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Bill Parry (politician)

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The Honourable
Bill Parry
Photograph of Bill Parry taken in 1935.
13th Minister of Internal Affairs
In office
6 December 1935 – 13 December 1949
Prime MinisterMichael Joseph Savage
Peter Fraser
Preceded byAlexander Young
Succeeded byWilliam Bodkin
2nd Minister of Social Security
In office
30 April 1940 – 13 December 1949
Prime MinisterPeter Fraser
Preceded byWalter Nash
Succeeded byJack Watts
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Auckland Central
In office
17 December 1919 – 4 November 1946
Preceded byAlbert Glover
Succeeded byBill Anderton
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Arch Hill
In office
27 November 1946 – 27 July 1951
Succeeded byJohn Stewart
Personal details
Born1878
Orange, New South Wales, Australia
Died27 November 1952
Auckland, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
Spouse
Georgina Fowke
​
(m. 1906)​
ChildrenTwo daughters

William Edward Parry (1878 – 27 November 1952) was a New Zealand politician and trade unionist.

Biography

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Early life and career

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Parry was born at Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He had 12 siblings and the family faced hardship. His father, John Parry, was a goldminer and prospector, and at age 12, Bill Parry left school and went mining himself in Barmedman. A strong, energetic and large sized man, Parry was a noted cyclist in his youth and also became a skilled shooter and angler. He first came to New Zealand in 1902 and lived in Auckland for a short time and went mining in Karangahake. After two years, Parry returned to Australia. On 15 April 1906, he married Georgina Fowke at Wyalong in New South Wales. Later that year, they and some family members arrived in New Zealand.[1][2]

Parry was a miner at Waihi and Secretary of the Waihi Miners' Union and president of the Waihi Amalgamated Miners' and Workers' Union from 1909 to 1912. He became a miners' inspector and was appointed to the 1911 Royal Commission on Mines. Initially Parry was apprehensive to go on strike at Waihi, however he found himself compelled into taking a more militant position by members of his union that were supportive of the Industrial Workers of the World. Also, in 1911 Parry conducted a tour of the country forming anti-militarist leagues throughout New Zealand. Parry was one of the founders of the New Zealand Federation of Labour (FOL) and was vice president from 1911 to 1913.[1]

He was imprisoned at Mount Eden Prison for four months during the 1912 Waihi miners' strike for the part he played. His leadership and imprisonment during the strike would bestow him with great mana in the labour movement in New Zealand for the remainder of his life. However, he found himself blacklisted in Waihi and then moved to Palmerston North taking up a position as an organiser for the Manawatu Flaxmills Employees' Union. There he became involved in the 1913 waterfront and general strike where the United Federation of Labour sent him to Australia on a fund-raising mission. He joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and was a member of the party's national executive.[1]

He moved to Auckland in 1915 to be an agent for the Maoriland Worker newspaper. He opposed conscription during World War I, but not during World War II. When the SDP merged into the new Labour Party in 1916 Parry became a founding member. From 1917 to 1918 he was secretary of the Waikato Flaxmills Employees' Union, after which time he briefly became secretary of the New Zealand Miners' Federation.[1]

During the 1918 influenza epidemic he made a name for himself conducting relief work in Auckland.[1] Parry, along with fellow unionists Michael Joseph Savage and Tom Bloodworth, he disinfected community halls and schoolrooms to enable their use in accommodating influenza victims after hospitals and clinics had reached their capacity.[3]

Member of Parliament

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New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1919–1922 20th Auckland Central Labour
1922–1925 21st Auckland Central Labour
1925–1928 22nd Auckland Central Labour
1928–1931 23rd Auckland Central Labour
1931–1935 24th Auckland Central Labour
1935–1938 25th Auckland Central Labour
1938–1943 26th Auckland Central Labour
1943–1946 27th Auckland Central Labour
1946–1949 28th Arch Hill Labour
1949–1951 29th Arch Hill Labour

Parry represented the electorates of Auckland Central from 1919 to 1946, and then Arch Hill from 1946 to 1951, when he retired.[4]

When the First Labour Government was formed after the 1935 election, Parry was appointed Minister of Internal Affairs[5] and Minister in Charge of Pensions.[6] In the latter role, he implemented Social Security in 1938 after it was introduced by Walter Nash.[7][8] The minor ministerial role was converted to a full role when in June 1946, Parry became Minister of Social Security.[9] Parry lost his ministerial roles when Labour was defeated in the 1949 election.[10]

Parry was not regarded as an outstanding politician or policy creator, but more of an administrator. He did not contribute to Labour's policy development in a major way but was nevertheless Michael Joseph Savage's automatic choice as minister due to their strong friendship and long-standing activism. He was not an ideologue and held beliefs in active and responsible citizenship. He had a broad view of politics and saw socialism as a means of fulfilling the practical needs of the people.[1]

As a minister he advocated for higher pension payments than Savage would allow and was interested in social credit theories.[11] He was likewise inclined to support monetary reform policies, often suggested by John A. Lee, though he staunchly supported Savage in his rift with Lee. He was one of the first to speak at the 1940 party conference in favour of Lee's expulsion.[12] As Minister of Internal Affairs he introduced the Physical Welfare and Recreation Act 1937 which enabled local authorities to finance for recreational facilities of the communities they represented. He was responsible for state funding for the arts and had a productive working relationship with Joseph Heenan his permanent undersecretary.[1]

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.[13]

Later life and death

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Parry died on 27 November 1952 in Auckland. He was survived by his wife and their two daughters.[1][7]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Gustafson, Barry. "Parry, William Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  2. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 293.
  3. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 105.
  4. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 225.
  5. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 82.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 127.
  7. ^ a b Gustafson 1980, p. 164.
  8. ^ McLintock, A. H., ed. (22 April 2009) [First published in 1966]. "Scope of Legislation of 1938". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  9. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 83.
  10. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 82f.
  11. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 147.
  12. ^ Gustafson 1986, p. 239.
  13. ^ "Official jubilee medals". Evening Post. Vol. CXIX, no. 105. 6 May 1935. p. 4. Retrieved 21 March 2015.

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Parry.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Internal Affairs
1935–1949 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister of Social Security
1940–1949 		Succeeded by
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Auckland Central
1919–1946 		Succeeded by
New constituency Member of Parliament for Arch Hill
1946–1951 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Father of the House
1950–1951 		Succeeded by
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