United–Reform coalition Government of New Zealand
The United–Reform Coalition was between two of the three major parties of the time, the United and Reform, formed to deal with the Great Depression which began in 1929.The Labour Party refused to join the coalition government, as it believed that the only solution to the depression was socialism, which United and Reform did not support.Rather, they attempted to solve the country's economic problems by cutting public spending (austerity).The government was widely seen as heartless, encapsulated by the commonly believed but probably untrue story that Prime Minister George Forbes had told a delegation of unemployed men to go and eat grass.The government was led by George Forbes of the United Party, with Gordon Coates of Reform as Minister of Finance.
The 1931 Cabinet:
Front row (L-R): Ransom, Coates, Forbes, Stewart, Ngata and Young.
Back row (L-R): Jones, Cobbe, Hamilton and Masters.
Front row (L-R): Ransom, Coates, Forbes, Stewart, Ngata and Young.
Back row (L-R): Jones, Cobbe, Hamilton and Masters.
ministrygoverned New ZealandUnited–Reform CoalitionUnitedReformGreat DepressionLabour Partycoalition governmentsocialismausterity1935 electionReserve Bank of New ZealandNew Zealand PoundTransport Licensing Act 1931New Zealand Railways Department1931 New Zealand general electionformed a coalition1935 New Zealand general electionGeorge ForbesNational PartyMinister of FinancePrime MinisterMinister of AgricultureDavid JonesCharles MacmillanAttorney-GeneralWilliam Downie StewartMinister of CustomsGordon CoatesMinister of DefenceJohn CobbeMinister of EducationRobert MastersSydney SmithMinister of Foreign AffairsCommissioner of State ForestsAlfred RansomMinister of HealthAlexander YoungMinister of ImmigrationMinister of Industries and CommerceMinister of Internal AffairsAdam HamiltonMinister of Island TerritoriesMinister of JusticeMinister of LabourMinister of MarineMinister of MinesMinister of Native AffairsĀpirana NgataPostmaster-GeneralMinister of RailwaysMinister of WorksJohn BitchenerList of New Zealand governmentsNew Zealand Liberal PartyReform Party (New Zealand)Bassett, MichaelGovernments of New ZealandFitzgeraldForsaithSewellFox (first)Stafford (first)Fox (second)DomettWhitaker–FoxStafford (second)Fox (third)Stafford (third)WaterhouseFox (fourth)Vogel (first)PollenVogel (second)Continuous MinistryAtkinson (first)Atkinson (second)WhitakerAtkinson (third)Stout–Vogel (first)Atkinson (fourth)Stout–Vogel (second)Atkinson (fifth)LiberalFirst LabourFirst NationalSecond LabourSecond NationalThird LabourThird NationalFourth LabourFourth NationalFifth LabourFifth NationalSixth LabourFirst termSecond termSixth NationalReform PartyWilliam MasseyFrancis BellJames AllenWilliam NosworthyUnited PartyHistoric conservatism in New Zealand