Both sides of House praise Sir Keith’s style, service

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 1

Both sides of House praise Sir Keith’s style, service

PA Wellington An obviously moved Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, wiped his eyes with a white handkerchief after his eulogy to Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake in Parliament yesterday.

Mr Muldoon, who had earlier said he gained his political wisdom from the former Prime Minister, told the House that Sir Keith’s widow, Dame Norma, was but one mourner in a sorrowing country.

Mr Muldoon sat down abruptly after ending his formal tribute to “a man whom I and many of my colleagues loved — the greatest political figure of our time.” Parliament abandoned what had been scheduled to be a long night of business debating contentious industrial legislation so that members could deliver their eulogies to Sir Keith, who was Prime Minister for 11% years.

Government and Opposition members alike lauded the manner and service of Sir Keith, who died in Well-

ington Hospital early yesterday. The House was hushed, and the public galleries gradually filled with onlookers. Mr Muldoon said Sir Keith’s “easy, friendly manner brought him many friends” overseas. “He was likeable but firm. Though he met and mingled with the great, he never forgot he was a New Zealander, proud of the egalitarian tradition of his country.” The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lange, was not in Parliament for the eulogies. He flew from Wellington to Auckland at lunchtime to attend the Mangere College

prize-giving.

Labour’s deputy leader, Mr Palmer, told the House that Sir Keith had died “full of years, and full of honour.”

Mr Palmer said that modern government, including the development of the caucus, owed much to Sir Keith’s tenure.

“His style of government was conciliatory and moderate and I think his values in

that connection had been set before the advent of the frenetic nature of the electronic media and the demands that it has placed on the political process."

The National member for Sir Keith’s former electorate of Pahiatua, the Associate Minister of Finance, Mr Falloon, said he had not known Sir Keith as one Parliamentarian could know another, but he did know of Sir Keith through the people of his electorate.

“These people (of Pahiatua) who stuck with him and his family are typical of one of Sir Keith’s credos: ‘An ounce of loyalty is worth a ton of intelligence’.”

Another version of this quotation was later offered to the House by the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr MacIntyre, who said it had been hammered into him as: “An ounce of loyalty is worth a ton of cleverness.”

Mr N. P. H. Jones (Nat., Invercargill) contributed by recalling, “an ounce of loyalty is worth a ton of anything else.” Mr Falloon said it was

that loyalty which made Sir Keith a great New Zealander.

A former Prime Minister and former Leader of the Opposition. Sir Wallace Rowling (Lab., Tasman), noted that Sir Keith had spent his early years in Motueka. Sir Wallace said this gave him feelings of affinity, not only because his present constituency largely encompassed the old Motueka electorate but because of great family associations.

Sir Wallace said that Sir Keith could fight a political battle, "but the politics of personal abuse, the politics of character assassination, were not part of the political armoury of Keith Holyoake.

“He did not need them. He did not resort to them.”

Sir Wallace also recalled a piece of advice Sir Keith used to give new members, “Learn to breathe through your nose.” Mr Maclntyre called Sir Keith a tremendous man about whom stories were

legion. He remembered Sir Keith had been caught by traffic officers once or twice driving a Ministerial car. towing a trailer-load of sheep manure, "coming down the Wairarapa road at well over the statutory (weight) limit." taking it back to Wellington for his roses.

Mr Maclntyre detailed Sir Keith’s portfolios and his achievements in office and concluded. "Thank you. Sir Keith, for what you did for this country." The Social Credit leader, Mr Beetham, said that Sir Keith was perhaps the most skilful Parliamentarian, and his passing would be regarded as a huge loss.

The Speaker, Sir Richard Harrison, said Sir Keith had loved Parliament and saw it as his second home. "He saw Parliament as Parliament — regardless of party,” Sir Richard said, recalling Sir Keith's habit of having a Friday lunchtime drink with members from both sides of the House.