Robert Leslie Gapper Talbot (born 1923) 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:...

. A 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...

 loyalist, he was a cabinet minister 1981-84 in the Third National Government

Third National Government of New Zealand

The Third National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. It was an economically and socially conservative government, which aimed to preserve the Keynesian economic system established by the First Labour government while also being socially conservative...

, as Postmaster-General and Minister of Tourism .

Talbot represented the Ashburton electorate in Parliament from 1966 to 1969, then the South Canterbury

South Canterbury (New Zealand electorate)

South Canterbury is a former Parliamentary electorate, in South Canterbury, New Zealand.-Population centres:The electorate was rural, in the South Canterbury area of the South Island.* Ashburton-History:...

 electorate from 1969 to 1978, then the Ashburton electorate again from 1978 until his retirement in 1987 whereupon he was replaced by Jenny Shipley

Jenny Shipley

Dame Jenny Shipley, DNZM , served as the 36th Prime Minister of New Zealand from December 1997 to December 1999, the first woman to hold this office and the first, and to date only, woman to serve as parliamentary leader of the National Party of New Zealand.-Early life:Shipley was born as Jennifer...

. As Postmaster General he signed off on New Zealand's first cellular network in 1983.

On 4 July 2008, Talbot was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from former United States Ambassador to New Zealand

United States Ambassador to New Zealand

The United States has maintained a consular presence in New Zealand since 1838. The first consul was James Reddy Clendon. Born in England, Clendon was a ship owner and merchant who bought land and settled in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. In 1838 he was appointed by the federal government of the...

 Bill McCormick for his efforts in fostering positive relations between the United States and New Zealand during his tenure with the New Zealand American Association.