Career
Born in Christchurch in 1882, Sullivan was President/Secretary of the Canterbury French Polishers Union and National Federation of Furniture Trades Unions. Sullivan first stood for Parliament in the 1908 election as a candidate for the Independent Political Labour League in the Avon electorate. He came fourth out of five candidates in the first ballot.
In the 1914 election, Sullivan came second out of three candidates in the same electorate, this time standing for the Social Democratic Party, the successor of the IPLL. In the 1919 election, Russell suffered a crushing defeat by Sullivan.
As Minister of Public Health, Russell was held responsible by large parts of the population for New Zealand"s unpreparedness for the 1918 flu epidemic. Compared to the 1914 election, Sullivan"s share of the vote increased by more than 27 percentage points.
He represented the Avon electorate in the House of Representatives for 28 years from 1919 to 1947. During the 1920s Sullivan and Jimmy McCombs led the opposition to Harry Holland within the Parliamentary Labour Party caucus.
Sullivan was a significant Cabinet Minister in the First Labour Government of New Zealand: the Minister of Industries and Commerce between 1935-1947, Minister of Railways from 1935 to 1941 and the high profile wartime Minister of Supply and Munitions.
He was also Acting Prime Minister from April to July 1944. Sullivan died on 8 April 1947. Sullivan Avenue in the Christchurch suburb of Woolston was named in Sullivan"s honour in 1929.
Sullivan Park in Avonside was named for him in 1948.
