Patrick O'Regan (politician)

Patrick Joseph O'Regan (6 February 1869 – 24 April 1947) was a Member of Parliament for Inangahua and Buller, in the South Island of New Zealand. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council.

Patrick O'Regan
O'Regan c. 1940
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Inangahua
In office
1893–1896
Preceded byRobert Stout
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Buller
In office
1896–1899
Preceded byRoderick McKenzie
Succeeded byJames Colvin
Personal details
Born
Patrick Joseph O'Regan

(1869-02-06)6 February 1869
Charleston, New Zealand
Died24 April 1947(1947-04-24) (aged 78)
Wellington, New Zealand
Political partyLiberal
Spouse(s)
Clara Emma Haycock
(
m. 1898)
Children6
RelativesRolland O'Regan (son)
Tipene O'Regan (grandson)
Hana O'Regan (great-granddaughter)

Early life

O'Regan was born in Charleston, on the West Coast of New Zealand to Patrick O'Regan (an Irish immigrant and goldminer) and his wife Mary.

Political career
New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1893–1896 12th Inangahua Liberal
1896–1899 13th Buller Liberal

O'Regan represented Inangahua (1893–1896) and Buller (1896–1899) in the New Zealand House of Representatives. He was defeated in the 1899 election when he stood for re-election in Buller.[1]

He was involved with the Knights of Labour and Henry George's Single Tax Movement. In 1896, O'Regan introduced the Proportional Representation Bill into Parliament: it failed to carry the second reading by only 6 votes.[2]

A lawyer by profession, O'Regan represented striking workers in 1913 and conscientious objectors charged with sedition in World War I.

O'Regan supported Labour's Peter Fraser in the 1918 by-election in Wellington Central and Harry Holland in the 1918 by-election in Wellington North. However, he did not join the Labour Party.[3]

O'Regan was made a judge of the Court of Arbitration in 1937 and a member of the Legislative Council on 9 September 1946 and he held that position for the few months until his death in Wellington on 24 April 1947.[4][5]

He was the father of surgeon and activist Rolland O'Regan.

Further reading
  • The New Zealand Liberals: the Years of Power 1891-1912 by David Hamer (1988, Auckland University Press, Auckland)
  • The Parliamentary Record: 1840–1984 by J.O. Wilson (1985, Government Printer, Wellington)
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References
  1. "The General Election, 1899". Wellington: Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 19 June 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 1 November 2012.
  2. Yesterdays in Golden Buller, by Ella Matthews, p. 203, 1999, Cadsonbury Publications
  3. Labour's Path to Political Independence: the Origins and Establishment of the NZ Labour Party 1900-1919 by Barry Gustafson (1980, Oxford University Press, Auckland), p. 163
  4. Scholefield, Guy (1950) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 (3rd ed.). Wellington: Government Printer. p. 82.
  5. Sweetman, Rory. "O'Regan, Patrick Joseph". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
New Zealand Parliament
Preceded by
Robert Stout		 Member of Parliament for Inangahua
1893–1896		 Constituency abolished
Preceded by
Roderick McKenzie		 Member of Parliament for Buller
1896–1899		 Succeeded by
James Colvin
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