1947 Avon by-election

1947 Avon by-election
Turnout	13,035 (84.43%)
Member before election; Dan Sullivan; Labour	Elected Member ; John Mathison; Labour

The 1947 Avon by-election was a by-election held during the 28th New Zealand Parliament in the Christchurch electorate of Avon. The by-election occurred following the death of MP Dan Sullivan and was won by John Mathison.

Background

Dan Sullivan, who was first elected to represent Avon for the Labour Party in 1919, died on 8 April 1947.^[1] This triggered the Avon by-election, which occurred on 28 May 1947.^[2]

Candidates

Labour

There were six nominations for the Labour Party nomination:^[3]

Archie Grant, secretary of the Canterbury Trades Council of the Federation of Labour
Mrs. A. J. Jones, a charity worker and member of Labour's Aranui branch
Margaret Mackwell, the matron of the Glendower Maternity Hospital and member of the Canterbury Trained Nurses' Association
George Manning, a Christchurch City Councillor and secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Workers' Educational Association
John Mathison, a member of the Christchurch Transport Board and Labour candidate for Hurunui in 1946
Alan Williams, secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee and Labour candidate for Fendalton in 1946

Two other expected candidates, Jack Roberts and Alan Sharp, declined nomination. Roberts, president of both the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee and Canterbury Trades Council of the Federation of Labour, committed himself to union activities while Sharp (who was Labour's candidate for Selwyn in 1946) wished to run in Selwyn again at the next general election. With Roberts' declination Mathison was seen as the frontrunner for the nomination.^[4] Mathison was subsequently selected as Labour's nominee.^[5]

National

Dr. Robert Alexander McDowell, a medical doctor from Kaiapoi and representative of the Canterbury division on the council of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association, was the only nominee for the National Party candidacy. He was National candidate for Avon in 1946.^[6]^[7]

Others

John Ramby Robertson was an independent candidate. Robertson was a member of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) but his nomination was refused endorsement by DLP leader John A. Lee.^[8] Robertson had stood unsuccessfully as a DLP candidate for the Christchurch City Council in 1944.^[9]

The Communist Party decided not to put forward a candidate. The party's Christchurch secretary, Jack Locke, stated his party had no wish to embarrass the Government (whose policies they mostly supported) by drawing away votes.^[10]

Previous election

1946 general election: Avon^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Dan Sullivan	9,539	68.64	+7.44
	National	Robert Alexander McDowell	4,359	31.36
Majority			5,180	37.27	+5.83
Turnout			13,898	92.74	+2.11
Registered electors			15,092

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1947 Avon by-election^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	John Mathison	8,513	65.31
	National	Robert Alexander McDowell	4,422	33.92	+2.56
	Independent	John Ramby Robertson	100	0.77
Majority			4,091	31.38	−5.89
Turnout			13,035	84.43	−9.31
	Labour hold		Swing	−3.33

Mathison obtained 65.31% of the votes and was successful.^[11]

Notes

^ Watson, James (updated 22 June 2007). "Sullivan, Daniel Giles 1882 – 1947". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
^ Norton 1988, p. 3.
^ "Avon Seat – Six Labour Party Nominees". Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25174. The Press. 3 May 1947. p. 8.
^ "Labour Nominee for Avon". Vol. 67, no. 160. Ashburton Guardian. 19 April 1947. p. 3.
^ "Avon By-election – Mr. J. Mathison Selected". No. 26453. Otago Daily Times. 6 May 1947. p. 6.
^ "Avon By-election – Dr. McDowell willing to Stand". Vol. 67, no. 163. Ashburton Guardian. 23 April 1947. p. 5.
^ "The Avon Seat – National Party's Nominee". No. 26449. Otago Daily Times. 1 May 1947. p. 6.
^ "Avon By-Election". Vol. LXXII, no. 26109. Evening Star. 24 May 1947. p. 5 – via Papers Past.
^ "Christchurch City Council". The Press. Vol. LXXX, no. 24278. 8 June 1944. p. 7. Retrieved 15 February 2020 – via Papers Past.
^ "No Communist Party Candidate". Vol. LXXXIII, no. 25172. The Press. 1 May 1947. p. 6.
^ ^a ^b ^c Norton 1988, p. 195.

References

Norton, Clifford (1988). New Zealand parliamentary election results, 1946–1987. Wellington: Victoria University of Wellington Department of Political Science. ISBN 0-475-11200-8.