John Bowie Gordon known as Peter Gordon, was a New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 politician of 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:...

.

He was the Member of Parliament for Clutha

Clutha (New Zealand electorate)

Clutha was a New Zealand Parliamentary electorate, from 1866 to 1996.-Population centres:This electorate is in the rural part of Southland.-History:The electorate was established in 1866...

 from 1960 to 1978, when he retired. With Rob Muldoon and Duncan MacIntyre

Duncan MacIntyre (New Zealand)

Brigadier-General Duncan MacIntyre, CMG, DSO, OBE, ED, PC was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1981 to 1984 under Prime Minister Robert Muldoon.-Member of Parliament:...

 he was one of the three 'Young Turks' of the National Party, a "ginger group" who entered Parliament in 1960.

In 1966 the 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...

 at the time 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...

 promoted Gordon to the 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...

, along with several other backbencher

Backbencher

In Westminster parliamentary systems, a backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition...

s including future Prime Minister Rob Muldoon. He was made Minister of Railways

Minister of Railways (New Zealand)

The Minister of Railways was the minister in the government responsible for the New Zealand Railways Department 1895–1981, the New Zealand Railways Corporation 1981–1993, and New Zealand Rail Limited 1990–1993...

 and Minister of Transport in the Second National Government

Second National Government of New Zealand

The Second National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1960 to 1972. It was a conservative government which sought mainly to preserve the economic prosperity and general stability of the early 1960s...

 until 1972. He was made a Privy Councillor in 1978.