Member of Parliament
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1911–1914 | 18th | Grey Lynn | Independent | |
| 1914–1919 | 19th | Grey Lynn | Independent | |
In the 1911 general election, Payne stood for Parliament, contesting the seat of Grey Lynn on a left-wing platform. Among his proposals were free tertiary education, legislation to increase the power of workers, an expansion of social welfare, a state bank, and the abolition of the Legislative Council. He was elected, defeating George Fowlds of the Liberal Party in a run-off.
In Parliament, Payne supported the Liberals, despite apparently having agreed to support the Reform Party in exchange for their backing in the Grey Lynn run-off. Accusations were made that he had been bribed, and although these were later withdrawn, Payne's relationship with Reform was severely damaged. In 1913, when the Social Democratic Party was established, Payne unofficially allied himself with it, but did not join. In the 1914 election, Payne was re-elected with Social Democrat support—along with two Social Democrats and three members of the United Labour Party, Payne was part of the loose left-wing grouping in Parliament.
Read more about this topic: John Payne (politician)
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