Peter Fraser

The Right Honourable Peter Fraser CH
Fraser c. 1942
24th Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 27 March 1940 – 13 December 1949
Monarch	George VI
Governor-General	George Monckton-Arundell Cyril Newall Bernard Freyberg
Preceded by	Michael Joseph Savage
Succeeded by	Sidney Holland
15th Leader of the Opposition
In office 13 December 1949 – 12 December 1950
Prime Minister	Sidney Holland
Deputy	Walter Nash
Preceded by	Sidney Holland
Succeeded by	Walter Nash
4th Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party
In office 1 April 1940 – 12 December 1950
Deputy	Walter Nash
Preceded by	Michael Joseph Savage
Succeeded by	Walter Nash
Other Ministerial roles 14th Minister of Police In office 6 December 1935 – 13 December 1949 Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage Himself Preceded by John Cobbe Succeeded by Sidney Holland 11th Minister of Health In office 6 December 1935 – 30 April 1940 Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage Himself Preceded by Alexander Young Succeeded by Tim Armstrong 22nd Minister of Education In office 6 December 1935 – 30 April 1940 Prime Minister Michael Joseph Savage Himself Preceded by Sydney Smith Succeeded by Rex Mason
4th President of the Labour Party
In office 12 July 1920 – 15 July 1921
Vice President	Frederick Cooke
Preceded by	Tom Paul
Succeeded by	Frederick Cooke
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Brooklyn
In office 27 November 1946 – 12 December 1950
Preceded by	seat created
Succeeded by	Arnold Nordmeyer
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Wellington Central
In office 3 October 1918 – 27 November 1946
Preceded by	Robert Fletcher
Succeeded by	Charles Chapman
Personal details
Born	(1884-08-28)28 August 1884 Hill of Fearn, Scotland
Died	12 December 1950(1950-12-12) (aged 66) Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Labour (1916–50) Social Democratic (1913–16) Socialist (1910–13)
Spouse	Janet Henderson Munro ​ ​ (m. 1919; died 1945)​
Profession	Stevedore, politician
Signature

This article is part of a series about Peter Fraser
Early life and career Member for Wellington Central 1918 Wellington Central by-election Electoral history Leader of the Labour Party 1940 leadership election Lee affair Prime Minister of New Zealand World War II Canberra Pact UNCIO conference Post-war consensus State housing scheme Statute of Westminster Adoption Elections 1943 general election 1946 general election 1949 general election
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Peter Fraser CH PC (/ˈfreɪzər/; 28 August 1884 – 12 December 1950) was a New Zealand politician who served as the 24th prime minister of New Zealand from 27 March 1940 until 13 December 1949. Considered a major figure in the history of the New Zealand Labour Party, he was in office longer than any other Labour prime minister, and is to date New Zealand's fourth-longest-serving head of government.

Born and raised in the Scottish Highlands, Fraser left education early in order to support his family. While working in London in 1908, Fraser joined the Independent Labour Party, but unemployment led him to emigrate to New Zealand in 1910. On arrival in Auckland, he gained employment as a wharfie and became involved in union politics upon joining the New Zealand Socialist Party. In 1916, Fraser was involved in the foundation of the unified Labour Party. He spent one year in jail for sedition after speaking out against conscription during the First World War. In 1918, Fraser won a Wellington by-election and entered the House of Representatives.

Fraser became a cabinet minister in 1935, serving under Michael Joseph Savage. He held several portfolios and had a particular interest in education, which he considered vital for social reform. As Minister of Health, he introduced the Social Security Act 1938, which established a universal health care service. Fraser became the Leader of the Labour Party and prime minister in 1940, following Savage's death in office.

Fraser is best known for leading the country during the Second World War when he mobilised New Zealand supplies and volunteers to support Britain while boosting the economy and maintaining home front morale. He formed a war cabinet which included several erstwhile political opponents. Labour suffered significant losses in the 1943 election, though the party retained its majority.

Following the war, Fraser was active in the affairs of the 'new' Commonwealth and is credited with increasing New Zealand's international stature. Fraser led his party to its fourth successive election victory in 1946, albeit with a further reduced majority. The after-effects of the war, including ongoing shortages, were affecting his government's popularity. Labour lost the 1949 election and Fraser's government was succeeded by the first National Party government.