Hugh Templeton

Hugh Campbell Templeton QSO AO (born 1929) is a former New Zealand diplomat, politician and member of parliament for the National Party.

Early life and family

Templeton was born in Southland. He was educated at the University of Otago, and then as a Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford University.

His brother, Malcolm, was a Foreign Service officer who represented New Zealand at the United Nations. His twin brother Ian is a veteran press gallery journalist and author.

From 1954 to 1969 Hugh served with the New Zealand Department of External Affairs, first in London, and then in Wellington, before going as the last Deputy High Commissioner of Western Samoa to prepare specially for independence and then to New York to assist secure Samoa's post independence aid programmes, under Guy Powles. From 1965 - 1969 Hugh served in Wellington working on Asian and European and Defence affairs, before being elected to Parliament.

Member of Parliament

Templeton was elected as MP for Awarua in Southland in 1969. However, he lost this seat in the 1972 election. From 1972-1975, he was executive assistant to the Leaders of the Opposition, Jack Marshall and then Robert Muldoon. Templeton was re-elected to Parliament in 1975 for the Wellington seat of Karori (later renamed Ohariu).

Cabinet minister

Templeton was appointed to various positions in communications and economic portfolios during the Muldoon National Government of 1975 - 1984. Templeton was Minister of Revenue (1977–1982) and Minister for Trade and Industry (1981–1984) with responsibility for ANZCER (Australia - New Zealand Closer Economic Relations free trade agreement). Templeton also worked with the Prime Minister on stimulating New Zealand's onshore petroleum programme as part of Think Big. He wrote a book All Honourable Men: Inside the Muldoon Cabinet 1975-1984 on this period.

Templeton lost his seat with the election of the Fourth Labour Government in 1984, losing to Peter Dunne, then a member of the Labour Party.

Post parliamentary career

New Zealand Flag

In 2004, Templeton supported the NZ Flag.com Trust campaign for a referendum to change New Zealand's flag. A petition for a referendum on the issue failed to gain enough signatures.

Australian honour

In November 2009, he was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia, "for service to Australia-New Zealand economic relations, particularly through the establishment of the Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations Trade Agreement".

Further reading

• Templeton, Hugh. "Algie, Ronald Macmillan 1888-1978". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4a8. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
• Templeton, Hugh. "Shand, Thomas Philip 1911-1969". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5s12. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
• Templeton, Hugh. "Sullivan, William 1891-1967". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5s52. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
• Templeton, Hugh. "Webb, Thomas Clifton 1889-1962". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5w16. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
• All Honourable Men: Inside the Muldoon Cabinet 1975-1984 (1995, Auckland University Press, Auckland) ISBN 186940128X

External links

• The Templetons