Arguably one of our greatest Prime Ministers and humanitarians,
how was it that a self-educated, rough diamond and mass of contradictions like
Norman Kirk could not only capture the hearts and minds of ordinary Kiwis but
also woo other world leaders on the global stage?
In his new book, The Mighty Totara: The Life and Times of
Norman Kirk, David Grant sets the record straight.
Grant examines Kirk’s political leadership; his successes,
especially his stunning performances on the international stage, and also his
later difficulties, as he became seriously ill and as the country’s economy was
rocked by international oil shocks.
Grant brings us not just a compelling, warts-and-all portrait of
a remarkable and charismatic man but also a portrait of a New Zealand at the
cusp of modernity, as young people and intellectuals pushed hard on abortion
and homosexual law reform, and as the anti-apartheid, feminist and nuclear-free
movements started to gain traction.
During his short but significant term in office (less than 2 years), he laid the footprint
for some of New Zealand’s most defining policies. He championed Maori; his government set up ohu, he changed the name Waitangi Day to New Zealand Day.and established the DPB and acted as the midwife to the ACC reform, in that he
expanded it to restore Justice Woodhouse’s vision of cover for all.
He is
arguably the founder of our nuclear-free policy, he stopped the Springbok tour
in 1973 not only because he was convinced there would be mayhem and that it
would tear the country apart but also because he came to believe that a ‘whites
only’ South African rugby team was a manifestation of apartheid in its purest
form and could not be condoned under any circumstances (how Muldoon thought he
could avoid it in 1981 beggars belief) and he sent a frigate to French
Polynesia to challenge the mighty French at a time when New Zealand was regarded
as a post-colonial minnow and no one expected to hear a peep from it.
He was New Zealand’s first truly regionalist Prime Minister, drawing New
Zealand closer to Asia and the Pacific. He had a strong sense of New Zealand’s
need to cut the apron strings from “the mother country” and refocus foreign
policy closer to home. He led big, attention-grabbing overseas missions
overseas, forging relationships with Canada and Asia.
He was received in
Washington by Nixon at a state reception and two days later, at another
official engagement, had the courage to criticise the US’s collusion in the
overthrow of Allende in Chile. He became close friends with Julius Nyrere of
Tanzania, was feted by Indira Ghandi….. in all it was a remarkable achievement
for a man who left school at 12.
This landmark, most readable book takes the full measure of this
extraordinary New Zealander.
About the author:
A graduate of Canterbury and Auckland universities, David Grant became a
professional historian in 1991 after successful careers in newspaper journalism
and secondary school teaching. This is his thirteenth published book, and his
second biography. He has also written numerous essays for anthologies,
dictionaries, encyclopaedias, journals and magazines, and has participated in film,
television and radio documentary history programmes.David lives in Wellington.
The Mighty Totara: The Life and Times of Norman Kirk,
David Grant - Random House NZ - $44.99
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