1933 Buller by-election
The Buller by-election of 1933 was a by-election during the 24th New Zealand Parliament in the electorate. It was held on Wednesday 22 November 1933. The seat had become vacant due to the death of Labour party leader Harry Holland who was also the leader of the opposition. Two candidates contested the seat, and it was won by Labour's Paddy Webb, who defeated Liberal-Labour candidate H. Ian Simson from Hawke's Bay. Candidates Labour There were four names nominated for the Labour Party candidacy. They were: Roy Holland, the advertising manager at the Maoriland Worker – son of Harry Holland John Smeaton, the president of the United Mine Workers Union Jim Thorn, a journalist and former President of the Labour Party (1929–31) Paddy Webb, a miner and former MP for (1913–18) Holland as well as Angus McLagan had declined to be candidates prior to the selection meeting. Webb was ultimately chosen as the official Labour candidate. Lib-Lab Horace Ian Simson, the former Mayor of Hastings and chairman of the Hawke's Bay Rivers Board, stood in the seat as a Liberal–Labour candidate. He campaigned on a platform of Seddon liberalism. He had previously stood as a candidate at the 1917 Hawkes Bay