Bill Rowling
The Right Honourable Sir Wallace Rowling KCMG | |
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Rowling in 1962 | |
30th Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
In office 6 September 1974 – 12 December 1975 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor-General | Denis Blundell |
Deputy | Bob Tizard |
Preceded by | Norman Kirk |
Succeeded by | Robert Muldoon |
33rd Minister of Finance | |
In office 8 December 1972 – 6 September 1974 | |
Prime Minister | Norman Kirk |
Preceded by | Robert Muldoon |
Succeeded by | Bob Tizard |
22nd Leader of the Opposition | |
In office 12 December 1975 – 3 February 1983 | |
Preceded by | Robert Muldoon |
Succeeded by | David Lange |
8th Leader of the Labour Party | |
In office 6 September 1974 – 3 February 1983 | |
Deputy | Bob Tizard |
Preceded by | Norman Kirk |
Succeeded by | David Lange |
22nd President of the Labour Party | |
In office 1970–1972 | |
Preceded by | Norman Douglas |
Succeeded by | Charles Bennett |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Buller | |
In office 1962–1972 | |
Preceded by | Jerry Skinner |
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Tasman | |
In office 1972–1984 | |
Succeeded by | Ken Shirley |
Personal details | |
Born |
Motueka, Tasman District, New Zealand | 15 November 1927
Died |
31 October 1995 67) Nelson, New Zealand | (aged
Political party | Labour |
Spouse(s) | Glen Elna Reeves (m. 1951) |
Children | 5 |
Alma mater | University of Canterbury |
Signature |
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Military service | |
Allegiance | New Zealand Army |
Rank |
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Battles/wars | Malayan Emergency |
Sir Wallace Edward Rowling KCMG PC (/ˈroʊlɪŋ/; 15 November 1927 – 31 October 1995), often known as Bill Rowling, was a New Zealand politician who was the 30th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1974 to 1975. He held office as the parliamentary leader of the Labour Party.
Rowling was a lecturer in economics when he entered politics; he became a Member of Parliament in the 1962 Buller by-election. He was serving as Minister of Finance (1972–1974) when he was appointed Prime Minister following the death of the highly popular Norman Kirk. His Labour government's effort to retrieve the economy ended with an upset victory by the National Party in November 1975. Rowling continued to lead the Labour Party but lost two more general elections. Upon retiring from the party’s leadership in 1983, he was knighted. He served as Ambassador to the United States from 1985 to 1988.
Early life
Rowling was born in a country suburb of Mariri neighbouring the town of Motueka, near Nelson. He was a member of a long-established farming family. He was educated at Nelson College and the University of Canterbury, gaining a degree in economics. He also attended the Christchurch College of Education (currently, University of Canterbury), qualifying as a teacher. After completing his education, Rowling taught at several schools around the country, including at Motueka, Christchurch, Waverley and in Northland. In 1958, Rowling left teaching and joined the New Zealand Army, becoming Assistant Director of Army Education. He spent a short amount of time serving abroad in Malaysia and Singapore, a deployment connected with the Malayan Emergency.[1]
Member of Parliament
New Zealand Parliament | ||||
Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
1962–1963 | 33rd | Buller | Labour | |
1963–1966 | 34th | Buller | Labour | |
1966–1969 | 35th | Buller | Labour | |
1969–1972 | 36th | Buller | Labour | |
1972–1975 | 37th | Tasman | Labour | |
1975–1978 | 38th | Tasman | Labour | |
1978–1981 | 39th | Tasman | Labour | |
1981–1984 | 40th | Tasman | Labour |
In the 1960 election, Rowling was selected as the Labour Party's candidate for the Fendalton electorate in Christchurch. Fendalton was regarded as a safe National seat, and Rowling was defeated by the National Party's Harry Lake (who was appointed Minister of Finance in the new National government). Two years later, however, Rowling successfully contested the by-election for Buller, which had been caused by the death of prominent Labour MP Jerry Skinner. Rowling was to hold this seat until the election of 1972, when the seat was dissolved – Rowling then contested successfully the new seat of Tasman, which intriguingly he did travelling up and down the electorate by Commer campervan, which he lived in for the time.
In the lead up to the 1972 election Labour leader Norman Kirk tried to persuade Rowling to transfer from the more marginal Tasman seat to the safe Christchurch seat of Avon. Kirk feared Rowling (by then party president) might lose his seat and did not want to lose his economics expertise. Rowling refused on the grounds that such a self interested move would not be befitting of a party president.[2]
Minister of Finance
When the Labour Party won power under Norman Kirk in the 1972 election, Rowling was appointed Minister of Finance. This could be seen as a considerable promotion for someone without prior ministerial experience. Rowling's term as Minister of Finance was somewhat turbulent; from late in 1973, a series of externally generated crises, of which the 'oil shocks' were the most serious, destabilised the New Zealand economy. These added to other problems, such as growing overseas debt and falling export prices. A major financial policy during Rowling's tenure was a comprehensive superannuation scheme.[3]
Prime Minister
When Norman Kirk died unexpectedly in 1974, Hugh Watt, served as acting prime minister for several days while the Labour Party chose a new leader. Rowling was the front-runner to replace Kirk, However, the party National Executive and the Federation of Labour preferred Kirk's deputy Hugh Watt.[4]
Rowling was officially confirmed as party leader and 30th Prime Minister on 6 September 1974.[5] In the cabinet reshuffle following Kirk's death, Rowling took the foreign affairs portfolio.[6] He was appointed to the Privy Council.[7] Rowling had the option of replacing Kirk in the safe Labour seat of Sydenham but chose to remain in his (more marginal) home electorate of Tasman.[8]
Unlike the pro-life Kirk and Muldoon, Rowling was pro-choice.
Although Rowling served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Labour Government concentrated primarily on domestic affairs. Although Rowling's deputy Bob Tizard had replaced him as Minister of Finance, the seriousness of the economic downturn required the Prime Minister's attention. The Government defended heavy overseas borrowing as necessary to protect jobs. In August 1975, the New Zealand dollar was devalued by 15%.[9]
1975 general election
During the 1975 election campaign, Rowling was attacked by the Opposition led by Robert Muldoon, and was generally characterised as being weak and ineffective. Rowling supporters responded with a "Citizens for Rowling" campaign which enlisted high-profile New Zealanders such as Sir Edmund Hillary to praise Rowling's low-key consultative approach. The campaign was labelled as being elitist, and was generally regarded as having backfired on Rowling.[10] The November election was a major defeat for the Labour Party, and Rowling was unable to retain the premiership.
Leader of the Opposition
During the late 1970s, Rowling alienated Māori by removing Matiu Rata, the party's effective and well-regarded Māori Affairs spokesman, from the Opposition front bench. Earlier, Rowling had replaced Rata with himself as convenor of Labour's Māori Affairs Committee. Rata complained about the insensitivity of Labour's Māori policy[10] and went on to form his own party, Mana Motuhake, a precursor to the Māori Party.
His approach to the Moyle and O'Brien 'affairs' was regarded as heavy-handed and unnecessary in many circles. In regards to the 'Moyle affair', in which Labour MP Colin Moyle was accused of having a homosexual affair, "it was Rowling who insisted that his close friend, Colin Moyle, must resign".[10] Large numbers protested at the 1977 Labour Party Conference; many in the LGBT community never forgave him.[11]
Rowling, however, managed to retain the party leadership, and gradually managed to improve public perceptions of him. In the 1978 and 1981 elections, Labour actually secured more votes than the National Party but failed to gain a majority of seats.[12]
While Rowling had largely managed to undo his negative image, many people in the Labour Party nevertheless believed that it was time for a change. In 1983 Rowling was replaced as leader by the charismatic David Lange, who went on to defeat Muldoon in the 1984 election. Rowling retired from parliament at the same election.
Later life and death
After leaving politics, Rowling was appointed Ambassador to the United States, serving from 1985 to 1988. He held that position when the issue of nuclear weapons and ANZUS flared up between the United States and New Zealand, and he travelled extensively across the country explaining the policy.[13]
Later, after returning to New Zealand, Rowling became highly involved in a number of community organizations and trusts. He also played a prominent role at the Museum of New Zealand, and is considered to have been the "driving force" behind the eventual establishment of Te Papa.[1]
Rowling died of cancer in Nelson on 31 October 1995.[13]
Personal life
Rowling married Glen Reeves in 1951. The couple lost their second child when she was five months old in 1957; another daughter, Kim, committed suicide at the age of 18.[14] Rowling was a practising Anglican.[1]
Honours
Honours that Rowling received include being made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in the 1983 Queen's Birthday Honours,[15] an honorary law doctorate from the University of Canterbury in 1987,[16] and being made a Commander in the Orde van Oranje – Nassau (Netherlands).[13]
Notes
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Rowling. |
- 1 2 3 Henderson, John. "Rowling, Wallace Edward". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ↑ Grant 2014, pp. 196.
- ↑ Henderson, John (2010). "Rowling, Wallace Edward - Finance minister". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ↑ Auckland Star 5 September 1974 p11
- ↑ "Prime Minister Appointed" (6 September 1974) 87 New Zealand Gazette 1899.
- ↑ "Ministers Appointed" (10 September 1974) 88 New Zealand Gazette 1901.
- ↑ "Special Honours List" (26 September 1974) 93 New Zealand Gazette 2047.
- ↑ Grant 2014, pp. 420.
- ↑ Henderson, John (2010). "Rowling, Wallace Edward - Prime minister". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- 1 2 3 Rowling: The man and the myth by John Henderson, Australia New Zealand Press, 1980.
- ↑ see Henderson, p. 167 for more on Gerald O'Brien and the O'Brien 'affair'
- ↑ Henderson, John (2010). "Rowling, Wallace Edward - Opposition and after". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- 1 2 3 OBITUARY: Sir Wallace Rowling, The Independent, 1 November 1995.
- ↑ Barber, David. "OBITUARY: Sir Wallace Rowling". The Independent. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ↑ "No. 49376". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 1983. p. 33.
- ↑ "Honorary Graduates" (PDF). University of Canterbury. p. 1. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
References
- Grant, David (2014). The Mighty Totara: The life and times of Norman Kirk. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 9781775535799.
New Zealand Parliament | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by Jerry Skinner |
Member of Parliament for Buller 1962–1972 |
Constituency abolished |
New constituency | Member of Parliament for Tasman 1972–1984 |
Succeeded by Ken Shirley |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Norman Kirk |
Prime Minister of New Zealand 1974–1975 |
Succeeded by Robert Muldoon |
Preceded by Robert Muldoon |
Minister of Finance 1972–1974 |
Succeeded by Bob Tizard |
Leader of the Opposition 1975–1982 |
Succeeded by David Lange | |
Party political offices | ||
Preceded by Norman Douglas |
President of the Labour Party 1969–1972 |
Succeeded by Charles Bennett |
Preceded by Norman Kirk |
Leader of the Labour Party 1974–1983 |
Succeeded by David Lange |
Diplomatic posts | ||
Preceded by Lance Adams-Schneider |
Ambassador to the United States 1985–1988 |
Succeeded by Tim Francis |