Editing Richard Seddon (section)

==Premiership==
[[Image:Richard John Seddon in Samoa 1897.jpg|thumb|Richard John Seddon and party in Samoa, 1897]]
[[File:Mahuta Tawhiao with Seddon, 1898.jpg|thumb|[[James Carroll (New Zealand politician)|James Carroll]] (second row, far right). Front row from left: Richard Seddon, [[Mahuta Tāwhiao]], Māori King. Second row from left: [[Tupu Atanatiu Taingakawa Te Waharoa|Tupu Taingakawa Te Waharoa]], Māori Kingmaker; [[Henare Kaihau]], MP. Taken at [[Huntly, New Zealand]] in 1898]]
{{see also|Liberal Government of New Zealand}}
Ballance fell seriously ill in 1892 and made Seddon acting leader of the House. After Ballance's death in April 1893, the Governor [[David Boyle, 7th Earl of Glasgow]] asked Seddon, as the acting leader of the house, to form a new ministry. Despite the refusal of [[William Pember Reeves]] and [[Thomas Mackenzie]] to accept his leadership, Seddon managed to secure the backing of his Liberal Party colleagues as interim leader, with an understanding being reached that a full vote would occur when Parliament resumed sitting.<ref name="nzhistory">{{cite web|author=Gavin McLean|url=http://www.nzhistory.govt.nz/people/richard-seddon|title=Richard Seddon – Biography|publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]]|website=nzhistory.govt.nz|access-date=5 February 2015|date=21 August 2014}}</ref> Seddon's most prominent challenger was [[Robert Stout]], a former Premier for two separate terms. Like Ballance, Stout had a strong belief in classical-liberal principles. Ballance himself had preferred Stout as his successor,<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Stout |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/sir-robert-stout |website=nzhistory.govt.nz |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |access-date=12 June 2019}}</ref> but had died before being able to secure this aim. Stout was not a member of the House of Representatives at the time of Ballance's death, and only re-entered following the [[1893 Inangahua by-election|by-election in Inangahua]] on 8 June 1893.

Despite Seddon's promise, however, there was no vote on the party leadership and therefore the premiership. By convincing his party colleagues that a leadership contest would split the party in two, or at least leave deep divisions, Seddon managed to secure a permanent hold on the leadership.<ref name="nzhistory"/> Stout continued to be one of his strongest critics and led the campaign for women's suffrage despite Seddon's opposition. Eventually Stout left the Liberal Party in 1896 and remained in the house as an independent until 1898. In 1899, however, Seddon recommended Stout to the Governor as the next [[Chief Justice of New Zealand]].

===Women's suffrage===
{{main|Women's suffrage in New Zealand}}
John Ballance, founder of the Liberal Party, had been a strong supporter of voting rights for women, declaring his belief in the "absolute equality of the sexes".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2b5/ballance-john|title=Story: Ballance, John|encyclopedia=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]|date=4 June 2013|access-date=7 January 2015}}</ref> At the time women's suffrage was closely linked to the [[Temperance movement in New Zealand|temperance movement]], which sought prohibition of alcohol. As a former publican and self-styled "Champion of the Common Man" Seddon initially opposed women's suffrage. In July 1893, two months after Seddon became Premier, the second of two major [[1893 Women's Suffrage Petition|petitions for women's suffrage]] was presented to the House.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/about-the-petition|title=Women and the vote Page 7 – About the suffrage petition|publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage|date=15 May 2019|access-date=13 June 2019}}</ref>

This resulted in considerable debate within the Liberal Party. [[John Hall (New Zealand politician)|John Hall]], a former conservative premier, moved a Bill to enact women's suffrage. Seddon's opponents within the party, led by Stout (also an advocate of temperance), managed to gather enough support for the Bill to be passed despite Seddon's opposition. When Seddon realised that the passage of the bill was inevitable, he changed his position, claiming to accept the people's will. In actuality, however, he took strong measures to ensure that the [[New Zealand Legislative Council|Legislative Council]] would vote down the Bill, as it had done previously. Seddon's tactics in lobbying the council were seen by many as underhand, and two Councillors, despite opposing suffrage, voted in favour of the bill in protest. The Bill was granted [[Royal Assent]] in September.

Nonetheless, at the [[1893 New Zealand general election|1893 general election]] in November, Seddon's Liberal Party managed to increase its majority.

===Alcohol licensing===
{{main|Alcohol in New Zealand}}
The debate on women's suffrage exposed deep divisions within the Liberal Party between more doctrinaire liberals, broadly led by Stout, and "popular" liberals, led by Seddon. This division was again highlighted by the debate over alcohol licensing. Seddon moved the radical Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Bill in 1893<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/1966/prohibition/page-4|title=PROHIBITION – The Act of 1893|publisher=[[An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand]]|date=1966|access-date=8 January 2015|last1=Hare |first1=Mclintock }}</ref> to introduce licensing districts where a majority could vote for continuance (continued liquor licensing in that district) or reduction of licences or no liquor licences at all. Votes were to be taken every three years at general elections and licensing districts were matched to electoral districts.
{{see also|New Zealand alcohol licensing referendums 1894–1987}}

===Old-age pensions===
One of the policies for which Seddon is most remembered is his Old-age Pensions Act of 1898, which established the basis of the [[welfare state]] later expanded by [[Michael Joseph Savage]] and the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]]. Seddon put considerable weight behind the scheme, despite considerable opposition from many quarters. Its successful passage is often seen as a testament to Seddon's political power and influence.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

===Foreign policy===
In the sphere of foreign policy, Seddon was a notable supporter of the [[British Empire]]. After he attended the [[First Colonial Conference|Colonial Conference in London in 1897]], he became known "as one of the pillars of British imperialism", and he was a strong supporter of the [[Second Boer War]] and sponsored preferential tariffs for trade with Britain. He is also noted for his support of New Zealand's own "imperial" designs – Seddon believed that New Zealand should play a major role in the [[Pacific Islands]] as a "Britain of the South". Seddon's plans focused mainly on establishing New Zealand dominion over [[Fiji]] and [[Samoa]]. However, his expansionist policies were discouraged by the [[British Government|Imperial Government]]. Only the [[Cook Islands]] came under New Zealand's control during his term in office.<ref name="ENZ 1966"/>

===Immigration===
{{Main|New Zealand head tax}}
Seddon was firmly opposed [[Chinese people|Chinese]] immigration to New Zealand, harbouring an ethnic prejudice against them stemming from his years in the goldfields.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Richard Seddon {{!}} NZHistory, New Zealand history online|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/richard-seddon|access-date=2021-12-25|website=nzhistory.govt.nz}}</ref>

Although Chinese immigrants were invited to New Zealand by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, prejudice against them quickly led to calls for restrictions on immigration. Following the example of anti-Chinese poll taxes enacted by California in 1852 and by Australian states in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s, [[John Hall (New Zealand)|John Hall]]'s government passed the Chinese Immigration Act 1881. This imposed a £10 tax per Chinese person entering New Zealand, and permitted only one Chinese immigrant for every 10 tons of cargo. Richard Seddon's government increased the tax to £100 per head in 1896 ($20,990 in modern [[New Zealand dollar]]s), and tightened the other restriction to only one Chinese immigrant for every 200 tons of cargo.

Seddon compared Chinese people to monkeys, and so used the [[Yellow Peril]] conspiracy theory to promote [[Racialism|racialist]] politics in New Zealand. In 1879, in his first political speech, Seddon said that New Zealand did not wish her shores "deluged with Asiatic Tartars. I would sooner address white men than these Chinese. You can't talk to them, you can't reason with them. All you can get from them is 'No savvy'."<ref name=":1">Burdon, Randal Mathews. ''King Dick: A Biography of Richard John Seddon'', Whitcombe & Tombs, 1955, p.43.</ref>

===Style of government===
[[File:Richard John Seddon addressing a Liberal rally at Greytown, late 1890s.jpg|thumb|left|Seddon (far right) addressing a Liberal rally in [[Greytown, New Zealand|Greytown]], late 1890s]]
[[File:Richard John Seddon, Vanity Fair, 1902-04-17.jpg|right|thumb|Seddon caricatured by How for [[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|''Vanity Fair'']], 1902]]
Seddon was a strong premier, and enforced his authority with great vigour. At one point, he even commented that "A president is all we require", and that [[New Zealand Cabinet|Cabinet]] could be abolished. His opponents, both within the Liberal Party and in opposition, accused him of being an autocrat – the label "King Dick" was first applied to him at this point.

Seddon accumulated a large number of portfolios for himself, including that of [[Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance]] (from which he displaced [[Joseph Ward]]), [[Minister of Labour (New Zealand)|Minister of Labour]] (from which he displaced [[William Pember Reeves]]), [[Minister of Education (New Zealand)|Minister of Education]], [[Minister of Defence (New Zealand)|Minister of Defence]], [[Minister of Māori Affairs|Minister of Native Affairs]], and [[Minister of Immigration (New Zealand)|Minister of Immigration]].

Seddon was also accused of [[cronyism]] – his friends and allies, particularly those from the West Coast, were given various political positions, while his enemies within the Liberal Party were frequently denied important office. Many of Seddon's appointees were not qualified for the positions that they received – Seddon valued loyalty above ability. One account, possibly apocryphal, claims that he installed an ally as a senior civil servant despite the man being illiterate. He was also accused of [[nepotism]] – in 1905, it was claimed that one of his sons had received an unauthorised payment, but this claim was proved false.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Sir [[Carl Berendsen]] recalled seeing Seddon in 1906 as a Department of Education junior innocently bearing what was an unwelcome document. A replacement was needed for a small native school. The inspectors had picked out three outstanding candidates, but Seddon picked out the last on the lengthy list; he had no academic qualifications and had just been released from gaol for embezzlement. When the Premier appointed the gentlemen from gaol, Departmental officials returned the papers and called attention to his criminal record. Berendsen cowered in the corner while with a snarl Seddon grasped his pen and wrote once more in very large letters, "Appoint Mr X". Berendsen noted though that when an Editor was required for the new School Journal, Departmental officials had agreed on the best man, but the Massey Government (which had replaced the Liberal Government) was "quite shameless in devotion to the principle of the loaves and fishes... and the Minister of the day appointed the third choice".{{sfn|Berendsen|2009|pp=50, 56}}

As Minister of Native Affairs, Seddon took a generally "sympathetic" but "[[paternalism|paternalistic]]" approach. As Minister of Immigration, he was well known for his hostility to Chinese immigration – the so-called "[[Yellow Peril]]" was an important part of his populist rhetoric, and he compared Chinese people to monkeys. In his first political speech in 1879 he had declared New Zealand did not wish her shores to be "deluged with Asiatic Tartars. I would sooner address white men than these Chinese. You can't talk to them, you can't reason with them. All you can get from them is 'No savvy'."{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}

Successive governments had also shown a lack of firmness in dealing with Māori, he said: "The colony, instead of importing [[Gatling gun]]s with which to fight Maori, should wage war with locomotives"... pushing through roads and railways and compulsorily purchasing "the land on both sides".{{sfn|Scott|1975|loc=chpt. 10<!-- the loc parameter should really be replace with a page range, e.g. "pp=72–86" -->}}