Early Political Career
Nash had briefly been involved with the first Labour Party, established in 1911, but this association had been interrupted by his financial difficulties. In 1918, however, he helped to establish the New Plymouth branch of the modern New Zealand Labour Party and he became highly active. The following year Nash was elected to the party's national executive.
In 1920 Nash and his wife travelled to Europe, attending various socialist conferences. When they returned to New Zealand, in January 1921, Nash was fined for importing "seditious literature". Despite the reputation that this fine gave him, among his fellow socialists, Nash was one of the more moderate members of the Labour Party.
A year after he had returned to Wellington, in 1922, Nash was elected national secretary of the Labour Party. On arrival the party was found to have an all up debt of £220. The debt was settles when - together with Nash's own loan - John Glover (manager of Maori Lands) lent some £100 interest free.
He is often credited with turning the Labour Party into a fully functioning entity; establishing an efficient organisational structure and paying off the party's debts. Following his announcement of "FIFTY THOUSAND SHILLINGS AND FIFTY THOUSAND MEMBERS IN THREE MONTHS" in the Maorilands Worker he worked hard to increase the party's membership.
Nash stood for election in the Hutt electorate in the 1925 elections and 1928 elections but was not successful until the 1929 by-election. He also contested the Wellington mayoralty. In Parliament Nash became one of Labour's main finance spokesmen.
Read more about this topic: Walter Nash
Famous quotes containing the words early, political and/or career:
“In early times, before the floods swept across the world, there was life, albeit odd, as one can see from the fossils of mammoth bones, and there was the regime of Prince Metternich.”
—Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)
“Every community is an association of some kind and every community is established with a view to some good; for everyone always acts in order to obtain that which they think good. But, if all communities aim at some good, the state or political community, which is the highest of all, and which embraces all the rest, aims at good in a greater degree than any other, and at the highest good.”
—Aristotle (384–323 B.C.)
“The 19-year-old Diana ... decided to make her career that of wife. Today that can be a very, very iffy line of work.... And what sometimes happens to the women who pursue it is the best argument imaginable for teaching girls that they should always be able to take care of themselves.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)