James O'Brien (New Zealand politician)

O'Brien was born in 1874 at Forest Creek, near Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia. His parents of Irish descent were Terence O’Brien, a miner, and Bridget O’Leary. He was christened Peter James, but his first name was never used; many knew him as Jim or Briney. After having worked as a miner in various Australian states, O'Brien emigrated to New Zealand in 1904 and found employment as a coalminer in Reefton.{{DNZB|Richardson|Len|4o1|O'Brien, James|21 January 2012}} O'Brien became active in the socialist circles that developed on the West Coast. He became president of the Westland Certificated Engine-drivers' and Firemen's Union, and was the president of the Runanga Co-operative Society.

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|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1928}}

|end = 1931

|term = 23rd

|electorate = Westland

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|term = 24th

|electorate = Westland

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1935}}

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|term = 25th

|electorate = Westland

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1938}}

|end = 1943

|term = 26th

|electorate = Westland

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1943}}

|end = 1946

|term = 27th

|electorate = Westland

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|end = 1947

|term = 28th

|electorate = Westland

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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Standing on a socialist ticket, he was voted onto the inaugural Runanga Borough Council in 1912. In 1913, he supported Paddy Webb's successful by-election campaign in the {{NZ electorate link|Grey}} electorate for the Social Democratic Party, and later became the president of the Runanga branch of the party. He was a member of the Greymouth Borough Council for eight years and he was deputy mayor for three of them. He was also a member of the Grey Power Board. O'Brien was twice president of the Grey branch of the Labour Party and helped to establish the Grey River Argus as a Labour daily newspaper.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19470929.2.20 |work =Otago Daily Times |title=Political Career |issue=26578 |date=29 September 1947 |page=4 }}

He represented the Westland electorate in Parliament from the {{NZ election link|1922}}, when he defeated Tom Seddon.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=129}} He lost the electorate in the {{NZ election link|1925}} to Tom Seddon, but won it back in {{NZ election link year|1928}}, and held it to 1947, when he died.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=129}} He was the senior Government whip from 1939 until his promotion to the cabinet in 1942.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=280–281}}

He was a Minister in the First Labour Government. He was Minister of Transport (9 December 1942 – 28 September 1947), Minister of Marine (9 December 1942 – 28 September 1947), Minister of Labour (27 June 1946 – 19 December 1946) and Minister of Mines (27 June 1946 – 19 December 1946).{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=51}} He remained an MP until his death, which caused a by-election held in December 1947 that was won by Labour's Jim Kent.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=210}}

In 1935, he was awarded the King George V Silver Jubilee Medal.{{cite news | url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19350506.2.12 | title=Official jubilee medals | date=6 May 1935 | volume=CXIX | issue=105 | work=The Evening Post | access-date=17 November 2013 | page=4}}

O'Brien married Kate Teresa Flaherty on 29 June 1909 in Greymouth. He died in Wellington on 28 September 1947. His wife survived him; they had no children.

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• {{Cite book |last= Scholefield |first= Guy |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 |author-link=Guy Scholefield |edition=3rd |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1950 |publisher=Govt. Printer |location= Wellington }}
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103}}

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Category:1874 births

Category:1947 deaths

Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs

Category:Social Democratic Party (New Zealand) politicians

Category:Members of the Cabinet of New Zealand

Category:New Zealand people of Irish descent

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:New Zealand MPs for South Island electorates

Category:Australian emigrants to New Zealand

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1919 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1925 New Zealand general election

Category:People from Castlemaine, Victoria