Hawkes Bay by-election, 1917

← 1914 general

8 March 1917

1919 general →

Turnout

4,858 (48.82%)


Candidate	Sir John Findlay	H. Ian Simpson
Party	Liberal	Liberal-Labour
Popular vote	2,635	2,164
Percentage	54.24	44.54

Member before election

Robert McNab
Liberal

Elected Member

Sir John Findlay
Liberal

Robert McNab
Liberal

Sir John Findlay
Liberal

The Hawkes Bay by-election, 1917 was a by-election held in the eastern North Island electorate of Hawkes Bay during the 19th New Zealand Parliament, on 8 March 1917.

It was caused by the death of incumbent MP Robert McNab, and was won by fellow party Liberal Party member Sir John Findlay with a majority of 471 votes.

Under the terms of the coalition agreement between Reform and the Liberals a condition was made not to oppose each other in by-elections for deceased or retiring MPs from their own parties. As the deceased MP for this electorate was a Liberal the Reform Party did not contest the seat, and endorsed the Liberal's official candidate as a sign of goodwill and wartime unity. The newly formed Labour Party chose not to stand a candidate, but there was rumour that former MP for Nelson, Harry Atmore was considering standing in "Labour" interests. This did not eventuate.

Sir John Findlay was chosen by the Liberal Party to contest the seat, he was a former Legislative Councillor and served in Sir Joseph Ward's cabinet from 1906 to 1911 as Attorney-General and later as Minister of Justice. Former Napier MP Alfred Fraser previously sought the Liberal nomination, however he retired from the contest, yet 9 votes were still cast for him.

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