[1] The 1911 election resulted in significant losses for the Liberal Party and Joseph Ward's government survived a no-confidence motion on the casting vote of the speaker only.

[2][3] Reed expected to be part of the new cabinet and the media discussed that he might be appointed Attorney-General due to his legal background.

[9] Bill Veitch, at the time a United Labour Party MP in Wanganui, claimed that Wilkinson had been under immense pressure from the Reform Party not to contest the Bay of Islands election, and that William Massey had promised him a seat in the Legislative Council in return,[10] an allegation later picked up by other media outlets but also implicating Reed in the affair.

The primary complaint was that Reed had, through an intermediary, tried to convince Wilkinson to retire by promising him a seat on the Legislative Council, and to reimburse him for his election campaign expenses.

[14] The following table gives the election results: On 8 June 1915, Stewart won the by-election against George Gardiner Menzies of the Liberal Party.