John Stewart (New Zealand politician)

Stewart was born in Greenock, Scotland and served in the British Army during World War I.{{cite news |title=Former MP dies in Auckland |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=16 February 1973 |page=2}} He then emigrated to New Zealand when he was 24.{{cite news |title=Candidates' Careers |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=17 November 1950 |page=5 }} He later gained employment with the Auckland Transport Board as a clerk.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19430826.2.19.1 |title=Kaipara Seat |newspaper=Evening Post |date=26 August 1943 |page=3 }}

During World War II he joined the military and was given a staff job as his medical grading prevented him from going abroad. At the end of 1942 he was released from service.

In 1935 he was elected to the Auckland City Council on a Labour Party ticket where he was chairman of the Library Committee.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19350514.2.180.4 |title=Electoral |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=14 May 1935 |volume=LXXII |issue=22108 |page=16 }} In both 1933 and 1938 Stewart was defeated standing for the City Council.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19330504.2.118.3? |title=City Council Contest |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |date=4 May 1933 |volume=LXX |issue=21482 |access-date=10 May 2017 |page=11 }}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19380518.2.8.2 |title=Election of Mayor |newspaper=The New Zealand Herald |date=18 May 1938 |volume=LXXV |issue=23040 |page=5 }} He was also a member of the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board. In both the 1950 and 1956 local elections as well as a 1957 by-election he was the Labour Party's candidate for the Auckland mayoralty, placing second, third and second respectively.{{sfn|Edgar|2012|pp=}} He initially intended to stand a mayoral candidate in 1953 as well. He was selected as Labour's nominee but later withdrew his candidacy.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19530415.2.130 |title=Mayoralty of Auckland - Candidature of Mr J. S. Stewart, M.P. |work=The Press |date=15 April 1953 |volume=LXXXIX |issue=27015 |page=11 }}{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19530529.2.19 |title=Auckland Local Body Polls - Labour to Contest All Seats |work=The Press |date=29 May 1953 |volume=LXXXIX |issue=27052 |page=3 }}

Stewart was present as a delegate at the 1940 Labour Party Annual Conference. Whilst in attendance Stewart seconded {{NZ electorate link|Auckland East}} MP Bill Schramm's successful motion to expel John A. Lee from the party.{{sfn|Franks|McAloon|2016|pp=111}} Later that year he stood for the Labour nomination at the Auckland West by-election following the death of Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage, but lost to Peter Carr.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19400426.2.86 |title=Mr. Carr Is Labour Choice For Auckland W. |newspaper=Northern Advocate |date=26 April 1940 |access-date=16 January 2019 |page=7}} Stewart then became chair of the Tamaki electorate committee and later Vice-President of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee.

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Stewart was selected as the official Labour candidate for {{NZ electorate link|Remuera}} in the scheduled 1941 general election. He later contested the {{NZ electorate link|Kaipara}} electorate in the {{NZ election link|1943}}, but lost to Clifton Webb.{{cite news | title=Electoral | url= https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19431013.2.49.6 | accessdate=15 May 2017 | work=The New Zealand Herald | volume=80 | issue=24713 | date=13 October 1943 | page=5}} He then contested {{NZ electorate link|Marsden}} in {{NZ election link|1946}} unsuccessfully.

He then represented the {{NZ electorate link|Arch Hill}} electorate in Auckland from {{NZ election link year|1951}} to 1954 following the retirement of Bill Parry. In parliament Stewart became an agitator against the leadership of Walter Nash and successfully moved the motion in caucus to have a leadership election in mid-1954. Despite Stewart's efforts to replace Nash with Arnold Nordmeyer Nash was re-elected.{{sfn|Sinclair|1976|pp=293-4}} The Arch Hill electorate was then absorbed into neighbouring electorates, and he was defeated in {{NZ election link year|1954}}, standing for Eden.{{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher= V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103 |page=236}} Stewart was first on election night, with a provisional lead of 172, but after the 1,300 postal votes were counted he lost by a mere 8 votes to National's Duncan Rae.{{cite news |title=Surprises in New Seats |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=15 November 1954 |page=9 }} At the 1956 Labour Party annual conference he challenged Mick Moohan for the party presidency, but was defeated in the delegate ballot.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19560510.2.134 |title=Labour Party Officers - Mr Moohan Re-elected President |work=The Press |date=10 May 1956 |volume=XCIII |issue=27964 |page=15 }} At the 1957 conference he again challenged Moohan, but was again unsuccessful.{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19570508.2.33 |title=Labour Party Officers - Mr Moohan Again President |work=The Press |date=8 May 1957 |volume=XCV |issue=28271 |page=5 }}

After leaving parliament he returned to work as a clerk at the Auckland City Council until he retired in 1966.

He died on 5 February 1973. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book |first=John |last=Edgar |title=Urban Legend: Sir Dove-Meyer Robinson |publisher=Hodder Moa |year=2012 }}
• {{cite book |last1 = Franks |first1 = Peter |last2 = McAloon |first2 = Jim |title = Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916–2016 |year = 2016 |publisher = Victoria University Press |location = Wellington |isbn = 978-1-77656-074-5}}
• {{cite book |first=Keith |last=Sinclair |author-link=Keith Sinclair |title=Walter Nash |place=Auckland, New Zealand |publisher=Oxford |year=1976 |isbn=0-19-647949-5 }}

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Category:1902 births

Category:1973 deaths

Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates

Category:Auckland City Councillors

Category:People from Greenock

Category:British emigrants to New Zealand

Category:British Army personnel of World War I

Category:New Zealand military personnel of World War II

Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1943 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1946 New Zealand general election

Category:Unsuccessful candidates in the 1954 New Zealand general election