Matthew Oram - Political Career

Political Career

Oram was on the Palmerston North Borough Council (1920–1927). In the 1935 election, he was a candidate of the anti-Labour Democrat Party in the Manawatu electorate. The Democrats stood 50 candidates in the 1935 election, but none of them were successful. Their main effect was to split the vote on the right, resulting in several electorates going to Labour. This may well have happened in Manawatu, where Labour's Clifford Hunter unseated Reform's Joseph Linklater by a margin of just 30 votes (2962 votes versus 2932), with Oram coming fourth (673 votes). In 1936, the Democrats merged with other parties to form the National Party, contributing the most conservative perspective.

Oram did not stand in the 1938 election.

When John Cobbe retired from Parliament in 1943, Oram won National's nomination for the Manawatu electorate. He beat Labour's candidate, Corporal W. H. Oliver, by a considerable margin (6194 votes versus 3883), with an Independent coming a distant third. Oram held the Manawatu electorate until his retirement in 1957. During his first two parliamentary terms, when the Labour Party was in government, Oram was a frequent debater and advocated for better education.

When National came to power in the 1949 election, many expected Oram to become Minister of Education. However, the portfolio was given to Ronald Algie, who held it until 1957. Oram had a strained relationship with Sidney Holland, the Prime Minister, was considered too conservative and together with a sometimes difficult personality, these factors may not have worked in his favour.

When Parliament first assembled after the election in June 1950, Oram was elected Speaker of the House. In 2009, the political weekly Trans Tasman called Lockwood Smith "probably the best Speaker since National’s Matthew Oram". He held the role of Speaker until his retirement from Parliament on 29 October 1957. He executed the role in a fair and effective way. In 1952, during his time as Speaker, he received a knighthood.