page_title: Āpirana Ngata
section_title: Ministerial career
hierarchical_section_title: Āpirana Ngata / Political career / Ministerial career
caption_attribution_description: English: Shows portraits of 52 members of Parliament, around a calendar for 1910. At top is an allegorical female figure (Britannia or Zealandia) with shields showing New Zealand and British flags. Joseph George Ward (1856-1930), Arthur Robert Guinness (1846-1913), James Frederick Arnold (1859-1929), Frederick Ehrenfried Baume (1862-1910), John Pearce Luke (1858-1931), William Donald Stuart MacDonald (1862-1920), John Vigor Brown (1854-1942), Thomas Buxton (1863-1939), James Carroll (1857-1926), George Fowlds (1860-1934), Tame Haereroa Parata (1832/1838?-1917), Hugh Poland (1868-1938), Edward Henry Clark (1870-1932), James Colvin (1844-1919), John Andrew Millar (1855-1915), Roderick McKenzie (1852-1934), Thomas Noble Mackenzie (1853-1930), John George Findlay (1862-1929), Charles Henry Poole (1874-1941), Vernon Herbert Reed (1871-1963), James Craigie (1851-1935), Thomas Henry Davey (1856-1934), David Buddo (1853-1937), Apirana Turupa Ngata (1874-1950), Robert Beatson Ross (1867-1949), George Warren Russell (1854-1937), Alfred Dillon (1847-1915), Thomas Young Duncan (1836-1914), Thomas Edward Youd Seddon (1884-1972), Thomas Kay Sidey (1863-1933), Harry Ell (1862-1934), William Hughes Field (1861-1944), Robert William Smith (1871-1958), John Stallworthy (1854-1923), George William Forbes (1868-1947), Albert Edward Glover (1849-1941), James Thomas Hogan (1874-1953), Henare Kaihau (1855-1920), William Jukes Steward (1841-1912), Edmund Harvey Taylor (fl 1909-1911), John Graham (1843-1926), Henry James Greenslade (1867-1945), Alexander Wilson Hogg (1841-1920), George Laurenson (1857-1913), Peter Henry Buck (1877?-1951), John Charles Thomson (1866-1934), Charles Hall (1843-1937), Josiah Alfred Hanan (1868-1954), William Thomas Jennings (1854-1923), Frank Lawry (1844-1921), Thomas Mason Wilford (1870-1939), George Witty (1856-1941)
context_page_description: Sir Āpirana Turupa Ngata was a prominent New Zealand statesman. He has often been described as the foremost Māori politician to have ever served in Parliament, and is also known for his work in promoting and protecting Māori culture and language.
  Ngata practiced as a lawyer before entering politics in 1897, when he established the Young Māori Party alongside numerous alumni of Te Aute College, including future fellow cabinet minister Māui Pōmare. Here he challenged the traditional views of his people, advocating the abandonment of some traditional practices and customary healing in favour of science and Pākehā-style sanitation, which made him a controversial figure. In 1905, he was elected the Liberal Member of Parliament for Eastern Maori, retaining this seat for nearly 40 years. He served in government as Minister of Native Affairs from 1928 to 1934. In this he tried to accomplish as many reforms for Māori as possible, although he was forced to resign as minister in a widely publicised spending scandal. Nevertheless, he continued to serve as MP for Eastern Maori until he was ousted in 1943 by Rātana candidate Tiaki Omana, as Labour swept the Māori seats.
context_section_description: In the 1928 election, the United Party (a rebranding of the old Liberal Party, to which Ngata belonged) won an unexpected victory. Ngata was returned to Cabinet, becoming Minister of Native Affairs. He was ranked third within Cabinet, and occasionally served as acting Deputy Prime Minister. Ngata remained extremely diligent in his work, and was noted for his tirelessness. Much of his ministerial work related to land reforms, and the encouragement of Māori land development. Ngata continued to believe in the need to rejuvenate Māori society, and worked strongly towards this goal. In 1929, both Ngata's wife and eldest son died of illness.
  In 1932 Ngata and his Department of Native Affairs came under increasing criticism from other politicians. Many believed that Ngata was pressing ahead too fast, and the large amount of activity that Ngata ordered had caused organizational difficulties within the department. An inquiry into Ngata's department was held, and it was discovered that one of Ngata's subordinates had falsified accounts. Ngata himself was severely criticised for disregarding official regulations which he had often felt were inhibiting progress. It was also alleged that Ngata had shown favouritism to Ngāti Porou and Waikato, especially Te Puea and her husband Rawiri Tumokai Katipa. Bob Semple, a leading Labour politician, said the Royal Commission investigation showed one of the worst specimens of abuse of political power, maladministration, misappropriation of public funds as well as a betrayal of trust. Ngata, while denying any personal wrongdoing, accepted responsibility for the actions of his department and was dismissed from his ministerial position.
  Māori leaders, such as Te Puea, were angry at Ngata for discrediting and embarrassing Māori.
caption: All 52 Members of the Liberal Party of the 17th parliament
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