# 17th New Zealand Parliament

The 17th New Zealand Parliament was a term of the New Zealand Parliament. It was elected at the 1908 general election in November and December of that year.

## 1908 general election

The Second Ballot Act 1908 was used for the 1908 general election. The first ballot was held on Tuesday, 17 November in the general electorates. 22 second ballots were held one week later on 24 November, and in one large rural electorate (Bay of Plenty), two weeks were allowed before the second ballot was held on 1 December. The Second Ballot Act did not apply to the four Māori electorates and the election was held on Wednesday, 2 December. A total of 80 MPs were elected; 41 represented North Island electorates, 35 represented South Island electorates, and the remaining four represented Māori electorates. 537,003 voters were enrolled and the official turnout at the election was 79.8%.

## Sessions

The 17th Parliament sat for four sessions (there were two sessions in 1909), and was prorogued on 20 November 1911.
| Session | Opened | Adjourned |
| first | 10 June 1909 | 16 June 1909 |
| second | 7 October 1909 | 28 December 1909 |
| third | 28 June 1910 | 3 December 1910 |
| fourth | 27 July 1911 | 28 October 1911 |

## 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 1912.

## Party composition
### Start of term

| Party | Party | Seats |
| | Liberal || 50 |
| | Conservative || 26 |
| | Independent || 3 |
| | Other | 1 |
| Source |||

## Initial composition of the 17th Parliament

The following are the results of the 1908 general election:
Key
Liberal  Conservative  Ind. Labour League  Independent Liberal  Liberal–Labour  Independent
Electorate results for the 1908 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | John McLachlan | | William Nosworthy | 747† | Frederick Flatman |
| Auckland Central | | Alfred Kidd | | Albert Glover | 2,540 | Alfred Kidd |
| Auckland East | | Frederick Baume | Frederick Baume | Frederick Baume | 1,096 | William Richardson |
| Auckland West | | Charles Poole | Charles Poole | Charles Poole | 1,455 | Robert Thompson |
| Avon | | William Tanner | | George Warren Russell | 541† | William Tanner |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 2,183 | William Morris |
| Bay of Islands | | Robert Houston | | Vernon Reed | 265 | John Charles Johnson |
| Bay of Plenty | | William Herries | | William MacDonald | 446† | James Gow |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 1,393 | Joseph Mosley |
| Buller | | James Colvin | James Colvin | James Colvin | 997 | Fergus Ferguson Munro |
| Chalmers | | Edmund Allen | | Edward Henry Clark | 226 | Edmund Allen |
| Christchurch East | | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | 1,666 | James McCombs |
| Christchurch North | | Charles Gray | | Tommy Taylor | 1,698 | Charles Gray |
| Christchurch South | | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | 1,273 | Jim Thorn |
| Clutha | | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | 1,799 | Frank Isitt |
| Dunedin Central | | John A. Millar | | James Arnold | 1,512 | John McDonald |
| Dunedin North | | Alfred Barclay | | George Thomson | 6 | Alfred Barclay |
| Dunedin South | | James Arnold | | Thomas Sidey | 1,830 | Robert Rutherford Douglas |
| Dunedin West | New electorate | New electorate | | John A. Millar | 2,447 | Jim Munro |
| Eden | | John Bollard | John Bollard | John Bollard | 2,164 | John Shackelford |
| Egmont | | William Thomas Jennings | | Bradshaw Dive | 249 | George Wake |
| Ellesmere | | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | 902 | George Rennie |
| Franklin | | William Massey | William Massey | William Massey | 1,187 | John McLarin |
| Geraldine | | Frederick Flatman | | Thomas Buxton | 92 | William Jeffries |
| Gisborne | New electorate | New electorate | | James Carroll | 734 | George Darton |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 1,115 | James Kerr |
| Grey Lynn | | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | 889 | Oliver Nicholson |
| Hawke's Bay | | Alfred Dillon | Alfred Dillon | Alfred Dillon | 704 | William Russell |
| Hurunui | | Andrew Rutherford | | George Forbes | 597 | Obed Clothier |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1,538 | Richard Shortt |
| Invercargill | | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | 848 | Arthur Paape |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | David Buddo | David Buddo | 77 | Richard Moore |
| Kaipara | | John Stallworthy | John Stallworthy | John Stallworthy | 283 | Alfred Harding |
| Lyttelton | | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | 803 | Henry Thacker |
| Manawatu | | John Stevens | | Edward Newman | 585 | John Stevens |
| Manukau | | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | 1,369 | Alfred Creamer |
| Marsden | | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | 704 | James Harrison |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | 1,248 | John Hunter |
| Mataura | | Robert McNab | | George Anderson | 366 | Robert McNab |
| Motueka | | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | 1,501 | Frederick Smith |
| Napier | | Alfred Fraser | | Vigor Brown | 1,035 | Alfred Fraser |
| Nelson | | John Graham | John Graham | John Graham | 14 | Harry Atmore |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | 613 | James Mitchell |
| Ohinemuri | | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | 692† | Frederick Haselden |
| Oroua | | Frank Lethbridge | | David Guthrie | 941 | Owen Pleasants |
| Otaki | | William Hughes Field | | William Hughes Field | 93 | Byron Brown |
| Pahiatua | | Robert Beatson Ross | Robert Beatson Ross | Robert Beatson Ross | 264 | James Cooper |
| Palmerston | | William Wood | | David Buick | 81† | William Wood |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | 219 | Edward George Britton Moss |
| Patea | | Walter Symes | | George Pearce | 252 | Charles E. Major |
| Rangitikei | | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | 158 | Robert William Smith |
| Riccarton | | George Witty | George Witty | George Witty | 1,600 | George Sheat |
| Selwyn | | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | 383 | Joseph Ivess |
| Stratford | New electorate | New electorate | | John Hine | 724 | Walter Symes |
| Taranaki | | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | 1,295 | William Malone |
| Taieri | | Donald Reid | | Thomas Mackenzie | 521 | John Thomas Johnson |
| Taumarunui | New electorate | New electorate | | William Thomas Jennings | 1,850 | William Bowater |
| Tauranga | New electorate | New electorate | | William Herries | 1,303 | James Alexander Young |
| Thames | | James McGowan | James McGowan | James McGowan | 2,100 | Ernest Deeble |
| Timaru | | William Hall-Jones | | James Craigie | 380† | William David Campbell |
| Tuapeka | | William Chapple | | Robert Scott | 697† | John MacPherson |
| Wairarapa | | J. T. Marryat Hornsby | | Walter Clarke Buchanan | 136 | J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
| Wairau | | Charles H. Mills | | John Duncan | 252 | Robert McArtney |
| Waikato | | Henry Greenslade | Henry Greenslade | Henry Greenslade | 493 | Allen Bell |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | 50 | George Hunter |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | William Steward | William Steward | 329 | Francis Henry Smith |
| Waitemata | | Ewen Alison | | Leonard Phillips | 903† | William Joseph Napier |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 1,151 | Andrew Martin |
| Wallace | | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | 1,346 | Dugald MacPherson |
| Wanganui | | James Thomas Hogan | James Thomas Hogan | James Thomas Hogan | 742† | George Hutchison |
| Wellington Central | | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | 143 | Thomas Hislop |
| Wellington East | | John Aitken | | David McLaren | 427† | Arthur Atkinson |
| Wellington North | | Charles Hayward Izard | | Alexander Herdman | 826† | Frederick Bolton |
| Wellington South | New electorate | New electorate | | Robert Wright | 558† | William Barber |
| Wellington Suburbs | New electorate | New electorate | | John Luke | 1,148† | John Edward Fitzgerald |
| Westland | | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | 110 | Henry Michel |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | 3,010 | Tiki Paaka |
| Northern Maori | | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | 1,045 | Hare te Rangi |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | 7 | Teone Hopere Wharewiti Uru |
| Western Maori | | Henare Kaihau | Henare Kaihau | Henare Kaihau | 757 | Pepene Eketone |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
* ↑ Harry Ell was previously associated with the Liberal Party.
* ↑ For some biographical details of James Kerr refer to his father's article
* ↑ The affiliation of many of the Māori candidates is unknown or uncertain; note that the Second Ballot Act 1908 did not apply to Māori constituencies.

## By-elections during 17th Parliament

There were a number of changes during the term of the 17th Parliament.
| Electorate and by-election | Electorate and by-election | Date | Incumbent | Cause | Winner |
| Thames | 1909 | 4 February | James McGowan | Appointed to Legislative Council | Edmund Taylor |
| Northern Maori | 1909 | 20 March | Hone Heke Ngapua | Death | Peter Buck |
| Rangitikei | 1909 | 16 September | Arthur Remington | Death | Robert Smith |
| Auckland East | 1910 | 16 June | Frederick Baume | Death | Arthur Myers |
| Christchurch North | 1911 | 17 August | Tommy Taylor | Death | Leonard Isitt |
| Name | Year | Seat | From | To |
| William Hughes Field | 1909 | Otaki | Independent | Reform |
| Francis Fisher | 1910 | Wellington Central | Independent | Reform |
| David McLaren | 1910 | Wellington East | Ind. Labour League | Labour |