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 unprecedented 19 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.
SessionOpenedAdjouned
first27 June 19396 October 1939
second30 May 194031 July 1940
third21 August 194030 August 1940
fourth1 October 194011 October 1940
fifth26 November 19406 December 1940
sixth12 March 194127 March 1941
seventh10 June 194112 June 1941
eight15 July 194117 October 1941
ninth11 December 194112 December 1941
tenth5 February 194212 February 1942
eleventh17 March 194220 March 1942
twelfth28 April 19429 May 1942
thirteenth24 June 194210 July 1942
fourteenth18 August 194220 August 1942
fifteenth14 October 194222 October 1942
sixteenth2 December 19424 December 1942
seventeenth24 February 194318 March 1943
eighteenth19 May 19432 July 1943
nineteenth20 July 194325 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.
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

End of Parliament

Initial composition of the 26th Parliament

The following table shows the initial composition of the 26th Parliament:

Changes

There were a number of changes during the term of the 26th Parliament.