Basil Arthur
| The Honourable Sir Basil Arthur Bt | |
|---|---|
| 20th Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
| In office 1984–1985 | |
| Prime Minister | David Lange |
| Preceded by | Richard Harrison |
| Succeeded by | Gerard Wall |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Timaru | |
| In office 1962–1985 | |
| Preceded by | Clyde Carr |
| Succeeded by | Maurice McTigue |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 September 1928 Timaru, New Zealand |
| Died | 1 May 1985 (aged 56) |
| Nationality |  New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
Sir Basil Malcolm Arthur, 5th Baronet Bt (18 September 1928 – 1 May 1985) served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1984 to 1985. He was a member of the Labour Party.
Early life
Sir Basil was born in Timaru, New Zealand. His father, a hotel proprietor, inherited the title of 4th Baronet in 1941 and it passed to Basil upon his death in 1949. Sir Basil, who showed a preference for labouring jobs, made little of his title.
Member of Parliament
| Parliament of New Zealand | ||||
| Years | Term | Electorate | Party | |
| 1962–1963 | 33rd | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1963–1966 | 34th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1966–1969 | 35th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1969–1972 | 36th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1972–1975 | 37th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1975–1978 | 38th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1978–1981 | 39th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1981–1984 | 40th | Timaru | Labour | |
| 1984–1985 | 41st | Timaru | Labour | |
In 1962, he was elected to Parliament as the Labour MP for Timaru. On entering Parliament at age 33 he was the country's youngest MP.
Cabinet minister
He was Minister of Transport and Minister in Charge of the State Insurance Office from 1972 until 1975.
When Labour won the 1984 election, Sir Basil became Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives.
Speaker
He served as Speaker for one year, before passing away in office after a short illness. The then Prime Minister, David Lange recalled in My Life (2005) that Sir Basil was gravely ill in Wellington Hospital, and if he resigned from the member's superannuation scheme before he died (but not otherwise) his estate would get a lump-sum payment. He had to answer a question in the house, then went to hospital with a letter of resignation "only to find that he had died hardly a minute before I got there". Labour lost the subsequent Timaru by-election, with a candidate that did not suit "the conservative character of the electorate."[1]
It is interesting to note that Sir Basil is the second baronet to serve as Speaker. The first being Sir Charles Clifford, 1st Baronet (First Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives), although he was made a baronet some time after he had retired from politics.
References
- ↑ David Lange (2005). My Life. Viking. ISBN 0-670-04556-X.
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Harrison |
Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives 1984–1985 |
Succeeded by Dr Gerard Wall |
| New Zealand Parliament | ||
| Preceded by Clyde Carr |
Member of Parliament for Timaru 1962–1985 |
Succeeded by Maurice McTigue |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| Preceded by George Malcolm Arthur |
Baronet (of Upper Canada) 1949–1985 |
Succeeded by Stephen Arthur |