Fred Jones (politician)

Not to be confused with Frederic Jones.

Hon. Fred Jones MP
19th Minister of Defence
In office 6 December 1935 – 13 December 1949
Prime Minister	Michael Joseph Savage Peter Fraser
Preceded by	John Cobbe
Succeeded by	Tom Macdonald
Personal details
Born	c.1885 Dunedin, New Zealand
Died	1966
Profession	Cobbler

Frederick (Fred) Jones (c.1885–1966) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament and the Defence Minister during World War II.

Biography

Early life

Prior to entering Parliament, Jones was a bootmaker and trade unionist.

Member of Parliament

Parliament of New Zealand
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1931–1935	24th	Dunedin South		Labour
1935–1938	25th	Dunedin South		Labour
1938–1943	26th	Dunedin South		Labour
1943–1946	27th	Dunedin South		Labour
1946–1949	28th	St Kilda		Labour
1949–1951	29th	St Kilda		Labour

Fred Jones was the Member of Parliament for two Dunedin electorates: Dunedin South from 1931 to 1946, and then St Kilda from 1946 to 1951 when he was defeated, and was also defeated in 1954.

He was Minister of Defence from 1935 to 1949, and Postmaster-General between 1935 and 1940 in the First Labour Government.

He was a member of the Dunedin City Council (1933–1937; 1950–1958), and was Deputy Mayor of Dunedin 1935–1937 and 1953–1956. Jones had previously contested the Mayoralty as the Labour candidate in 1928 unsuccessfully.

Later in life, he was the High Commissioner to Australia 1958–1960.

External links

• The Minister of Defence with army officers in the Middle East, 1943 (picture)