Alexander Donald McLeod was a Reform Party

New Zealand Reform Party

The Reform Party, formally the New Zealand Political Reform League, was New Zealand's second major political party, having been founded as a conservative response to the original Liberal Party...

 Member of Parliament in the Wairarapa

Wairarapa

Wairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest...

 region of New Zealand. He was Minister of Lands (1924–28) and Industries and Commerce (1926–28) in the Reform Government

Reform Government of New Zealand

The Reform Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1912 to 1928. It is perhaps best remembered for its anti-trade union stance in the Waihi miners' strike of 1912 and a dockworkers' strike the following year...

.

Member of Parliament

Alexander McLeod won the Wairarapa

Wairarapa (New Zealand electorate)

Wairarapa is a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate. It was first created in 1859 and existed until 1881. It was recreated in 1887 and has since existed continuously...

 electorate in the 1919 general election, and held it to 1928

New Zealand general election, 1928

The New Zealand general election of 1928 was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates, and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 23rd session of the New Zealand Parliament...

, when he was defeated. He won the seat back in 1931

New Zealand general election, 1931

The 1931 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 24th term. It resulted in the newly formed coalition between the United Party and the Reform Party remaining in office as the Liberal-Reform Government, although the opposition Labour...

, and retired in 1935

New Zealand general election, 1935

The 1935 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 25th term. It resulted in the Labour Party's first electoral victory, with Michael Joseph Savage becoming the first Labour Prime Minister...

.

Independent

Alex McLeod was elected as a 'Coalition Independent' in 1931 (see Bassett, 'Three Party Politics' p. 67; Habershon, p. 122 & p. 138; Wilson, p. 217 describes him, in 1931, as Independent Reform). He was a close associate of Gordon Coates

Gordon Coates

Joseph Gordon Coates, MC and bar served as the 21st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1925 to 1928.- Early life :Born on the Hukatere Peninsula in Kaipara Harbour where his family ran a farm, Coates took on significant responsibility at a relatively early age because his father suffered from...

(Bassett, 'Coates of Kaipara').