on 27 March 1940.
Savage was succeeded as prime minister by Peter Fraser, who formed the Fraser Ministry on 1 April 1940. The first Fraser Ministry resigned on 30 April 1940 and was reappointed, with some portfolios adjusted. The second Fraser Ministry remained in power until its defeat by the National Party at the 1949 election.
A War Cabinet was formed on 16 July 1940, which held the responsibility for all decisions relating to New Zealand's involvement in World War II. The War Cabinet was dissolved on 21 August 1945. For some months in 1942, a War Administration was in place. Formed on 30 June and dissolved on 2 October, the War Administration had responsibility for all war matters, with the War Cabinet as its executive body.

## Party standings
### Start of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at start |
| Labour Party | Michael Joseph Savage | 53 |
| National Party | Adam Hamilton | 25 |
| Independents | Independents | 2 |

### End of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at start |
| Labour Party | Peter Fraser | 50 |
| National Party | Sidney Holland | 25 |
| Democratic Labour | John A. Lee | 2 |
| Independents | Independents | 3 |

## Initial composition of the 26th Parliament

The following table shows the initial composition of the 26th Parliament:
The following table shows the detailed results:
Key
Labour  National  Country Party  Independent  Independent Liberal
Electorate results for the 1938 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Auckland Central | | Bill Parry | Bill Parry | Bill Parry | 6,181 | Clifford Reid Dodd |
| Auckland East | | Bill Schramm | Bill Schramm | Bill Schramm | 2,626 | Harry Tom Merritt |
| Auckland Suburbs | | Rex Mason | Rex Mason | Rex Mason | 4,862 | Maxwell Stuart Walker |
| Auckland West | | Michael Joseph Savage | Michael Joseph Savage | Michael Joseph Savage | 8,007 | John W. Kealy |
| Avon | | Dan Sullivan | Dan Sullivan | Dan Sullivan | 6,179 | Hiram Hunter |
| Awarua | | James Hargest | James Hargest | James Hargest | 660 | Joseph Albert Beck |
| Bay of Islands | | Harold Rushworth | | Charles Boswell | 163 | Harold Fisher Guy |
| Bay of Plenty | | Gordon Hultquist | Gordon Hultquist | Gordon Hultquist | 169 | Bill Sullivan |
| Buller | | Paddy Webb | Paddy Webb | Paddy Webb | 6,144 | Terry Maddison |
| Central Otago | | William Bodkin | William Bodkin | William Bodkin | 1,231 | James McIndoe Mackay |
| Christchurch East | | Tim Armstrong | Tim Armstrong | Tim Armstrong | 7,179 | Ken Armour |
| Christchurch North | | Sidney Holland | Sidney Holland | Sidney Holland | 492 | Robert Macfarlane |
| Christchurch South | | Ted Howard | Ted Howard | Ted Howard | 5,995 | Gladstone Ward |
| Clutha | | James Roy | James Roy | James Roy | 714 | Herbert Kerr Edie |
| Dunedin Central | | Peter Neilson | Peter Neilson | Peter Neilson | 3,814 | William John Meade |
| Dunedin North | | Jim Munro | Jim Munro | Jim Munro | 3,557 | Alexander Smith Falconer |
| Dunedin South | | Fred Jones | Fred Jones | Fred Jones | 4,314 | Rev. Ernest Aderman |
| Dunedin West | | Dr Gervan McMillan | Dr Gervan McMillan | Dr Gervan McMillan | 2,639 | Stuart Sidey |
| Eden | | Bill Anderton | Bill Anderton | Bill Anderton | 2,333 | Donald Pool |
| Egmont | | Charles Wilkinson | Charles Wilkinson | Charles Wilkinson | 1,402 | Thomas Trask |
| Franklin | | Arthur Sexton | | Jack Massey | 2,057 | Ernest Piggott |
| Gisborne | | David Coleman | David Coleman | David Coleman | 3,640 | Kenneth Jones |
| Grey Lynn | | John A. Lee | John A. Lee | John A. Lee | 8,607 | Joseph Alexander Govan |
| Hamilton | | Charles Barrell | Charles Barrell | Charles Barrell | 1,860 | Albert William Grant |
| Hauraki | | Robert Coulter | | John Manchester Allen | 1,188 | Robert Coulter |
| Hawkes Bay | | Ted Cullen | Ted Cullen | Ted Cullen | 2,658 | George Maddison |
| Hurunui | | George Forbes | George Forbes | George Forbes | 535 | Harold Denton |
| Hutt | | Walter Nash | Walter Nash | Walter Nash | 6,814 | Jack Andrews |
| Invercargill | | William Denham | William Denham | William Denham | 2,156 | Fred Hall-Jones |
| Kaiapoi | | Morgan Williams | Morgan Williams | Morgan Williams | 1,535 | George Warren |
| Kaipara | | Gordon Coates | Gordon Coates | Gordon Coates | 1,689 | Percy MacGregor Stewart |
| Lyttelton | | Terry McCombs | Terry McCombs | Terry McCombs | 2,984 | Isaac Wilson |
| Manawatu | | Lorrie Hunter | | John Cobbe | 1,644 | Lorrie Hunter |
| Marlborough | New electorate | New electorate | | Ted Meachen | 1,525 | Edward Healy |
| Marsden | | Jim Barclay | Jim Barclay | Jim Barclay | 557 | Alfred Murdoch |
| Masterton | | John Robertson | John Robertson | John Robertson | 190 | Jack Irving |
| Mataura | | David McDougall | | Tom Macdonald | 1,515 | David McDougall |
| Mid-Canterbury | | Horace Herring | | Arthur Grigg | 74 | Horace Herring |
| Motueka | | Keith Holyoake | | Jerry Skinner | 870 | Keith Holyoake |
| Napier | | Bill Barnard | Bill Barnard | Bill Barnard | 3,937 | John Ormond |
| Nelson | | Harry Atmore | Harry Atmore | Harry Atmore | 886 | John Robert Kerr |
| New Plymouth | | Sydney George Smith | | Fred Frost | 869 | Sydney George Smith |
| Oamaru | | Arnold Nordmeyer | Arnold Nordmeyer | Arnold Nordmeyer | 758 | Michael Francis Edward Cooney |
| Onehunga | New electorate | New electorate | | Arthur Osborne | 4,314 | John Park |
| Otahuhu | New electorate | New electorate | | Charles Robert Petrie | 2,267 | Kenneth Tennent |
| Otaki | | Leonard Lowry | Leonard Lowry | Leonard Lowry | 1,367 | George Alexander Monk |
| Pahiatua | | Alfred Ransom | Alfred Ransom | Alfred Ransom | 931 | George Anders Hansen |
| Palmerston North | | Joe Hodgens | Joe Hodgens | Joe Hodgens | 2,118 | Jimmy Nash |
| Patea | | Harold Dickie | Harold Dickie | Harold Dickie | 809 | Charles Joseph Duggan |
| Raglan | | Lee Martin | Lee Martin | Lee Martin | 604 | Andy Sutherland |
| Rangitikei | | Ormond Wilson | | Edward Gordon | 311 | Ormond Wilson |
| Remuera | New electorate | New electorate | | Bill Endean | 2,861 | Mary Dreaver |
| Riccarton | | Bert Kyle | Bert Kyle | Bert Kyle | 87 | Thomas Herbert Langford |
| Roskill | | Arthur Shapton Richards | Arthur Shapton Richards | Arthur Shapton Richards | 2,141 | Arthur Sagar Bailey |
| Rotorua | | Alexander Moncur | Alexander Moncur | Alexander Moncur | 1,648 | Henry William Nixon |
| Stratford | | William Polson | William Polson | William Polson | 1,101 | James Watson McMillan |
| Tauranga | | Charles Burnett | | Frederick Doidge | 1,138 | Charles Burnett |
| Temuka | | Thomas Burnett | Thomas Burnett | Thomas Burnett | 1,249 | James Arnold Kearton |
| Thames | | Jim Thorn | Jim Thorn | Jim Thorn | 2,295 | William Alexander Clark |
| Timaru | | Clyde Carr | Clyde Carr | Clyde Carr | 2,196 | W H Hall |
| Waikato | | Robert Coulter | | Stan Goosman | 2,928 | J W Neate |
| Waimarino | | Frank Langstone | Frank Langstone | Frank Langstone | 2,940 | Cecil Boles |
| Waipawa | | Max Christie | | Albert Jull | 446 | Max Christie |
| Wairarapa | | Ben Roberts | Ben Roberts | Ben Roberts | 777 | James Frederick Thompson |
| Waitaki | | David Barnes | | David Campbell Kidd | 14 | David Barnes |
| Waitemata | | Jack Lyon | Jack Lyon | Jack Lyon | 2,261 | John Ernest Close |
| Waitomo | | Walter Broadfoot | Walter Broadfoot | Walter Broadfoot | 329 | Jack Jones |
| Wallace | | Adam Hamilton | Adam Hamilton | Adam Hamilton | 844 | John James Lynch |
| Wanganui | | Joe Cotterill | Joe Cotterill | Joe Cotterill | 3,920 | Henry Charles Veitch |
| Wellington Central | | Peter Fraser | Peter Fraser | Peter Fraser | 3,837 | Will Appleton |
| Wellington East | | Bob Semple | Bob Semple | Bob Semple | 4,736 | William Long Barker |
| Wellington North | | Charles Chapman | Charles Chapman | Charles Chapman | 3,278 | Elizabeth Gilmer |
| Wellington South | | Robert McKeen | Robert McKeen | Robert McKeen | 6,415 | David Howlett |
| Wellington Suburbs | | Robert Wright | | Harry Combs | 3,163 | Ossie Mazengarb |
| Wellington West | New electorate | New electorate | | Catherine Stewart | 956 | Robert Wright |
| Westland | | James O'Brien | James O'Brien | James O'Brien | 3,729 | Ted Taylor |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | 1,064 | Rēweti Kōhere |
| Northern Maori | | Taurekareka Henare | | Paraire Karaka Paikea | 2,011 | Taurekareka Henare |
| Southern Maori | | Eruera Tirikatene | Eruera Tirikatene | Eruera Tirikatene | 485 | Thomas Kaiporohu Bragg |
| Western Maori | | Toko Ratana | Toko Ratana | Toko Ratana | 4,267 | Pei Te Hurinui Jones |

## Changes

There were a number of changes during the term of the 26th Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner | Winner |
| Christchurch South | 1939 | 3 June | Ted Howard | Death | | Robert Macfarlane |
| Auckland West | 1940 | 18 May | Michael Joseph Savage | Death | | Peter Carr |
| Waipawa | 1940 | 16 November | Albert Jull | Death | | Cyril Harker |
| Waitemata | 1941 | 19 July | Jack Lyon | Death | | Mary Dreaver |
| Bay of Plenty | 1941 | 13 December | Gordon Hultquist | Death | | Bill Sullivan |
| Mid-Canterbury | 1942 | 27 January | Arthur Grigg | Death | | Mary Grigg |
| Hauraki | 1942 | 7 February | John Allen | Death | | Andy Sutherland |
| Temuka | 1942 | 7 February | Thomas Burnett | Death | | Jack Acland |
| Christchurch East | 1943 | 6 February | Tim Armstrong | Death | | Mabel Howard |
| Northern Maori | 1943 | 19 June | Paraire Karaka Paikea | Death | (by-election postponed by legislation) | (by-election postponed by legislation) |
| Name | Year | Seat | From | To |
| John A. Lee | 1940 | Grey Lynn | Labour | Democratic Labour |
| Bill Barnard | 1940 | Napier | Labour | Democratic Labour |
| Gordon Coates | 1942 | Kaipara | National | Independent |
| Bert Kyle | 1942 | Riccarton | National | Independent |