David Lange

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Biography

David Russell Lange , Order of New Zealand|ONZ , Order of the Companions of Honour|CH (who pronounced his name ) (4 August 1942 – 13 August 2005), served as the List of Prime Ministers of New Zealand|32nd Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1984 to 1989. He headed New Zealand's Fourth Labour Government of New Zealand|fourth Labour Government , one of the most reforming administrations in his country's history, but one which did not always conform to traditional expectations of a social democracy|social-democrat party. He had a reputation for cutting wit (sometimes directed against himself) and eloquence. His government implemented far-reaching free market|free-market reforms. Helen Clark has described New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987|New Zealand's nuclear-free legislation as his legacy.

Early life

Lange was born in Otahuhu , a south Auckland suburb as the son of a doctor of German stock. His relatives had suffered from prejudice during the First World War due to their German ancestry, and Lange himself would face a political rival in 1984 who tried to discredit him because of his German heritage. He received his formal education at Fairburn Primary School, Otara Intermediate School and Otahuhu College , then at the University of Auckland , where he graduated in law in 1965. He paid his way through university by working in a food preservation|meat-freezing works. In 1968 he married Naomi Crampton. He gained a Master of Laws in 1970, then practised law in Northland (region), New Zealand|Northland and Auckland for some years, often giving legal representation to the most dispossessed members of Auckland society.

Lange suffered all his life from obesity and the health problems it caused. By 1982 he weighed 165 kilograms, and had surgery to stomach stapling|staple his stomach in order to lose weight. He attributed his talent for caustic wit and repartee to the need to defend himself against bullying in his youth.

Political career

Lange entered the Parliament of New Zealand|New Zealand Parliament as the Labour MP for Mangere , a working-class Auckland electorate with a large Maori people|Maori population, in 1977 in the Mangere by-election, 1977|Mangere by-election . On becoming an MP, Lange quickly made an impression in the House as a debater, a wit, and the scourge of Prime Minister Robert Muldoon . He succeeded Bill Rowling as leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party and as Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition on 3 February 1982.

Prime Minister

When Muldoon called a New Zealand general election, 1984|snap election in 1984, Lange led Labour to a landslide victory, becoming at the age of 41 New Zealand's youngest prime minister of the 20th century.

Upon coming to office, Lange's government uncovered a skyrocketing public debt, ostensibly the result of Muldoon's policy of government regulation of the economy, including a wage- and price-freeze and regulation of the exchange rate . Such economic conditions prompted Lange to remark: "We ended up being run very similarly to a Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Polish shipyard ". Lange and Minister of Finance (New Zealand)|Minister of Finance Roger Douglas engaged in a rapid programme of deregulation and public-asset sales, which brought criticism from many people in Labour's traditional support-base. The Labour Party also lost support from many elderly people by introducing a Pension|superannuation Surtax|surcharge after having promised not to reduce superannuation.

Commentators coined the term Rogernomics for these policies, drawing connections with Reaganomics and with Thatcherism . After the Lange administration's first term (1984–1987), significant divisions started to form in the Labour parliamentary caucus , with Lange becoming uncomfortable with the extent of the reforms, while Douglas and Richard Prebble wanted to push on.

The Black Monday (1987)|stock-market crash of 19 October 1987 damaged confidence in the New Zealand economy. In 1988 consensus on economic policy amongst the Labour leadership finally broke down, with Douglas resigning after Lange over-ruled his proposed radical flat tax|flat income-tax . After losing many members, the Labour Party finally fractured, with Jim Anderton MP forming a breakaway NewLabour Party (New Zealand)|New Labour Party , which later merged into the Alliance (New Zealand political party)|Alliance Party .

During his tenure as Prime Minister, Lange engaged in competitive motor-sport, appearing in the New Zealand One Make Ford Laser Sport series.

During his term of office as Prime Minister Lange also held the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand)|Minister of Foreign Affairs (1984 to 1987) and Ministry of Education (New Zealand)|Minister of Education (1987 to 1989). After Geoffrey Palmer (politician)|Geoffrey Palmer became party leader and Prime Minister in 1989, Lange became (from 1989 to 1990) Attorney-General (New Zealand)|Attorney-General , Minister in Charge of the Serious Fraud Office (New Zealand)|Serious Fraud Office and a Minister of State. In failing health, he retired from Parliament in 1996. His Labour Party colleague Taito Phillip Field succeeded him as the Member for the Mangere electorate.

The Elizabeth II|Queen made Lange a Order of the Companions of Honour|Companion of Honour in 1990 and created him an Ordinary Member of the Order of New Zealand on 2 June 2003.

Lange was a supporter of Flag of New Zealand|changing New Zealand's flag , and wrote in 1994: " stranger who saw the Australian flag and the New Zealand flag outside adjacent buildings would assume that some British hotel chain was advertising deluxe and standard rooms". Lange also expressed support for a Republicanism in New Zealand|New Zealand republic , stating: "Do such things matter? They certainly do. We suffer in this country from a lack of emotional focus... New Zealand will become a republic just as Britain will be blurred into Europe".

International affairs

Lange made his name on the international stage with a long-running campaign against nuclear weapon s. His government refused to allow nuclear-armed ships into New Zealand waters, a policy that New Zealand continues to this day. The policy, developing in 1985, had the effect of prohibiting United States Navy ships from visiting New Zealand. This displeased the United States and Australia: they regarded the policy as a breach of treaty obligations under ANZUS and as an abrogation of responsibility in the context of the Cold War against the Soviet bloc . After consultations with Australia and after negotiations with New Zealand broke down, the United States announced that it would suspend its treaty obligations to New Zealand until the re-admission of United States Navy ships to New Zealand ports, characterising New Zealand as "a friend, but not an ally".

Erroneous claims sometimes suggest that David Lange withdrew New Zealand from ANZUS. His government's policy may have prompted the US's decision to suspend its ANZUS Treaty obligations to New Zealand, but that decision rested with the U.S. government, not with the New Zealand government.

An Oxford Union debate shown live on New Zealand television in March 1985 showcased Lange, a skilled orator, arguing for the proposition that "", in opposition to U.S. televangelist Jerry Falwell . ( TVNZ has made available an .) Lange regarded his appearance at the Oxford Union as the highest point of his career in politics.Lange, David (2005). My Life. Viking. p.208 ISBN 0-670-04556-X His speech included his memorable statement "I can smell the uranium on it ...!".

Relations with France became strained when French agents of the DGSE sinking of the Rainbow Warrior|bombed and sank the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior (1955)|Rainbow Warrior on 10 July 1985 while it lay moored in Waitemata Harbour|Auckland Harbour , killing photographer Fernando Pereira . In June 1986 Lange obtained a political deal with France over the Rainbow Warrior (1955)|Rainbow Warrior affair, presided over by Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar . France agreed to pay compensation of NZ$13& nbsp;million (US$6.5& nbsp;million) to New Zealand and also to apologise. In return, Lange agreed that French authorities could detain the convicted French agents Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur at the French military base on Hao (French Polynesia)|Hao Atoll for three years. However, the two spies both walked free by May 1988, after less than two years had elapsed.

Life after politics

In 1996 Lange sued the Australian Broadcasting Corporation over an alleged defamation that it broadcast about him. The ABC used the defence that there exists in the Australian Constitution an implied right to freedom of speech on political matters, but the High Court of Australia found against them, reversing the then existing law. See Lange v Australian Broadcasting Corporation . The case was later settled on terms favorable to Lange.

In a key New Zealand defamation case (Lange v Atkinson 3 NZLR 385), Lange sued political scientist Joe Atkinson for representing him in the magazine North & South (magazine)|North & South as a lazy prime minister. In a 1998 judgment, and on appeal in 2000, the courts affirmed a new qualified privilege for the media to discuss politicians when expressing the criticisms as the "honest opinion" of the author.

Lange was a New Zealand Rugby League board member and served as the organisation's Vice-President. Sunday Star-Times , 6 September 1998

Lange received the Right Livelihood Award 2003 for his strong fight against nuclear weapons .

In January 2006 Archives New Zealand released to The Sunday Star-Times newspaper a box of David Lange's previously classified . They revealed New Zealand's ongoing involvement in Western alliance espionage, and a threat by the United States to spy on New Zealand if it did not back down from its ban on nuclear ships.

Personal life

In 1989 Lange separated from his wife of 21 years and admitted to a long-running affair with his speech-writer, Margaret Pope, whom he later married. The matter became extremely public, with both Naomi Lange and Lange's own mother publicly attacking his behaviour. He later became reconciled with both. He had three children, Roy, Emily, Byron ( in their 30s) with his first wife (Naomi) and one daughter, Edith, with his second wife (Margaret Pope).

In the 1990s Lange's health declined, with Diabetes mellitus|diabetes and kidney disorders, mostly resulting from obesity. In 2002, doctors diagnosed Lange as having amyloidosis , a rare and incurable blood plasma disorder. He underwent extensive medical treatment for this condition. Although initially told he had only four months to live, Lange defied his doctors' expectations, and remained "optimistic" about his health. He entered hospital in Auckland in mid-July 2005 to undergo nightly peritoneal dialysis in his battle with end-stage kidney-failure. On 2 August, he had his lower right leg amputated without a general anaesthetic, as a result of diabetes complications.

His declining health resulted in the bringing-forward of the publication of his memoir My Life to 8 August 2005. TV3 (New Zealand)|TV3 broadcast an earlier pre-recorded (with John Campbell (broadcaster)|John Campbell ) on the same day.

In his last interview, given to the Herald on Sunday from his hospital bed, he made a potent intervention in New Zealand's 2005 election campaign by saying he "wanted to get out of bed and get a wheel-chair to Wellington" to stop any relaxation of his ban on nuclear ships.

Lange died of complications associated with his renal failure and blood disease in Middlemore Hospital in Auckland on 13 August 2005. The David Lange Memorial Trust has erected a memorial to him in Otahuhu.

Trivia

Lange's third cousin Michael Bassett became a fellow Cabinet-minister. Lange's father, a doctor, delivered Bassett and Lange insisted his father had dropped Bassett at the time of the birth. Bassett published a book in 2008 about the Lange government, entitled, Working With David .

Lange's brother Peter Lange (artist)|Peter is a widely respected New Zealand potter and ceramicist. He has won numerous arts awards and has exhibited widely in New Zealand and overseas.

Quote

In an interview with The New Zealand Herald (published on 3 July 2004) the Herald asked Lange:

: Do you think if the election of 1984 had not been a snap election, there would have been time for the opposing forces within the party to have successfully blocked the reforms or to have severely limited them?

Lange replied:

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