Bob Tizard

The Right Honourable Robert James "Bob" Tizard, CNZM (born 7 June 1924) is a former Labour politician from New Zealand. He served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Health and Minister of Defence.

Early life and family

Tizard's 1949 Master of Arts thesis was "Mr H.E Holland's Blueprint for New Zealand and the World".^[2] Harry Holland having been the first leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.

While at university, Tizard met future wife Catherine Maclean, while he was president of the Auckland University Students Association.^[3] On their second date Tizard told Maclean he was "going into politics. And I'm going to marry you."^[3] They married in 1951, and Tizard unsuccessfully ran for the Remuera electorate later that year at the general election and again at the 1954 general election. He was finally successful at the 1957 election, winning in Tamaki, but was defeated three years later by Robert Muldoon. The couple moved to Avondale and started a family, with his wife having four children in six years starting at the age of 21 with Anna, followed by Linda, Judith and Nigel. They moved in 1957 to Glendowie in the Tamaki electorate.

Tizard ran for and won the Pakuranga electorate at the general election in 1963. His wife then returned to University to complete her degree in Zoology,^[3] and later began teaching at Auckland university.

The couple divorced in 1980.^[3] Catherine Tizard was Mayor of Auckland from 1983–1990 and Governor-General of New Zealand from 1990–1996. He is the father of former Consumer Affairs minister Judith Tizard, who succeeded her father as the Member of Parliament for Panmure in 1990.

He married Beryl Vignale of Canada in 1989. The couple had been engaged during World War II.^[4]

Member of Parliament

Tizard was the Member of Parliament for Tamaki from 1957 to 1960, when he was defeated by National's Robert Muldoon.^[3] He returned to parliament in a 1963 by-election in the Otahuhu electorate, but in the 1963 general election was elected MP for Pakuranga. In 1972 he became MP for Otahuhu again. In 1984 he became MP for Panmure, until he retired in 1990.

Cabinet minister

Tizard was appointed as Minister of Health when the Kirk Labour Government was elected in 1972. Following the death of Kirk in 1974, he became Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, replacing Bill Rowling (who the caucus elected Prime Minister) in both roles. As Minister of Finance, Tizard's budget introduced a number of progressive measures, such as an expansion of spending on education which provided a standard bursary for all students in tertiary studies.^[5] In the Lange Government he held the Defence portfolio as well as the Science and Technology portfolio.

Life after politics

In 2009, at the age of 85, Bob Tizard was asked to speak, as a historian, on aspects of WWII at a dinner held to honour Captain Jack Lyon, a New Zealand war hero and former Labour Party Member of Parliament. An mp3 recording of the 25 minute speech is available here.^[6]

In 2007 Tizard announced his candidacy for the Auckland District Health Board.^[7] He was elected to the board, at the age of 83.^[8]

References