PIONEER OF LABOUR MOVEMENT

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 September 1947, Page 5

PIONEER OF LABOUR MOVEMENT

Mr O’Brien was born at Forest Creek, Victoria, 72 years ago. He was educated at the public school and the Castlemaine Grammar School, and worked as a shop assistant and later in mining, engineering and prospecting in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and New Guinea. He came to the West Coast from Australia 44 years ago and since then had been closely associated with the district.. After some years in gold mining at Reefton, Mr O’Brien came to Runanga, where he became an engine-driver at the Liverpool State mine, a position he occupied for 15 years. While employed at the mine he was twice president of the Westland Engine Drivers’ Union. Early Days in Movement From his association with the trade union movement there naturally followed development of his interest in national politics and with Mr R. Semple, Mr P. C. Webb, and Mr P. Hickey, Mr O’Brien was active in the evolution of the platform and constitution of the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr O’Brien contested the Westland election in 1919 and was defeated by the sitting member, Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, by a large majority. In 1922, with four candidates in the field, he was elected, but in a,straightout contest he ran Mr Seddon to the casting vote of the returning officer in the 1925 election, and Mr Seddon received the casting vote. Mi O’Brien defeated Mr Seddon in 1928 and after that he was re-elected at succeeding elections with big majorities.

Labour in Office

When the Labour Government took office in 1935 Mr O’Brien was offered

the portfolio of Minister of Mines, but he declined in favour of Mr P. C. Webb. Mr O’Brien first became a Minister in 1942 when he was allotted the portfolios of Transport, and Marine, and was also placed in charge of Government Printing. When Mr Webb’s health declined Mr O’Brien was given the portfolios of Mines, Labour, and Immigration. The first two of these he held for over two years. Mr O’Brien had a lengthy association with the Parliament of New Zealand, but one of the achievements of which he was most proud was his part in the Social Security legislation. He was always interested in the welfare of the aged, the sick, and the invalid, and he introduced in 1930 an Invalid Pension Bill, which became law in 1936.

Local Body Politics

He was a former president of the Greymouth branch of the Labour Party, and the Labour Representation Committee, a member of the Runanga Borough Council, and for eight years a member of the Greymouth .Borough Council, being Deputy Mayor of Greymouth for three years. He was a member of the Grey Electric Power Board for four years, and for two years president of the Runanga Co-operative Society. Mr O’Brien was one of the men mainly responsible for the establishment of the Grey River Argus as a Labour newspaper, and was associated with it from 1920, first as manager and later as secretary and publisher.

Mr O’Brien married in 1909, his wife being formerly Miss Kate Flaherty, of Greymouth, who survives him.