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Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician)

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The Honourable
Sir Peter Tapsell

KNZM, MBE, FRCS, FRCSEd
24th Speaker of the House of Representatives
In office
1993–1996
Prime MinisterJim Bolger
Preceded byRobin Gray
Succeeded byDoug Kidd
30th Minister of Defence
In office
9 February 1990 (1990-02-09) – 2 November 1990 (1990-11-02)
Prime MinisterGeoffrey Palmer
Preceded byBob Tizard
Succeeded byWarren Cooper
Personal details
Born (1930-01-21) 21 January 1930 (age 94)
Died5 April 2012
Ruatoria
Political partyLabour

Sir Peter Wilfred Tapsell, KNZM, MBE, FRCS, FRCSEd (21 January 1930 - 5 April 2012) was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. He was notable for being the first Māori Speaker,[1] and for being the first Speaker since 1943 to hold office while not a member of the governing party.

He was an orthopaedic surgeon before entering politics.[2][3]

Early life

Tapsell was born and raised in Rotorua, and went to Rotorua Boys' High School. With the help of a scholarship, he studied medicine at the University of Otago,[4] graduating in 1952. He worked at several hospitals throughout New Zealand before travelling to the United Kingdom to undertake further study. Upon his return to New Zealand, he took up a position in Rotorua. Highly active in Māori cultural organisations, Tapsell was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1968 for services to medicine and the Māori people.[5]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1981–1984 40th Eastern Maori Labour
1984–1987 41st Eastern Maori Labour
1987–1990 42nd Eastern Maori Labour
1990–1993 43rd Eastern Maori Labour
1993–1996 44th Eastern Maori Labour

Tapsell stood as the Labour Party candidate for Rotorua in the 1975 election and the 1978 election, but was not successful in entering Parliament until the 1981 election, when he stood as a candidate in the Eastern Maori electorate.[2] At various stages of his parliamentary career, Tapsell served as Minister of Internal Affairs,[6] Minister for the Arts, Minister of Police,[6] Minister of Civil Defence,[7] Minister of Science, Minister of Forestry,[2] and Minister of Defence.[2]

Speaker of the House of Representatives

After the 1993 election, the National Party had a majority of only one seat. The appointment of the Speaker, therefore, presented a problem - if National selected a Speaker from among its own ranks, as was traditional, it would lose its majority, since the Speaker was not permitted to vote at that time. Therefore, Prime Minister Jim Bolger decided to offer the Speaker's position to a member of the Labour Party, thereby retaining the crucial vote. Tapsell was the person chosen by Bolger for this role.

Despite many objections from his Labour Party colleagues, Tapsell opted to accept the position. His elevation was not unchallenged, however, with an objection being raised by Winston Peters and his New Zealand First party. Peters claimed that his objection was on behalf of the incumbent Speaker, long-serving National MP Robin Gray, who had expected to resume his duties but was now being "cast aside" for political reasons. Critics of Peters, however, claimed that New Zealand First merely wanted to leave National and Labour deadlocked, as it would be New Zealand First that held the balance of power in that situation. Robin Gray, however, refused the nomination, and Tapsell took the Speaker's chair unopposed.

Retirement

In the 1996 election, however, Tapsell lost his electorate seat to New Zealand First's Tuariki Delamere by 4215 votes.[8] This was part of a major shift away from the Labour Party by Māori voters, with New Zealand First capturing all of the Māori electorates. Whether Tapsell would have retained the Speaker's role is uncertain, as a reform of Parliamentary procedure meant the Speaker no longer lost their vote. The loss of his electorate seat, however, prompted Tapsell's retirement from politics.

Since his retirement, Tapsell has been involved in a number of organisations, becoming the Patron of the Monarchy New Zealand. He also assists several medical charities, and the University of Waikato awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1997.[9] In 2006, Tapsell spoke at an event with Hak Ja Han, wife of Unification Church leader Sun Myung Moon, and praised their teaching of a "concept of the ideal family as comprising a father, a mother, children and grandchildren" as being "very Māori."[10]

Trivia

The British parliament also has a Sir Peter Tapsell, who was born eleven days after the New Zealand politician.

References

  1. ^ "The Speaker - House of Representatives". Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d "Tapsell keen on Act: Prebble". The New Zealand Herald. 15 June 2002. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. ^ Rudd, Allison (11 March 2009). "Maori Studies post brings responsibilities". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  4. ^ McNicholas, Marie (14–20 July 2007). "Political animal". The Listener. 209 (3505).
  5. ^ "No. 44602". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 May 1968.
  6. ^ a b "Fisheries allocation arguments a 'disgrace': Tapsell". The New Zealand Herald. 11 July 2001. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  7. ^ Poole, Michele (1 February 2009). "Could a flood this bad happen again?". The Southland Times. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  8. ^ Rudman, Brian (4 December 1999). "Ousted Delamere has little time for regrets". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  9. ^ "Honorary Doctors of the University of Waikato". University of Waikato. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  10. ^ Dearnaley, Mathew (14 August 2006). "Moonies show way to peace, says Tapsell". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
Political offices
Preceded by Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives
1993–1996 		Succeeded by

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