Jim Anderton
James Patrick Anderton CNZM (born Byrne; 21 January 1938 – 7 January 2018) was a New Zealand politician who led a succession of left-wing parties after leaving the Labour Party in 1989.
Jim Anderton
Helen Clark
Position established
Position abolished
Helen Clark
Position established
Sandra Lee
Position established
Sandra Lee
Position established
Position abolished
Stu McCaffley
7 January 2018 (aged 79)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Labour (1963–1989, 2011–2018)
NewLabour (1989–1991)
Alliance (1991–2002)
Progressive (2002–2011)
Carole Anderton
Businessman, politician
Anderton's political career began when he was elected to the Manukau City Council in 1965. After serving for five years as Labour Party president, Anderton successfully stood as the Labour candidate for Sydenham in Christchurch in 1984. However, he soon came into conflict with the party's leadership, and became an outspoken critic of the Fourth Labour Government's free-market reforms, called Rogernomics. In April 1989, believing that Labour was beyond change, Anderton resigned from the party.
As leader of the Alliance and later the Progressive Party, he served as the 15th deputy prime minister of New Zealand in the Fifth Labour Government from 1999 to 2002 and as a senior minister in that government from 2002 to 2008. In 2010, he ran unsuccessfully for the mayoralty of Christchurch. Anderton retired from Parliament at the 2011 election. After his retirement, he and former MP Philip Burdon were the two prominent campaigners for the restoration of ChristChurch Cathedral.
Early life[edit]
Jim Anderton was born on 21 January 1938[1] in Auckland to Matthew Byrne and Joyce Savage. His father left the family and his mother married Victor Anderton. Matthew Byrne died in a train accident in 1946 and Victor Anderton adopted Jim in 1951.[2] Jim undertook all his education in Auckland, attending Seddon Memorial Technical College and the Auckland Teachers' Training College. He graduated as a qualified teacher, but spent only two years in a teaching role (at St Peter's College, Auckland) before moving on to work as a child welfare officer in Wanganui.[3]
In 1960, he married Joan Caulfield and they had five children, two girls and three boys.[3] The same year he became the paid organiser for the Catholic Youth Movement in the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, and later worked as the secretary for the Catholic diocese in Auckland.[4] Cardinal Reginald Delargey said that there were difficulties with Jim Anderton and his employment ended "when he put us in a position where we had to make a choice between him or the Pope".[5]
Anderton later moved into business, working as an export manager for a textiles company before establishing a manufacturing company, Anderton Holdings, with his brother Brian in 1971 and also bought a superette in Parnell.[3]
Alliance[edit]
Anderton and NewLabour were at the centre of the Alliance Party established in 1991. He became leader of the new party and in the 1993 election, was joined in parliament by Alliance colleague Sandra Lee. Jim Bolger spoke to him after the 1993 election where Anderton was "courteous and sensible and spoke about co-operating, but made it clear he would never enter into a coalition with a National-led government".[37] He briefly stepped down as leader of the Alliance in November 1994 following the suicide of his daughter the year before,[38] but returned in May 1995.[3][39]
In the 1996 election, the first to be held under the mixed-member proportional (MMP) system, the Alliance won 13 seats in Parliament. Anderton retained his constituency seat, now renamed Wigram, and he was joined in Parliament by 12 list MPs.[40]
Anderton was the most prominent critic of the rash of party-switching (sometimes called "waka jumping" in New Zealand) that characterised the 45th Parliament, although remained silent about his own past party-switching.[41] When Alliance list MP Alamein Kopu declared herself an independent and supported the National-led coalition, Anderton blasted her, saying her behaviour "breached every standard of ethics that are known."[42]
After the collapse of the National-New Zealand First coalition Anderton started a "Go Now" petition on 27 August 1998 calling on the government to resign and hold an election.[43] Former prime minister Jim Bolger resigned from parliament triggering the 1998 Taranaki-King Country by-election. The Alliance performed surprisingly well. Campaigning on opposition to the proposed Multilateral Agreement on Investment, they won 15% of the vote in a traditionally conservative electorate and finishing just two points behind Labour.[44] Following the by-election the Alliance and Labour began co-operating, informally to begin with, in recognition that it would be the only way to win power. Anderton, his chief advisor Andrew Ladley and Lee met with Labour leader Helen Clark, deputy Michael Cullen, secretary Tony Timms and Clark's advisor Heather Simpson to agree on forming a coalition with one another if they each won enough seats at the next election. Ladley and Simpson drew up briefs on what a Labour-Alliance government would look like and how it would work.[45]
Death[edit]
Anderton died in Christchurch on 7 January 2018, at age 79.[59][60][61] His funeral at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Christchurch was attended by hundreds, including the Prime Minister.[62] Anderton was buried at Onetangi Cemetery on Waiheke Island.[63]
Figures from across the political spectrum praised Anderton following his death, and the leaders of New Zealand's parliamentary parties paid tributes.[3][64]