Norman King (New Zealand politician)

The Honourable
Norman King
QSO
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Birkenhead
In office
29 November 1969 – 29 November 1975
Preceded by seat established
Succeeded by Jim McLay
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Waitemata
In office
13 November 1954 – 29 November 1969
Preceded by seat created
Succeeded by Frank Gill
Personal details
Born 28 December 1914
Auckland, New Zealand
Died 28 May 2002
Auckland, New Zealand
Political party Labour

Norman James King, QSO (28 December 1914 – 28 May 2002), was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party, and a cabinet minister.

Biography

Early life and career

King was born in Auckland in 1914. He had no secondary schooling and lived in a state house. He worked as a storeman in the Minties confectionary factory.[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1954–1957 31st Waitemata Labour
1957–1960 32nd Waitemata Labour
1960–1963 33rd Waitemata Labour
1963–1966 34th Waitemata Labour
1966–1969 35th Waitemata Labour
1969–1972 36th Birkenhead Labour
1972–1975 37th Birkenhead Labour

In both 1950 and 1953 King stood unsuccessfully on a Labour ticket for the Auckland City Council.[2][3]

King first stood for Parliament in Hobson in 1951, coming second. He then represented the Waitemata electorate from 1954 to 1969, and the Birkenhead electorate from 1969 to 1975, when he was defeated by Jim McLay.[4]

In 1957 he defeated Robert Muldoon in his second attempt to enter parliament. Zavos says that King:[5]

was a poor speaker, a tiny birdlike man, a storeman and packer before taking up politics ... (but) a shrewd operator, however, whose greatest strength was that he was aware of his limitations. He realised he could not match the expert debating techniques Muldoon had developed.

So King restricted himself to two campaign meetings, and the slight swing to Labour carried King back.[5]

King was Minister of Social Welfare (1972–1975), first under Norman Kirk,[6] then under Bill Rowling.[7]

He introduced new measures to help solo parents, pensioners, the disabled and at-risk youth. King introduced the Domestic Purposes Benefit, Christmas bonuses for beneficiaries, wheelchair access to buildings. He was particularly proud of the Children and Young Persons Act which reduced child abuse and juvenile offending by keeping children out of court.[1]

Later life and death

King later spent nine years as first lay observer for the Auckland, Hamilton and Taranaki district law societies where he acted as public adjudicator in public complaints against lawyers. He was also patron of the North Harbour of IHC.[1]

In the 1977 New Year Honours, King was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[8]

He died on 28 May 2002.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Fighter for the underdog". The Evening Post. 6 June 2002. p. 5.
  2. ↑ "Electoral". New Zealand Herald. 30 November 1950. p. 14.
  3. ↑ "Declaration of Poll". The New Zealand Herald. 16 November 1953. p. 16.
  4. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 210.
  5. 1 2 Zavos 1978, p. ?.
  6. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 92.
  7. ↑ Wilson 1985, p. 93.
  8. ↑ London Gazette (supplement), No. 47104, 31 December 1976. Retrieved 15 March 2013.

References

  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840–1984 (4 ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
  • The Real Muldoon by Spiro Zavos (1978, Fourth Estate Books, Wellington)
  • tribute by Ann Hartley
New Zealand Parliament
Vacant
Constituency abolished in 1946
Title last held by
Henry Thorne Morton		 Member of Parliament for Waitemata
1954–1969		 Succeeded by
Frank Gill
New constituency Member of Parliament for Birkenhead
1969–1975		 Succeeded by
Jim McLay


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.