Dunedin North by-election, 1945

Dunedin North by-election, 1945

21 July 1945

Candidate Robert Walls Norman Jones Party Labour National Popular vote 6,316 5,578 Percentage 53.10 46.90

Member before election James W. Munro Labour Elected Member Robert Walls Labour

The 1945 Dunedin North by-election was a by-election held during the 27th New Zealand Parliament in the Dunedin electorate of Dunedin North. The by-election occurred following the death of MP James W. Munro and was won by Robert Walls.

Background

Munro, who was first elected to represent Dunedin North for the Labour Party in 1922, died on 27 May 1945.^[1] This triggered the Dunedin North by-election, which was contested by Robert Walls for Labour, and Norman Jones for National. Walls obtained 53.1% of the votes and was successful.^[2] Walls represented Dunedin North until his death in 1953,^[3] and the Labour Party would go on to hold the electorate until 1975.^[4]

It was the first time that Jones contested an election; he contested six more elections unsuccessfully before he was finally successful in the Invercargill electorate 30 years later.^[5][6]

Previous election

1943 general election: Dunedin North^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	James W. Munro	8,038	55.82
	National	A. L. Cassie	5,240	36.39
	People's Movement	F. A. Keane	858	5.96
	Democratic Labour	C. M. Ross	263	1.83
Majority			2,798	19.43
Turnout			14,399

Results

The following table gives the election results:

Dunedin North by-election, 1945^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±
	Labour	Robert Walls	6,316	53.10	-2.72
	National	Norman Jones	5,578	46.90	+10.51
Majority			738	6.20	-13.23
Turnout			11,894

See also

• List of New Zealand by-elections
• Dunedin North by-election, 1922
• North Dunedin by-election, 1953

Notes

1. Wilson 1985, p. 222.
2. "Seat Retained". Auckland Star. LXXVI (172). 23 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
3. Wilson 1985, p. 243.
4. Wilson 1985, p. 262.
5. Gustafson 1986, pp. 323f.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 209.

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.