Greatest New Zealander of our time, says P.M.

Press, 9 December 1983, Page 19

Greatest New Zealander of our time, says P.M.

PA Wellington Political and State leaders praised a former Governor-General and Prime Minister, Sir Keith Holyoake, in tributes yesterday.

The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, said that Sir Keith was the greatest New Zealander of our time. “When the shock and the immediate grief passes, we will all rejoice that we had the privilege to know the greatest New Zealander of our time,” he said. The Prime Minister said that Sir Keith’s wisdom, common sense and concern for the ordinary citizen “was, I believe, never fully 3reciated while he held tical office.”

“He was known best to his Parliamentary colleagues, and particularly those of his own party who sat under him in caucus during the Holyoake years of the 19605.

“His knowledge and understanding of the ordinary New Zealander was unsurpassed,” Mr Muldoon said.

The Governor-General, Sir David Beattie, said that Sir Keith was “a great New Zealander” who was highly respected both in New Zealand and overseas as a master politician and senior Commonwealth Statesman. “His service to his country spanned a period of some 50 years — a large part of New Zealand’s history — so that he will be sadly missed by a wide circle of friends and colleagues, but in particular our sympathy goes out to Dame Norma and the family in their time of loss,” said Sir David.

A former Labour Prime Minister, Sir Wallace Rowling, said that New Zealand had lost a “very significant political figure, but one who was able to run his race to the full” with the death of Sir Keith.

“From the little country school of Brooklyn to the office of Governor-General was a very considerable

journey, but despite a number of set-backs on the way, Sir Keith made it,” Sir Wallace said.

“That says everything about his sense of purpose and his political capacity.” The Social Credit leader, Mr Bruce Beetham, said that Sir Keith fulfilled the office of Governor-General with scrupulous impartiality, A former Attorney-Gen-eral in the last Labour Government, Dr Martyn Finlay, said in Auckland that he respected Sir Keith and admired him for putting to the greatest possible use those talents with which he was endowed.

“His style of consensus Government is sadly missed, and like that of Harold Macmillan, seems not to have belonged to people in another age,” Dr Finlay said. The Associate Minister of Finance, Mr John Falloon, who succeeded Sir Keith in the Pahiatua electorate.

said that Sir Keith worked hard for his constituents.

“Many people look back to the way in which as Prime Minister he kept in touch with his electorate organisation and those people with problems,” Mr Falloon said.

Sir Arnold Nordmeyer, the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party from 1963 until December, 1965, during Sir Keith’s term as Prime Minister, said Sir Keith would always avoid confrontation and seek consensus instead. Sir Keith was “never other than a thorough gentleman,” he said. A political scientist, Professor Bob Chapman, said that Sir Keith’s most important achievement was winning four successive elections in a row — equalling that of “King Dick” Seddon.

But he did only “a very measured minimum” with his victories, said Professor

Chapman. “He was not an active leader of developments. He met situations as they arose.”

He ignored the “staggering social changes” of the 1960 s leaving them to be sorted out in the 70s. Sir Keith “was the master of putting things on the back burner ... his pots didn’t boil over,” said Professor Chapman. Underrated by some, Sir Keith was a very capable and good judge of public opinion, said the member of Parliament for Yaldhurst and father of the House, Mr Michael Connelly, who served for more than 20 years in Parliament with the late Sir Keith.

“His parliamentary service from the 30s to the 70s bridged an important era of New Zealand’s development — constitutionally, internationally, economically, and socially,” Mr Connelly said.