Peter Fraser by @Thorvald (El Thorvaldo)

A Side 7 exclusive! Statue of Peter Fraser (1884–1950), 24th Prime Minister of New Zealand, outside the front entrance to the Government Buildings historic site in Wellington. Born in Scotland, Fraser emigrated to New Zealand in 1910 in search of work, joining the Socialist Party and facilitating the foundation of the unified Labour Party; he and several other party members were subsequently arrested on charges of sedition for opposing the First World War and advocating abolition of conscription. He was first elected to Parliament in 1918, distinguishing himself in combating the influenza epidemic, and became a cabinet minister under his friend and party ally Michael Joseph Savage when Labour won the national elections in 1935; as Minister of Health, Fraser established a universal healthcare programme in 1938. Following Savage's death in March 1940, Fraser became party leader; his prime ministership during World War II was characterized by an "authoritarian" leadership style that advocated, among other things, conscription. Post-war, he was an unofficial spokesman for smaller nations in the United Nations, and opposed the Security Council veto. Domestically, he took up (and renamed) the ministry of Maori Affairs in 1947, having previously passed legislation that opened up Maori control of their own welfare systems.

Original photo taken May 2014.