Phil Amos
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Phillip Albert Amos (4 September 1925 – 8 June 2007) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was the Member of Parliament for Manurewa from 1963 to 1975, when he was defeated.
He was the Minister of Education in the Third Labour Government from 1972 to 1975, and Minister of Island Affairs from 1972 to 1974.
In 1976 while protesting the visit of US cruiser Long Beach in his small yacht the Dolphin he was convicted of obstruction, but won on appeal with the help of then lawyer David Lange.
He was born in Wanganui, and was an RNZAF pilot in the Pacific in WWII. As Education Minister (from 1972-75), he drove the integration of Catholic schools, and the reduction of class sizes. Amos was a former teacher.
As a friend of the Tanzanian President Nyerere, he lived in a remote part of Tanzania from 1976 to 1988. Disillusioned with Rogernomics, he joined and was president of the NewLabour Party. after his return to Auckland. He was a Swahili interpreter/translator.
He married (1) Jill Turner and (2) Odilia. He died in Auckland.
[edit] References
- Obituary in Dominion Post, 14 June 2007 page B7.
[edit] Further reading
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- Directions. Series eleven, Wellington, [N.Z.]: Radio New Zealand Replay Radio, 1994
- This interview was conducted by Neville Glasgow. This interview is cassette # 69 in this series.
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- Interview with Phil Amos [Auckland College of Education and Old A's oral Archives Project], Auckland, [N.Z.]: n.p., 2006
- This interview was conducted by Richard Thompson.
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- Wilson, James Oakley (1985), New Zealand parliamentary record, 1840-1984 (4th ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Government Printer
