One hundred and twenty-nine members of Parliament have died in office. The list makes for some sobering reading. Life expectancy was much shorter a hundred years ago and the recorded causes of death show why. Many deaths were from afflictions such as typhoid or gangrene which are either unheard of in New Zealand today or usually easily treated. A good number died in armed conflict from the New Zealand wars (William King was the first) through to the Second World War (where Brigadier James Hargest CBE, DSO & Two Bars was the last to die in action and was killed at Normandy - pictured below).

Many died “suddenly” or “after a short illness” which in many cases was likely to be heart disease – which is also the most common named cause. A careful reading of biographic sources suggests that lifestyle – overwork, drinking and the smoking that was endemic and the time would have been significant contributors to early deaths. Parliament may not be the healthiest workplace, but it appears to have been much worse in years gone by.

The first death that looks like a suicide is that of William Jackson who mysteriously disappeared overboard from a passenger ship the SS Rotorua on its way from New Plymouth to Onehunga. He disappeared during the night of 29/30 September 1889. While contemporaneous reports suggested he had got out of his cabin in the night due to sea sickness, he strangely did so fully dressed, including his boots. There is no report of stormy seas.

The suicide of William Larnach is well known – he blew his brains out in a select committee room on 12 October 1898. While there is suggestion that it was due to a scandal involving his third wife and youngest son, in reality he was financially ruined and had just been caught out voting on a banking bill (probably accidentally) in which he had an interest. There had been rumours that he was a stooge of the banks for some time. He was a proud man for whom appearances were everything (as Larnach Castle demonstrates) and this may have been the final straw.

Some deaths probably were accidental, such as that of Edward Smith who on 19 April 1907 “fell from a railway carriage”. Similarly, James Colvin was hit by a tram just outside Parliament (which was sitting at the time) at 10 pm on 29 October 1919. He was in his 75th year, so perhaps suicide is unlikely.

However, the death of Walter Powdrell was almost certainly suicide. He died after a fall from a building. He had previously been confined dues to having had a nervous breakdown and suffering from “neurasthenia” which was at the time a catch all phrase for “nervous” disorders – which we would today recognise as mental illness (probably severe depression). The coroner kindly found that there was no evidence either way as to whether the death was by accident or design.

George Black, was the MP for Motueka immediately prior to Keith Holyoake. His death left the coroner in no doubt. He took his own life by cyanide poison on 17 October 1932 aged only 28. He had previously been elected aged 24 and was the youngest MP in the House. While he seemed to be full of promise it appears, he suffered from severe depression and had previously been in a mental hospital.





This is a sobering observation – Parliament can be a brutal and isolating place. Moreover, by its nature it is more than just a workplace. It is all consuming and Members are constantly being judged by the opposition, their peers, the media and the electorate. Some MP’s have been public about their struggles such as Jamie Lee Ross and Chlöe Swarbrick. However, it can almost be expected that many others struggle with the impacts that the job have of their life, relationships and mental health.

It appears that more than passing research is required into some deaths. Roy Jack, speaker of the house, died in his office on Christmas Eve 1977 aged 63. No cause of death is immediately available. The same is the case for Bruce Barclay, a predecessor in my electorate of Christchurch Central who is simply recorded as dying in June 1979 at age 57. This is of course during living memory and it is understood that he had been sick for some time. Since then (only) four MP’s have died in office and all of clearly natural causes.

Our unacceptably high suicide rate is about 14 per 100 000 people. However, some very rough estimates suggest that the suicide rate of MP’s has been up to 5 of the 1436 individuals who have sat in the House of Representatives – or 350 per 100,000 – about 25 times higher.



