Death of former Minister

Press, 15 July 1980, Page 3

Death of former Minister

NZPA Wanganui Mr Norman Leslie Shelton, a former Acting Prime Minister, Cabinet Minister, and National member of Parliament for Rangitikei for 18 years, died in Wellington Hospital yesterday afternoon. He was 75. Mr Shelton, who had been suffering from a heart complaint, became ill at his Marton home at the weekend. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, and his son, Lindsay, who is well known in television and film circles and is married to the broadcaster Sharon Crosbie. Mr Shelton was a Cabinet Minister for 11 years and ranked third in the Holyoake Governments of the 19605. He was first appointed Minister, after six years in the House, when the National Party became the Government in 1960. Between then: and when he retired front politics in 1972 he held several portfolios — health, social security, welfare of women and children, customs, and commerce, ,’and mines. Mr Shelton was born at

Taihape in 1905,-and attended school at Feilding. He became Marton branch manager of a produce 1 firm in 1934. 4 ,

He served with the armed forces in Egypt, Italy and the Pacific during World War IL He was elected to

Parliament in 1954 after a spell as chairman of the National Party’s Rangitikei electorate organisation. His first Cabinet post came in 1961 when he was appointed Associate Minister of Industries and Commerce. In a Cabinet reshuffle a year later he was given the customs portfolio, and earlier that term was appointed Minister of Health. The Acting Prime Minister (Mr Taiboys) said in Wellington yesterday that Mr Shelton had brought to Parliament the benefit of long experience in a business which had strong farming associations, and he had applied that to good effect.

“He commanded respect as a Minister who thoroughly researched proposals and made prompt and clear decisions. On several occasions he was Acting Prime Minister.”

During his administration as Minister of Industries and Commerce his department was marked by greater flexibility in licensing, Mr Talboys said. This, included automatic issuirig of import licences, de-centralisation of

control, and streamlining of departmental procedures. Mr Shelton’s interests included music. He was a baritone, and gave recitals with his Parliamentary 7 successor, the late Sir Roy Jack who was an accomplished violinist. Mr Shelton was for some time music critic for a Wanganui newspaper. The funeral will be held at the Marton Methodist Church tomorrow.