A strong, energetic and large sized man, Parry was a noted cyclist in his youth and also became a skilled shooter and angler.

Initially Parry was apprehensive to go on strike at Waihi, however he found himself compelled into taking a more militant position by members of his union that were supportive of the Industrial Workers of the World.

His leadership and imprisonment during the strike would bestow him with great mana in the labour movement in New Zealand for the remainder of his life.

However, he found himself blacklisted in Waihi and then moved to Palmerston North taking up a position as an organiser for the Manawatu Flaxmills Employees' Union.

There he became involved in the 1913 waterfront and general strike where the United Federation of Labour sent him to Australia on a fund-raising mission.

[1] Parry, along with fellow unionists Michael Joseph Savage and Tom Bloodworth, he disinfected community halls and schoolrooms to enable their use in accommodating influenza victims after hospitals and clinics had reached their capacity.

He did not contribute to Labour's policy development in a major way but was nevertheless Michael Joseph Savage's automatic choice as minister due to their strong friendship and long-standing activism.

He was responsible for state funding for the arts and had a productive working relationship with Joseph Heenan his permanent undersecretary.