# 23rd New Zealand Parliament

The 23rd New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1928 general election in November of that year.

## 1928 general election

The 1928 general election was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates, respectively. A total of 80 MPs were elected; 47 represented North Island electorates, 29 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates. 844,633 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 88.1%.

## Sessions

The 23rd Parliament sat for five sessions (there were two sessions in 1931), and was prorogued on 12 November 1931.
| Session | Opened | Adjourned |
| first | 4 December 1928 | 14 December 1928 |
| second | 27 June 1929 | 9 November 1929 |
| third | 26 June 1930 | 25 October 1930 |
| fourth | 11 March 1931 | 28 April 1931 |
| fifth | 25 June 1931 | 11 November 1931 |

## Party standings
### Start of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at start |
| United Party | Sir Joseph Ward | 27 |
| Reform Party | Gordon Coates | 27 |
| Labour Party | Harry Holland | 19 |
| Country Party | Harold Rushworth | 1 |
| Independents | Independents | 6 |

### End of Parliament

| Party | Leader(s) | Seats at end |
| Reform Party | Gordon Coates | 27 |
| United Party | George Forbes | 26 |
| Labour Party | Harry Holland | 20 |
| Country Party | Harold Rushworth | 1 |
| Independents | Independents | 6 |

## Ministries

The Coates Ministry led by Gordon Coates of the Reform Party had come to power in May 1925. The Reform Party lost the 1928 election, suffering a humiliating defeat, dropping from 55 seats in 1925 to 28 only three years later. Parliament was called shortly after the election, Coates lost a no confidence vote and resigned as Prime Minister.
Joseph Ward formed the second Ward Ministry on 10 December 1928 as leader of the United Party, a successor of the Liberal Party. Ward was an unwell man at this stage in life and suffered several heart attacks. In May 1930, he was pressured by his colleagues to resign as Prime Minister.
Ward was succeeded by George Forbes, again of the United Party. The Forbes Ministry was in place until September 1931. During the difficult times of the Great Depression, Forbes wanted to form a grand coalition with the Labour Party and the Reform Party. Labour refused, but Reform went into a coalition government with United from September 1931.

## Members
### Initial MPs

Key
United  Reform  Labour  Country Party  Liberal–Labour  Ratana  Independent
Electorate results for the 1928 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Auckland Central | | Bill Parry | Bill Parry | Bill Parry | 3,024 | William Hewitt |
| Auckland East | | John A. Lee | | James Donald | 37 | John A. Lee |
| Auckland Suburbs | New electorate | New electorate | | Rex Mason | 1,098 | Sir James Gunson |
| Auckland West | | Michael Joseph Savage | Michael Joseph Savage | Michael Joseph Savage | 1,341 | Richard Speirs |
| Avon | | Dan Sullivan | Dan Sullivan | Dan Sullivan | 3,845 | George Thomas Baker |
| Awarua | | John Hamilton | | Philip De La Perrelle | 1,005 | John Hamilton |
| Bay of Islands | | Allen Bell | | Harold Rushworth | 2 | Allen Bell |
| Bay of Plenty | | Kenneth Williams | Kenneth Williams | Kenneth Williams | 1,867 | Alexander Moncur |
| Buller | | Harry Holland | Harry Holland | Harry Holland | 3,617 | Dugald Macdonald Robertson |
| Central Otago | New electorate | New electorate | | William Bodkin | 653 | James Ritchie |
| Chalmers | | James Dickson | | Alfred Ansell | 619 | Norman Hartley Campbell |
| Christchurch East | | Tim Armstrong | Tim Armstrong | Tim Armstrong | 2,260 | Denis Franklyn Dennehy |
| Christchurch North | | Henry Holland | Henry Holland | Henry Holland | 1,892 | Ernest Andrews |
| Christchurch South | | Ted Howard | Ted Howard | Ted Howard | 433 | Charlie McCully |
| Clutha | | Fred Waite | Fred Waite | Fred Waite | 523 | Joseph Stephens |
| Dunedin Central | | Sir Charles Statham | Sir Charles Statham | Sir Charles Statham | 1,771 | John Robinson |
| Dunedin North | | Harold Tapley | | Jim Munro | 1,231 | Harold Tapley |
| Dunedin South | | Thomas Sidey | | William Taverner | 33 | Robert William Hall |
| Dunedin West | | Downie Stewart | Downie Stewart | Downie Stewart | 1,277 | Cornelius Machin Moss |
| Eden | | Rex Mason | | Arthur Stallworthy | 2,436 | Vivian Potter |
| Egmont | | Oswald Hawken | | Charles Wilkinson | 1,286 | Oswald Hawken |
| Franklin | | Ewen McLennan | | Jack Massey | 134 | Harry Mellsop |
| Gisborne | | Douglas Lysnar | | Douglas Lysnar (Ind R) | 346 | David Coleman |
| Grey Lynn | | Fred Bartram | | John Fletcher | 64 | Fred Bartram |
| Hamilton | | Alexander Young | Alexander Young | Alexander Young | 1,073 | Samuel Charles Gale Lye |
| Hauraki | New electorate | New electorate | | Arthur Hall | 891 | Ebenezer Allan |
| Hawke's Bay | | Hugh Campbell | Hugh Campbell | Hugh Campbell | 690 | Jack Lyon |
| Hurunui | | George Forbes | George Forbes | George Forbes | 1,839 | Leslie Robert Cathcart Macfarlane |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1,305 | Walter Nash |
| Invercargill | | Sir Joseph Ward, Bt. | Sir Joseph Ward, Bt. | Sir Joseph Ward, Bt. | 3,178 | Morell Macalister |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | | Richard Hawke | 96 | James Arthur Flesher |
| Kaipara | | Gordon Coates | Gordon Coates | Gordon Coates | 2,475 | Jim Barclay |
| Lyttelton | | James McCombs | James McCombs | James McCombs | 1,867 | John Beanland |
| Manawatu | | Joseph Linklater | Joseph Linklater | Joseph Linklater | 1,466 | Patrick James Small |
| Manukau | | Bill Jordan | Bill Jordan | Bill Jordan | 3,659 | Kells Mason |
| Marsden | | William Jones | | Alfred Murdoch | 450 | William Jones |
| Masterton | | George Sykes | George Sykes | George Sykes | 1,238 | William Thompson |
| Mataura | | George Anderson | | David McDougall | 62 | George Anderson |
| Mid-Canterbury | New electorate | New electorate | | David Jones | 55 | Jeremiah Connolly |
| Motueka | | Richard Hudson | | George Black | 613 | Richard Hudson |
| Napier | | John Mason | | Bill Barnard | 418 | John Mason |
| Nelson | | Harry Atmore | Harry Atmore | Harry Atmore | 2,309 | Frederick William Oscar Smith |
| New Plymouth | New electorate | New electorate | | Sydney Smith | 1,467 | Charles Bellringer |
| Oamaru | | Ernest Lee | | John Macpherson | 337 | Ernest Lee |
| Oroua | | John Eliott | | John Cobbe | 732 | John Eliott |
| Otaki | | William Field | William Field | William Field | 813 | Archibald Burnett Sievwright |
| Pahiatua | | Alfred Ransom | Alfred Ransom | Alfred Ransom | 922 | Harold Smith |
| Palmerston | | Jimmy Nash | Jimmy Nash | Jimmy Nash | 2,350 | Walter Bromley |
| Parnell | | James S. Dickson | | Harry Jenkins | 849 | James S. Dickson |
| Patea | | Harold Dickie | Harold Dickie | Harold Dickie | 182 | James Douglas Hislop |
| Raglan | | Lee Martin | Lee Martin | Lee Martin | 1,041 | Walter Seavill |
| Rangitikei | | Billy Glenn | | James Hogan | 1,234 | Billy Glenn |
| Riccarton | | Bert Kyle | Bert Kyle | Bert Kyle | 45 | Archibald Albany McLachlan |
| Roskill | | Vivian Potter | | George Munns | 2,344 | Arthur Richards |
| Rotorua | | Frank Hockly | | Cecil Clinkard | 200 | Frank Hockly |
| Stratford | | Edward Walter | | William Polson | 982 | Edward Walter |
| Tauranga | | Charles Macmillan | Charles Macmillan | Charles Macmillan | 678 | Douglas Charles Chalmers |
| Temuka | | Thomas Burnett | Thomas Burnett | Thomas Burnett | 86 | Thomas Herbert Langford |
| Thames | | Thomas Rhodes | | Albert Samuel | 1,302 | John Sommerville Montgomerie |
| Timaru | | Frank Rolleston | | Clyde Carr | 467 | Frank Rolleston |
| Waikato | | Stewart Reid | | Frederick Lye | 86 | Stewart Reid |
| Waimarino | | Robert Smith | | Frank Langstone | 985 | Robert Smith |
| Waipawa | | Sir George Hunter | Sir George Hunter | Sir George Hunter | 1,860 | Ernest Albert Goodger |
| Wairarapa | | Alex McLeod | | Thomas McDonald | 566 | Alex McLeod |
| Wairau | | William Girling | | Edward Healy | 292 | William Girling |
| Waitaki | | John Bitchener | John Bitchener | John Bitchener | 1,202 | Frederick Cooke |
| Waitemata | | Alexander Harris | Alexander Harris | Alexander Harris | 315 | Reginald Greville |
| Waitomo | | John Rolleston | | Walter Broadfoot | 532 | John Rolleston |
| Wallace | | Adam Hamilton | Adam Hamilton | Adam Hamilton | 20 | Walter Taylor |
| Wanganui | | Bill Veitch | Bill Veitch | Bill Veitch | 2,137 | Bill Rogers |
| Wellington Central | | Peter Fraser | Peter Fraser | Peter Fraser | 3,458 | Dunbar Sloane |
| Wellington East | | Thomas Forsyth | | Bob Semple | 966 | Thomas Forsyth |
| Wellington North | | Sir John Luke | | Charles Chapman | 47 | Sir John Luke |
| Wellington South | | Robert McKeen | Robert McKeen | Robert McKeen | 2,953 | Martin Luckie |
| Wellington Suburbs | | Robert Wright | Robert Wright | Robert Wright | 1,985 | Tom Brindle |
| Westland | | Tom Seddon | | James O'Brien | 185 | Tom Seddon |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Sir Āpirana Ngata | Sir Āpirana Ngata | Sir Āpirana Ngata | 3,104 | Pita Moko |
| Northern Maori | | Taurekareka Henare | Taurekareka Henare | Taurekareka Henare | 880 | Paraire Karaka Paikea |
| Southern Maori | | Henare Uru | | Tuiti Makitanara | 1 | Eruera Tirikatene |
| Western Maori | | Sir Māui Pōmare | Sir Māui Pōmare | Sir Māui Pōmare | 1,599 | Toko Ratana |

### By-elections during 23rd Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 23rd Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner |
| Bay of Islands | 1929 | 10 April | Harold Rushworth | Election declared void | Harold Rushworth |
| Hutt | 1929 | 18 December | Thomas Wilford | Resignation | Walter Nash |
| Parnell | 1930 | 7 May | Harry Jenkins | Resignation | Bill Endean |
| Invercargill | 1930 | 13 August | Sir Joseph Ward | Death | Vincent Ward |
| Waipawa | 1930 | 8 October | Sir George Hunter | Death | Albert Jull |
| Western Maori | 1930 | 8 October | Sir Māui Pōmare | Death | Taite Te Tomo |
| Hauraki | 1931 | 27 May | Arthur Hall | Death | Walter Massey |