Entry To Parliament
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1879–1881 | 7th | Hokitika | Independent | |
| 1881–1884 | 8th | Kumara | Independent | |
| 1884–1887 | 9th | Kumara | Independent | |
| 1887–1890 | 10th | Kumara | Independent | |
| 1890–1893 | 11th | Westland | Liberal | |
| 1893–1896 | 12th | Westland | Liberal | |
| 1896–1899 | 13th | Westland | Liberal | |
| 1899–1902 | 14th | Westland | Liberal | |
| 1902–1905 | 15th | Westland | Liberal | |
| 1905–1906 | 16th | Westland | Liberal | |
Seddon first sought election to the New Zealand Parliament in the 1876 elections, standing for the seat of Hokitika, but was unsuccessful. In the 1879 elections, he tried again, and was elected. He represented Hokitika to 1881, then Kumara from 1881 to 1890, then Westland from 1890 to 1906 (when he died).
In Parliament, Seddon aligned himself with George Grey, a former Governor turned Premier. Seddon later claimed to be particularly close to Grey, although some historians believe that this was an invention for political purposes. Initially, Seddon was derided by many members of Parliament, who mocked his "provincial" accent (which tended to drop the letter "h") and his lack of formal education. He nevertheless proved quite effective in Parliament, being particularly good at "stonewalling" certain legislation. His political focus was on issues of concern to his West Coast constituents. He specialized on mining issues, became a recognized authority on the topic, and chaired the goldfields committee in 1887 and 1888.
Read more about this topic: Richard Seddon
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