George Black (politician)

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George Charles Cecil Black (1904-1932) was an Independent Member of Parliament for Motueka, in the South Island of New Zealand.

[edit] Member of Parliament

George Black represented the Motueka electorate in the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1928 to 1932.

In the 1928 election, aged only 24, the former Parliamentary Clerk of Committees stood as a United Party candidate and follower of Sir Joseph Ward and was successful.

In Parliament, George Black refused to support the Finance Bill that proposed cuts to public service salaries [1], and he also opposed the decision to suspend construction of the Kawatiri - Inangahua railway line that ran through his electorate.[2]. Black resigned from the United Party, the only member to do so, saying: "no genuine supporter of the late Prime Minister", Sir Joseph Ward, could uphold such measures.

At the 1931 election, the bright and well-regarded local MP was elected as an Independent. He was associated with Harry Atmore, the Independent MP for the neighbouring Nelson Electorate[3]

In October 1932, George Black committed suicide with cyanide poison at Makara Beach.

[edit] References

  1. ^ New Zealand Herald, 31 March 1931, n.p. 
  2. ^ New Zealand Parliamentary Digest 227: 277 
  3. ^ Courtney, Simon D. (n.d.), Harry Atmore: Independent in Politics [B.A. (Hons.) - University of Canterbury], p. 3 

[edit] Further Reading

  • Courtney, Simon D. (n.d.), Harry Atmore: Independent in Politics [B.A. (Hons.) - University of Canterbury] 
  • Habershon, Richard G. (1958), A Study in Politics: 1928-31 [MA - University of Auckland] 


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