Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk | |
|---|---|
| 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand | |
| In office 8 December 1972 – 31 August 1974 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Preceded by | Jack Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Watt (Acting) Bill Rowling (Formally) |
| 19th Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 16 December 1965 – 8 December 1972 | |
| Preceded by | Arnold Nordmeyer |
| Succeeded by | Jack Marshall |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Lyttelton | |
| In office 1957–1969 | |
| Member of Parliament for Sydenham | |
| In office 1969–1974 | |
| Preceded by | Mabel Howard |
| Succeeded by | John Kirk |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 January 1923 Waimate, New Zealand |
| Died | August 31, 1974 (aged 51) Wellington, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse(s) | Dame Ruth Kirk (née Lucy Ruth Miller), married 1943 |
| Children | Five (Including John Kirk) |
| Profession | Railway engineer |
Norman Eric Kirk (6 January 1923 – 31 August 1974) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. Kirk had a reputation as the most formidable debater of his time.
Early life
Born in Waimate, a town in South Canterbury, New Zealand, Norman Kirk came from a strong working-class background, and his household could not afford things such as daily newspapers or a radio.
Kirk did not perform well at school, and left shortly before he turned thirteen. Despite this, however, he enjoyed reading, and often visited libraries. In particular, he enjoyed the study of history and geography - perhaps the source of his future interest in foreign affairs.
After leaving school, Kirk worked in a number of jobs, initially as an assistant roof-painter and later as a railway engineer. His health, however, deteriorated, and when the New Zealand Army called him up for military service in 1941 it found him medically unfit. After recovering somewhat, he returned to work, holding a number of different jobs.
In 1943, aged twenty, Kirk married Ruth Miller (born as Lucy Ruth Miller, but she goes by her middle name). They would eventually have three sons and two daughters. In 1975 Ruth Kirk was credited DBE becoming Dame Ruth Kirk.
Political career
Also in 1943, Kirk joined the Labour Party's branch in Kaiapoi, where he and his wife had decided to build a house. Kirk built the house himself entirely, right down to the casting of the bricks. It still stands in Kaiapoi.
Mayor of Kaiapoi
In 1951, Kirk became Chairman of the party's Hurunui electorate committee. In 1953, Kirk led Labour to a surprising victory in elections for Kaiapoi's local council, and he became the youngest mayor in the country.
As mayor, Kirk showed great creativity and implemented many changes. He surprised officials by studying issues intensely, often emerging with better knowledge of his options than the people functioning as his advisors.
Member of Parliament
In 1954, Kirk stood as the Labour candidate for the Hurunui seat. While he increased Labour's share of the vote considerably, he did not win. In 1957, however, Kirk won the electorate of Lyttelton, reclaiming it for Labour after its surprise loss to the National Party in a previous election. In 1969 he transferred to the Sydenham seat which he held until his death.
Throughout his political career, Kirk promoted the welfare state, supporting government spending for housing, health, employment, and education. As such, Kirk often appeared as a champion for ordinary New Zealanders. His working-class background also gave him some advantage, as ordinary voters saw many other politicians as out-of-touch and aloof.
Gradually, Kirk began to rise through Labour's internal hierarchy, becoming vice-president of the Party in 1963 and president in 1964. At the end of 1965 he successfully challenged Arnold Nordmeyer for the parliamentary leadership.
Kirk remained Leader of the Opposition until 1972, when Labour replaced the National government of Jack Marshall.
Prime Minister
As Prime Minister, Kirk set a frenetic pace, implementing a great number of new policies. In particular, the Kirk government intervened far more than its predecessor in foreign relations, with Kirk taking great trouble to expand New Zealand's links with Asia and Africa.
Two subjects in particular caused comment. One: Kirk's strong protest against French nuclear-weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean, which led to his Government along with Australia taking France to the International Court of Justice in 1972, and him sending two New Zealand navy frigates, HMNZS Canterbury and Otago, into the test zone area at Mururoa atol in a symbolic act of protest in 1973.[1] [2] The other: his refusal to allow a visit by a South African rugby team, a decision he made because the apartheid régime in South Africa would not accept racial integration for that sport. He was also highly critical of US foreign policy, speaking before the United Nations of the US-led coup d'etat and massacres in Chile in 1973.
The Kirk government was also notable for a number of national identity building policies. The Kirk government began the tradition of New Zealand Day in 1973, and introduced legislation in 1974 to declare the Queen as Queen of New Zealand.
Kirk kept up an intense schedule, and rarely took vacation time. Perhaps as a result, his health began to decline once more. At the end of 1973, he developed heart problems, but recovered. Despite his illness, Kirk refused to reduce his workload by any significant degree. By August 1974, Kirk's situation had worsened, and he was finally persuaded to enter hospital. Three days later he died of heart problems, aged 51. A state funeral, attended by thousands, took place on 6 September 1974, followed by interment in his hometown, Waimate.
He was succeeded in the Sydenham electorate by his son John Kirk.
References
Further reading
- Bassett, Michael, 'Kirk, Norman Eric 1923-1974'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 22 June 2007, retrieved 2008-04-17
External links
- Prime Ministers of New Zealand: Norman Kirk
- Margaret Haywood, Diary of the Kirk Years [1]