Robert muldoon biography

The book is based on many hours of conversation with Muldoon himself and on interviews with political colleagues, civil servants, family and friends; it is rich with telling detail and revealing anecdote. Gustafoson's masterly biography provides for the first time a detached and detailed assessment of an extraordinary political figure.

Family and Childhood. School and Church. The Junior Nationals and Marriage. The Mount Albert His Way: a Biography of Robert Muldoon. Barry Gustafson. His Way is the only authorised biography of New Zealand prime minister Robert Muldoon - one of the dominant political figures of the last half-century in that country. His Way was based on many hours of conversation with Muldoon himself as well as colleagues, friends, and family, and wide access to the prime minister's official and private papers and diaries.

Leading political biographer Barry Gustafson shows Muldoon is shown as a champion of the ordinary people whose vision over time became anachronistic and inflexible. Family and Childhood. School and Church. As with other conservative governments during the Cold WarMuldoon adopted an anti-Soviet stance. As a long-time National Party activist, Muldoon rejected Communism as an "alien" collectivist philosophy.

During the television programme Gallery in the later s, he also rebuked left-leaning clergymen who had criticised apartheid in South Africa for failing to oppose Soviet communism. Muldoon was critical of Communist influence in New Zealand's trade union movement. In various speeches and press releases, he would accuse the SUP and other Communist groups of instigating strikes and organising protests against US naval visits and New Zealand's sporting contacts with South Africa.

As prime minister, he accepted both the American and Chinese views that the Soviet Union was an aggressive power with hegemonic ambitions in the South Pacific. However, his government did not participate in the US-led trade boycott against the Soviet Union because it would have hurt New Zealand's predominantly agricultural export economy.

Despite his antagonism towards the Soviet Union and domestic Communist movements, Muldoon's government still maintained economic relations with the Soviet Union. Adams-Smith reported 'an injustice may have been done', and Muldoon pushed through a royal pardon for Thomas. Brash lost the by-election to Social Credit's Gary Knappa major upset and a blow for Muldoon's leadership.

Muldoon blamed Brash and the party organisation for the defeat, but was strongly rebuked by the party for this stance. Following the loss of the East Coast Bays by-election, Muldoon faced an abortive attempt in October—November to oust him as leader. Muldoon, who was overseas at the time, saw the plotters off with relative ease, especially since Talboys himself was a reluctant draftee.

Professing a belief that politics should not interfere with sport, Muldoon resisted pressure to bar the tour by the Springboksthe national rugby union squad of apartheid -era South Africa. By allowing "the Tour", Muldoon was accused of breaking the Gleneagles Agreement to form a common policy on sporting with South Africa amongst the Commonwealthsigned after the boycott of the Montreal Olympics in Muldoon noted, however, that the Gleneagles Agreement had been amended and, in an article in The Timesthat he had not broken the Gleneagles Agreement because "New Zealand and subsequently other countries made it clear that they could not subscribe to an agreement which required them to abrogate the freedoms of their sportsmen and prohibit sporting contacts".

Muldoon came down firmly on the pro-Tour side, arguing that sport and politics should be kept separate. He argued that his refusal to ban the Springboks was anti-authoritarian, leaving it up to individual consciences whether to play sports with representatives of apartheid. He also argued that allowing their rugby team to tour did not mean supporting apartheid, any more than playing a Soviet Union team meant supporting Communism.

The Iranian Revolution had led to the second oil shock of Economic growth in New Zealand had only just begun to recover from the —78 recession when the oil shock hit. The Think Big projects were a major part of Muldoon's legacy. However, when presenting the idea to the public, Muldoon vastly exaggerated their benefits. This soon worsened the balance of payments deficit and inflation, as all of the equipment and technology used was imported.

Concerned about the use of foreign exchange during the s' oil crises, Muldoon supported a scheme to retrofit cars to use natural gas or a dual-fuel gas—petrol system. The budget introduced incentives for the conversions, and New Zealand emerged as the first country to make dual-fuel cars commonplace. However, the projected continued rise in oil prices did not transpire.

Despite the turmoil over the Springbok Tour, Muldoon's Government won the subsequent election, held on 28 November. On the night, National won 46 seats to Labour's 44 and Social Credit's two, but a recount gave National the seat of Gisborne by votes, and a majority of one. Muldoon's third term was tumultuous. With a one-seat majority he faced an increasingly restless backbench who wanted the National Party to adopt a more economically liberal stance.

Muldoon had also fallen out with former supporter and millionaire businessman Bob Joneswho made good on a threat to create his own party in protest at Muldoon's economic policies. In the New Zealand Party was formed by Jones and took a significant share of the vote at the election. With Think Big failing to deliver on its promise, Muldoon imposed an incomes policy : a robert muldoon biography on wages and most prices items excluded included fresh meat, frozen meat, items sold at auction and "women's fashion clothing other than standard lines" [ 90 ]interest rates and dividends across the country in April Years later, Muldoon admitted that the freeze was a political mistake.

The second recession during Muldoon's premiership hit in September InMuldoon's government supported the British in the Falklands War. New Zealand also broke off its diplomatic relations with Argentina. In defence of his support for the war, Muldoon wrote an article that was published in The Timesentitled "Why we Stand by our Mother Country":. We are a free and independent nation but in time of trouble we stand with our mother country New Zealand's decision to break off diplomatic relations with Argentina over the Falklands, immediately after Britain had done so, was not because of Britain's support on the sporting issue.

The reason goes much deeper than that. We live at the end of the robert muldoon biography and we know the feeling of isolation With the Falklands Islands, it is family. Historically, Britain has so often on great occasions thrown up the leader that the occasion demanded. I regard Margaret Thatcher as one of the finest and straightest politicians I have ever met In we learned the folly of appeasement.

A great catastrophe was the price that was paid. The military rulers of Argentina must not be appeased. New Zealand will back Britain all the way. In the British House of CommonsMargaret Thatcher responded by saying that "The New Zealand Government and people have been absolutely magnificent in their support of this country, of the Falkland Islanders and of the rule of liberty and the rule of law.

I shall gladly convey that to Mr. Muldoon, who, only yesterday, reminded me 'Don't forget. In New Zealand, we are still a member of the same family. The aim of total free trade between the two countries was achieved infive years ahead of schedule. Ultimately, the end of Muldoon's government came following a late-night clash with National backbencher Marilyn Waring over highly contentious Opposition-sponsored nuclear-free New Zealand robert muldoon biography, in which Waring told him she would cross the floor giving the Opposition a victory.

On 14 Junea visibly drunk [ 96 ] Muldoon called a a snap election for 14 July that same year; historians noted the unfortunate coincidence with Bastille Day. Muldoon's drunkenness when announcing the election date led to it being humorously called the " schnapps election". It is a strong convention in New Zealand politics that a prime minister does not ask for an early election unless he or she cannot govern, or unless they need to seek the electorate's endorsement on a matter of national importance as was the case in Muldoon justified the snap election because he felt Waring's revolt impeded his ability to govern.

Indeed, it was obvious that Muldoon was finding it hard to pass financial measures with neo-liberal rebels like Ruth Richardson and Derek Quigley voting against the Government on certain issues. This has led historians to question Muldoon's excuse for calling a snap election, since he still would have had the constitutional means to govern.

These ranged from being positive to being stricken with deep animosity. Despite both being from conservative parties the Liberal Party of Australia and the New Zealand National Partythe relationship Muldoon had with Malcolm Fraser was unusually poor; largely due to Muldoon, they never got along. Whitlam and Kirk had both become prime minister in after a lengthy period of conservative rule, but their governments lasted just one term.

Both Fraser and Muldoon became prime minister inreturning right-wing governance to Australasia. With their ideological preferences notwithstanding, the two men did not like each other from very early on, and grew to loathe one another to an undiplomatic degree.

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This was likely entirely caused, and then exacerbated, by Muldoon's animosity toward Fraser. He also made bigoted remarks towards Australians in Fraser's company, and was known to repeatedly claim that New Zealanders migrating to Australia "raised the IQ of both countries". Muldoon often boasted to Fraser about the slow and costly process of Australia importing New Zealand goods, claiming on one occasion that New Zealand had "screwed the Aussies again" and would always get the upper hand.

Their relationship reached a nadir induring the Pacific Islands Forum in Rotorua. Both men were staying at the same hotel, with Muldoon's room directly below Fraser's. According to future Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downerthen a political aide, Fraser snapped and physically lost his temper during a late night policy meeting.

Downer recalled in that the usually patient Fraser suddenly began jumping up and down and swearing loudly "in the hope that he would wake Sir Robert from his sleep, just for the sake of it". Despite Muldoon's tactless behaviour, Fraser harboured gratitude for him out of his belief that Muldoon had saved his life in According to Fraser himself, this was because Muldoon had inadvertently prevented Fraser from being killed in the Sydney Hilton Hotel bombing.

The hotel was the venue for the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Regional Meetinga regional offshoot of the biennial meetings of the heads of government from across the Commonwealth of Nations. Fraser recalled that Muldoon had demanded that Fraser change the meeting venue in the hotel from the front to the back, to avoid a group of young, female reproductive rights protestors.

They had travelled especially from New Zealand for the event, to demonstrate against Muldoon's refusal to legalise abortion. Fraser, likely considering how Muldoon had physically attacked political demonstrators before, [ ] [ ] understood that giving him a hostile welcome would be a poor decision.

Robert muldoon biography: Sir Robert David Muldoon GCMG CH

Arguing that it would not look good and could likely provoke New Zealand, he agreed to move the meeting place to the back entrance. Doing so moved Fraser, other leaders and the media away from the original entrance, where that night, a bomb exploded in a bin that was being emptied, killing two rubbish collectors and a policeman. He later told The Australian in "I really believe to this day that, in a weird way, Morarji Desai and I probably owe our lives to Robert Muldoon.

Despite Fraser's unwilling gratitude to Muldoon, the two men seemed to dislike each other so much by that when the time came to ratify CER, they refused to do it together. A final controversy occurred during the course of the election and transfer of government: during early Roderick Deanethen Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealandbecame concerned that the New Zealand dollar which had a fixed exchange-rate to the US dollar had become significantly overvalued and was vulnerable to currency speculation on the financial markets in the robert muldoon biography of a "significant political event".

The Reserve Bank counselled Muldoon that the dollar should be devalued. Muldoon ignored the advice, owing to his belief that it would hurt poor New Zealanders in the medium term, and in June announced the snap election mentioned above which, as predicted, caused an immediate run on the dollar. Following the election the controversy became a constitutional crisis : Muldoon refused to do as the incoming government instructed, causing the currency crisis to worsen.

Eventually he relented however, after his position as leader of the National party was threatened by members of his caucus. After nine years, Muldoon's stewardship of the nation and its economy ceased. The newly elected neo-liberal and unexpectedly pro-free market Fourth Labour Government embarked on a series of fundamental free-market reforms known after Labour's finance minister Roger Douglas as Rogernomicsand which were then continued from —94 by the succeeding National government's policies known as after National's finance minister Ruth Richardson as Ruthanasiawhich marked a fundamental break with the more interventionist policies of Muldoon's era.

Muldoon was deposed as National leader shortly after the election by his deputy, Jim McLay. After being defeated in the ballot Muldoon was asked whether he was going to be a thorn in McLay's side, to which he replied "More like a little prick.

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However, he continued to openly agitate against McLay, refusing to withdraw into an "elder statesman" role as McLay wanted. The relationship between the two bottomed out when Muldoon criticised the entire party leadership, forcing McLay to demote him to the lowest rank in the National caucus. Muldoon continued to undermine McLay untilwhen McLay was ousted in turn by his own deputy and Muldoon's preferred candidateJim Bolgerwho had served as Minister of Labour for the latter half of Muldoon's term as prime minister.

Bolger returned Muldoon to the front bench as spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, pitting him directly against Prime Minister David Lange. Muldoon remained as the MP for Tamaki until shortly before his death. He lived through the Fourth Labour Government 's neo-liberal reforms, known as " Rogernomics ", and to his dismay — to see his own man, Bolger, take up the same baton after winning the landslide election of in the form of " Ruthanasia ", named after Finance Minister Ruth Richardson.

Muldoon was a staunch critic of Richardson's and the Bolger government's roberts muldoon biography. Although he remained iconic to particular segments of society, particularly the elderly, Muldoon faded quickly as a force on the political scene. His biographer, Barry Gustafsonwho described himself as not a Muldoon supporter, wrote that he still served as an active MP for his Tamaki electorate, dealing immediately with matters from all walks of life.

He continued to write in international economic journals, [ citation needed ] arguing that the unemployment that had arisen as a result of the free market reforms was worse than the gains that were made, a view that came to be popular by the time of the Fifth Labour Government in After his tenure as prime minister, the Muldoons were heavily in debt.

Muldoon was furious with New Zealand Party founder Bob Jones for splitting the vote in ; Muldoon labelled Jones a spoiler and took him to court. As a result of his financial desperation, he capitalised on his abrasive persona by having a short stage career, appearing in a New Zealand production of The Rocky Horror Show. Held at Auckland's His Majesty's Theatre demolished soon after the production ended[ ] Muldoon played off his novelty and starred as the narrator, starring alongside a young Russell Crowethen going by the stage name of "Russ Le Roq".

In his later years Muldoon's health declined as he suffered from a number of ailments, and became increasingly opposed to his successor, Jim Bolger. Alienated from National and disenchanted with government's new neoliberal economic policies dubbed " Ruthanasia " after Minister of Finance Ruth Richardson[ ] Muldoon announced his resignation to the party caucus on 10 November On his Radio Pacific show, on 17 NovemberMuldoon announced he would stand down from Parliament; he formally retired one month later, on 17 December.

His retirement party featured taped speeches from Ronald Reagan commenting that at Muldoon's age, he was only getting started and Margaret Thatcher.

Robert muldoon biography: Robert David Muldoon (known as Rob

One of the people organising the party was Bob Jones, who had forgiven Muldoon for their previous falling out. Muldoon fell seriously ill almost immediately after his retirement, and died in hospital on 5 Augustaged His wife, Dame Thea Muldoondied on 24 Februaryat the age of Powered by CITE. Notify me of new comments via email. Cancel Report.

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