Gordon Coates

The Right Honourable Joseph Gordon Coates MC*
Coates in 1931
21st Prime Minister of New Zealand
In office 30 May 1925 – 10 December 1928
Monarch	George V
Governor‑General	Charles Fergusson
Preceded by	Francis Bell
Succeeded by	Sir Joseph Ward
26th Minister of Finance
In office 28 January 1933 – 6 December 1935
Prime Minister	George Forbes
Preceded by	William Downie Stewart Jr
Succeeded by	Walter Nash
11th Leader of the Opposition
In office 10 December 1928 – 22 September 1931
Preceded by	Sir Joseph Ward
Succeeded by	Harry Holland
21st Minister of Native Affairs
In office 7 February 1921 – 10 December 1928
Prime Minister	William Massey Francis Bell Himself
Preceded by	William Herries
Succeeded by	Āpirana Ngata
16th Postmaster-General
In office 4 September 1919 – 30 May 1925
Prime Minister	William Massey Francis Bell
Preceded by	Sir Joseph Ward
Succeeded by	James Parr
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Kaipara
In office 14 December 1911 – 27 May 1943
Preceded by	John Stallworthy
Succeeded by	Clifton Webb
Personal details
Born	(1878-02-03)3 February 1878 Hukatere, New Zealand
Died	27 May 1943(1943-05-27) (aged 65) Wellington, New Zealand
Political party	Reform
Spouse	Marjorie Grace Coles ​ ​ (m. 1914)​
Children	5
Awards	MC and bar
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	New Zealand Army
Years of service	1916–18
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	World War I

Joseph Gordon Coates MC* PC (3 February 1878 – 27 May 1943) served as the 21st prime minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928. He was the third successive Reform prime minister since 1912.

Born in rural Northland, Coates grew up on a farm, which he took charge of at a young age due to his father's mental illness, before becoming a member of Parliament in 1911. He maintained a focus on farming issues and stood as an independent candidate. After distinguished service during World War I, he was appointed as Minister of Justice and Postmaster-General in the Reform government of William Massey (1919); he served as Minister of Public Works (1920–26) and Native Affairs (1921–28) and became prime minister in 1925 on Massey's death.

Defeated in the elections of 1928, Coates returned to government in 1931 as the key figure in the coalition government of George Forbes. Serving as Minister of Public Works (1931–33) and of Finance (1933–35), he instituted rigorous policies to combat the economic depression of the 1930s. He became a member of Peter Fraser's War Administration from 1940, serving as Minister of Armed Forces and War Co-ordination until his death.