Jack Marshall
Encyclopedia
Sir John Ross Marshall, GBE, CH
, (5 March 1912 – 30 August 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister
, he served as the 28th Prime Minister
for most of 1972.
, and Dunedin, attending Whangarei High School and Otago Boys' High School
. He was noted for his ability at sports, particularly rugby
.
After leaving high school, Marshall studied law at Victoria University College (now Victoria University of Wellington
). He gained an LL.B. in 1934 and an LL.M. in 1935. He also worked part-time in a law office. He also wrote a series of children's books called Dr Duffer.
In 1941, during World War II, Marshall entered the army, and received officer training. In his first few years of service, he was posted to Fiji
, Norfolk Island
, New Caledonia
, and the Solomon Islands
, eventually reaching the rank of Major. During this time he also spent five months in the United States at a marine staff school in Virginia. At the start of 1945, Marshall was assigned to a unit sent to reinforce New Zealand forces in the Middle East. This unit later participated in the battle of the Senio River
and the liberation of Trieste
.
, but was soon persuaded to stand as the National Party
's candidate for the new Wellington seat of Mt Victoria
in the 1946 election
. He won the seat by 911 votes. He was, however, nearly disqualified by a technicality – Marshall was employed at the time in a legal case for the government, something which ran afoul of rules barring politicians from giving business to their own firms. However, because Marshall had taken on the case before his election (and so could not have influenced the government's decision to give him employment), it was obvious that there had been no wrongdoing. As such, the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser of the Labour Party
, amended the regulations.
Marshall's political philosophy, which was well-defined at this stage, was a mixture of liberal and conservative values. He was opposed to laissez-faire
capitalism, but was equally opposed to the redistribution of wealth advocated by socialists – his vision was of a property-owning society under the benign guidance of a fair and just government.
Marshall's politeness
and courtesy
were well known, and he was sometimes nicknamed "Gentleman Jack". He disliked the aggressive style of some politicians, preferring a calmer, less confrontational approach. These traits were sometimes perceived as weakness by his opponents. Marshall was a strong believer in common sense
and pragmatism
, and he disliked what he considered populism
in other politicians of his day.
, Marshall kept his seat. The National Party gained enough seats to form a government, and Sidney Holland
became Prime Minister. Marshall was elevated to Cabinet
, gaining ministerial responsibility for the State Advances Corporation. He also became a direct assistant to Holland.
After the 1951 election
, Marshall became Minister of Health (although he also retained responsibility for State Advances until 1953). In the 1954 election
, his Mt Victoria seat was abolished, and he successfully stood for another Wellington electorate, Karori
. After the election, he lost the Health portfolio, instead becoming Minister of Justice and Attorney General. In these roles, he supported the retention of the death penalty for murder – New Zealand's last execution was carried out in 1957, during Marshall's time in office. He also supported the creation of a separate Court of Appeal.
When Sidney Holland became ill, Marshall was part of the group that persuaded him to step down. Keith Holyoake
became Prime Minister. Marshall contested the deputy leadership, managing to defeat Jack Watts for this post.
to Labour's Walter Nash
. Marshall, therefore, became deputy leader of the Opposition. The Nash government did not last long, however – its drastic measures to counter an economic crisis proved unpopular. Marshall was later to admit that the crisis had been prompted by a failure to act by the National government, although other members of the National Party dispute this assertion. Labour lost the 1960 election
, and National returned to power.
Marshall once again became Deputy Prime Minister. He also took up several other positions, including ministerial responsibility for Justice, Industries and Commerce, and Overseas Trade, Immigration, and Customs. One of his major achievements was the signing of trade arrangements with Australia and the United Kingdom. Marshall also supported the abolition of compulsory union membership, which had been a National Party election policy – when the government eventually decided not to push forward with the change, Marshall's relations with some of his colleagues were strained.
Marshall was a leading proponent for the retention of capital punishment
for murder. However, Labour under Sir Arnold Nordmeyer
was opposed, and in 1961 ten National MPs including Rob Muldoon and Ralph Hanan
crossed the floor and voted with Labour to abolish it.
Marshall became increasingly overworked as time went on, with Holyoake giving him more and more cabinet responsibilities. Marshall was also put under considerable pressure by ongoing labour disputes, which he took a significant role in resolving. Marshall's relationship with Robert Muldoon
, the Minister of Finance
, grew very tense, with Marshall resenting Muldoon's open interference in the labour negotiations. Marshall was also responsible for establishing the Accident Compensation Corporation
, something which he regarded as one of his greatest achievements.
, Norman Kirk
's Labour Party was triumphant. Marshall became leader of the Opposition.
Marshall retired at the 1975 elections
, having received a knighthood (GBE) the previous year. He remained active in the National Party organization, however, and was highly respected for his many years of service. Marshall became increasingly critical of Muldoon, accusing him of being overly aggressive and controlling. Marshall also opposed Muldoon's highly controversial decision to allow a visit by a rugby union team from apartheid South Africa.
Marshall wrote and published several children’s books, his memoirs and a law book, and later became highly active in various charities and cultural organizations, including the New Zealand Chess
Association (now Federation).http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcf.htm Many of these were related to his strong Christian faith. Marshall died in England on 30 August 1988, en route to a conference of the United Bible Societies
.
Order of the Companions of Honour
The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded by King George V in June 1917, as a reward for outstanding achievements in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion....
, (5 March 1912 – 30 August 1988), generally known as Jack Marshall, was a New Zealand politician. After spending twelve years as Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand is second most senior officer in the Government of New Zealand, although this seniority does not necessarily translate into power....
, he served as the 28th Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
for most of 1972.
Early life
Marshall was born in Wellington. He grew up in Wellington, WhangareiWhangarei
Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
, and Dunedin, attending Whangarei High School and Otago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School
Otago Boys' High School is one of New Zealand's oldest boys' secondary schools, located in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. It was founded on 3 August 1863 and moved to its present site in 1885. The main building was designed by Robert Lawson and is regarded as one of the finest Gothic revival...
. He was noted for his ability at sports, particularly rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
.
After leaving high school, Marshall studied law at Victoria University College (now Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington
Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...
). He gained an LL.B. in 1934 and an LL.M. in 1935. He also worked part-time in a law office. He also wrote a series of children's books called Dr Duffer.
In 1941, during World War II, Marshall entered the army, and received officer training. In his first few years of service, he was posted to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
, New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, eventually reaching the rank of Major. During this time he also spent five months in the United States at a marine staff school in Virginia. At the start of 1945, Marshall was assigned to a unit sent to reinforce New Zealand forces in the Middle East. This unit later participated in the battle of the Senio River
Senio
The Senio is a 92 km river of Romagna in Italy, the final right-sided tributary of the river Reno. The mean discharge at its mouth is about 10 m³/s; however this can vary from a minimum of 0.3 m³/s to a maximum of 500 m³/s....
and the liberation of Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
.
Member of Parliament
After the war, Marshall briefly established himself as a barristerBarrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, but was soon persuaded to stand as the National Party
New Zealand National Party
The New Zealand National Party is the largest party in the New Zealand House of Representatives and in November 2008 formed a minority government with support from three minor parties.-Policies:...
's candidate for the new Wellington seat of Mt Victoria
Mount Victoria (New Zealand electorate)
Mount Victoria is a former New Zealand electorate, centred on the inner-city suburb of Mount Victoria in the southern suburbs of Wellington.-History:...
in the 1946 election
New Zealand general election, 1946
The 1946 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 28th term. It saw the governing Labour Party re-elected, but by a substantially narrower margin than in the three previous elections...
. He won the seat by 911 votes. He was, however, nearly disqualified by a technicality – Marshall was employed at the time in a legal case for the government, something which ran afoul of rules barring politicians from giving business to their own firms. However, because Marshall had taken on the case before his election (and so could not have influenced the government's decision to give him employment), it was obvious that there had been no wrongdoing. As such, the Prime Minister, Peter Fraser of the Labour Party
New Zealand Labour Party
The New Zealand Labour Party is a New Zealand political party. It describes itself as centre-left and socially progressive and has been one of the two primary parties of New Zealand politics since 1935....
, amended the regulations.
Marshall's political philosophy, which was well-defined at this stage, was a mixture of liberal and conservative values. He was opposed to laissez-faire
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
capitalism, but was equally opposed to the redistribution of wealth advocated by socialists – his vision was of a property-owning society under the benign guidance of a fair and just government.
Marshall's politeness
Politeness
Politeness is best expressed as the practical application of good manners or etiquette. It is a culturally-defined phenomenon, and therefore what is considered polite in one culture can sometimes be quite rude or simply eccentric in another cultural context....
and courtesy
Courtesy
Courtesy comes from old french 'courteis' is gentle politeness and courtly manners. In the Middle Ages in Europe, the behaviour expected of the gentry was compiled in courtesy books...
were well known, and he was sometimes nicknamed "Gentleman Jack". He disliked the aggressive style of some politicians, preferring a calmer, less confrontational approach. These traits were sometimes perceived as weakness by his opponents. Marshall was a strong believer in common sense
Common sense
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as, "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts." Thus, "common sense" equates to the knowledge and experience which most people already have, or which the person using the term believes that they do or should have...
and pragmatism
Pragmatism
Pragmatism is a philosophical tradition centered on the linking of practice and theory. It describes a process where theory is extracted from practice, and applied back to practice to form what is called intelligent practice...
, and he disliked what he considered populism
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
in other politicians of his day.
Cabinet Minister
In the 1949 electionNew Zealand general election, 1949
The 1949 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 29th term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the opposition National Party...
, Marshall kept his seat. The National Party gained enough seats to form a government, and Sidney Holland
Sidney Holland
Sir Sidney George Holland, GCMG, CH was the 25th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 13 December 1949 to 20 September 1957.-Early life:...
became Prime Minister. Marshall was elevated to Cabinet
New Zealand Cabinet
The Cabinet of New Zealand functions as the policy and decision-making body of the executive branch within the New Zealand government system...
, gaining ministerial responsibility for the State Advances Corporation. He also became a direct assistant to Holland.
After the 1951 election
New Zealand general election, 1951
The 1951 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 30th term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, increasing its lead over the opposition Labour Party.-Background:...
, Marshall became Minister of Health (although he also retained responsibility for State Advances until 1953). In the 1954 election
New Zealand general election, 1954
The 1954 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 31st term. It saw the governing National Party remain in office, but with a slightly reduced majority...
, his Mt Victoria seat was abolished, and he successfully stood for another Wellington electorate, Karori
Karori (New Zealand electorate)
Karori was a New Zealand electorate, situated in the west of Wellington. It existed from 1946 to 1975.-History:The electorate of Karori was created for the 1946 elections. Its initial boundaries were roughly the same as the abolished Wellington West electorate, except that it did not include...
. After the election, he lost the Health portfolio, instead becoming Minister of Justice and Attorney General. In these roles, he supported the retention of the death penalty for murder – New Zealand's last execution was carried out in 1957, during Marshall's time in office. He also supported the creation of a separate Court of Appeal.
When Sidney Holland became ill, Marshall was part of the group that persuaded him to step down. Keith Holyoake
Keith Holyoake
Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, KG, GCMG, CH, QSO, KStJ was a New Zealand politician. The only person to have been both Prime Minister and Governor-General of New Zealand, Holyoake was National Party Prime Minister from 20 September 1957 to 12 December 1957, then again from 12 December 1960 to 7...
became Prime Minister. Marshall contested the deputy leadership, managing to defeat Jack Watts for this post.
Deputy Prime Minister
Shortly after the leadership change, National lost the 1957 electionNew Zealand general election, 1957
The 1957 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 32nd term. It saw the governing National Party narrowly defeated by the Labour Party...
to Labour's Walter Nash
Walter Nash
Sir Walter Nash, GCMG, CH served as the 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand in the Second Labour Government from 1957 to 1960, and was also highly influential in his role as Minister of Finance...
. Marshall, therefore, became deputy leader of the Opposition. The Nash government did not last long, however – its drastic measures to counter an economic crisis proved unpopular. Marshall was later to admit that the crisis had been prompted by a failure to act by the National government, although other members of the National Party dispute this assertion. Labour lost the 1960 election
New Zealand general election, 1960
The 1960 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 33rd term. It saw the governing Labour Party defeated by the National Party, putting an end to the short second Labour government.-Background:...
, and National returned to power.
Marshall once again became Deputy Prime Minister. He also took up several other positions, including ministerial responsibility for Justice, Industries and Commerce, and Overseas Trade, Immigration, and Customs. One of his major achievements was the signing of trade arrangements with Australia and the United Kingdom. Marshall also supported the abolition of compulsory union membership, which had been a National Party election policy – when the government eventually decided not to push forward with the change, Marshall's relations with some of his colleagues were strained.
Marshall was a leading proponent for the retention of capital punishment
Capital punishment in New Zealand
Capital punishment in New Zealand first appeared in a codified form when New Zealand became a British territory in 1840, and was first employed in 1842. It was last used in 1957, abolished for murder in 1961, and abolished altogether, including for treason, in 1989. During the period that it was in...
for murder. However, Labour under Sir Arnold Nordmeyer
Arnold Nordmeyer
Sir Arnold Henry Nordmeyer, ONZ, KCMG , born Heinrich Arnold Nordmeyer, was a New Zealand politician. He was leader of the Labour Party for three years while it was in Opposition.-Early life:...
was opposed, and in 1961 ten National MPs including Rob Muldoon and Ralph Hanan
Ralph Hanan
Josiah Ralph Hanan known as Ralph Hanan was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.He represented the Invercargill electorate in Parliament from 1946 to 1969, and was a son of Josiah Hanan who had previously held the seat...
crossed the floor and voted with Labour to abolish it.
Marshall became increasingly overworked as time went on, with Holyoake giving him more and more cabinet responsibilities. Marshall was also put under considerable pressure by ongoing labour disputes, which he took a significant role in resolving. Marshall's relationship with Robert Muldoon
Robert Muldoon
Sir Robert David "Rob" Muldoon, GCMG, CH served as the 31st Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984, as leader of the governing National Party. Muldoon had been a prominent member of the National party and MP for the Tamaki electorate for some years prior to becoming leader of the party...
, the Minister of Finance
Minister of Finance (New Zealand)
The Minister of Finance is a senior figure within the government of New Zealand. The position is often considered to be the most important Cabinet role after that of the Prime Minister....
, grew very tense, with Marshall resenting Muldoon's open interference in the labour negotiations. Marshall was also responsible for establishing the Accident Compensation Corporation
Accident Compensation Corporation
The Accident Compensation Corporation is a New Zealand Crown entity responsible for administering the Accident Compensation Act 2001. The Act provides support to citizens, residents, and temporary visitors who have suffered personal injuries....
, something which he regarded as one of his greatest achievements.
Prime Minister
On 7 February 1972, Holyoake stepped down as leader of the National Party and as Prime Minister. Marshall contested the leadership against Robert Muldoon, and won. Muldoon became Deputy Prime Minister. Marshall was keen to reorganize the government, believing that it had become stagnated and inflexible. The public, however, were tired of the long-serving National government, considered the reforms insufficient. In the 1972 electionNew Zealand general election, 1972
The New Zealand general election of 1972 was held to elect MPs to the 37th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Labour Party, led by Norman Kirk, defeated the governing National Party.-Background:...
, Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Norman Eric Kirk was the 29th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1972 until his sudden death in 1974. He led the Parliamentary wing of the New Zealand Labour Party from 1965 to 1974. He was the fourth Labour Prime Minister of New Zealand, but the first to be born in New Zealand...
's Labour Party was triumphant. Marshall became leader of the Opposition.
Later life
On 4 July 1974, Marshall was informed that a leadership challenge was imminent. Aware that much of his support had drained away, Marshall resigned, and Muldoon became leader. Marshall's decline was primarily the result of his inability to damage the highly popular Norman Kirk – Marshall's quiet style did not fit well with the aggressive tactics that National needed.Marshall retired at the 1975 elections
New Zealand general election, 1975
The 1975 New Zealand general election was held to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first election in New Zealand where 18-20 year olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be...
, having received a knighthood (GBE) the previous year. He remained active in the National Party organization, however, and was highly respected for his many years of service. Marshall became increasingly critical of Muldoon, accusing him of being overly aggressive and controlling. Marshall also opposed Muldoon's highly controversial decision to allow a visit by a rugby union team from apartheid South Africa.
Marshall wrote and published several children’s books, his memoirs and a law book, and later became highly active in various charities and cultural organizations, including the New Zealand Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Association (now Federation).http://www.poisonpawn.co.nz/nzcf.htm Many of these were related to his strong Christian faith. Marshall died in England on 30 August 1988, en route to a conference of the United Bible Societies
United Bible Societies
The United Bible Societies is a worldwide association of Bible societies. In 1946 delegates from 13 countries formed the UBS, as an effort to coordinate the activities of the bible societies. The first headquarters were London and in Geneva...
.
External links
- Prime Minister's Office official biography in the Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand BiographyThe Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....