Robert Muldoon

Sir Robert David Muldoon ( born September 25, 1921 in Auckland, New Zealand, † August 5, 1992 ) was a member of the conservative New Zealand National Party and Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984.

Life

Muldoon grew up in a family of the lower middle class. He was influenced by his grandmother, an active socialist. His father contracted syphilis and was admitted to a psychiatric clinic.

He joined the army in World War II and fought in the South Pacific and Italy, where he trained as an accountant. He learned Duncan MacIntyre and Jack Marshall know, members of the National Party, which he joined after his return to New Zealand.

After two unsuccessful attempts to compete against established party comrades Muldoon was elected to Parliament in 1960. His constituency Tamaki in Auckland suburb, he represented for 32 years. From 1963 he was the Minister of Finance Harry Lake assumed. As this 1967, he became his successor, with 45 years the youngest Finance Ministers of the island died. Actually, now stood him to third place in the Cabinet. However, Prime Minister Keith Holyoake put him only to eighth place, he probably did not like Muldoon's arrogant and ambitious nature. Nevertheless, we succeeded to collect him sympathy in the population, in part because he knew how to make better use of television as his older colleagues. The election victory of the National Party from 1969 is largely attributed to him.

Muldoon refused both abortion and the death penalty in order to achieve the prohibition he assisted at times the opposition.

After Holyoakes resignation in 1971, he became Deputy Prime Minister behind Jack Marshall. The lost the 1972 election clearly and also resigned. Muldoon was opposition leader until he Bill Rowling struck clear in the 1975 election.

Time as Prime Minister

Muldoon was both Premier and Minister of Finance. The main objective of his government was the preservation of the welfare state in tough economic times. With Britain's entry to the European Community has lost the most important foreign markets, this came the oil crisis of the 1970s.

In order to solve the economic problems Muldoon sat through a tax cut. As this was not successful were wages, prices and dividends frozen, initially for one year. There were to be added to large-scale projects to stimulate the economy finance loans. None of the projects, which were received as Think Big projects in history, brought quick success and the period of two years had to be extended. The state budget were estimated one billion New Zealand dollars lost. Muldoon himself referred to his financial policy later as an error.

1981 Muldoon supported a trip to the South African Springboks rugby team of New Zealand. He was of the opinion that politics and sports should be separated, even if South Africa was isolated internationally at this time because of apartheid. The tour became known as The event sparked nationwide protests and demonstrations.

After a dispute with the party member Marilyn Waring, threatened with a move to the opposition, put Muldoon to a new election for 14 July 1984. He looked no more support to govern in a position without Waring. The Labour Party won 56 of the 93 seats there, David Lange became the new prime minister.

Between the election and the formal handover to the new government, there was a further dispute. The New Zealand Bank saw the New Zealand dollar over-valued against the U.S. Dollar. She asked Muldoon one devaluation perform, but refused because he did not consider the measure to be socially acceptable. The National Bank was then forced to temporarily suspend trading in the country. It is common in New Zealand, that the old government between the election and transfer of power to the new government will decide in accordance with their wishes. Lange asked Muldoon perform the devaluation, but refused further. Only shortly before the handover of power, he fulfilled the desire.

After deselection

Muldoon was replaced shortly after the election as party chairman. His successor was Jim MyLay he attacked again and again until 1986, his favorite Jim Bolger, later Prime Minister himself, received the items.

Muldoon's political influence waned quickly. He had to experience as his protégé Bolger promoted the liberalization of the New Zealand economy under the slogan Ruthanasia. He argued unsuccessfully against the legalization of homosexuality.

Besides his work as an MP, he wrote articles in business magazines, in which he gave Ruthanasia the blame for the economic problems. He appeared as a narrator in The Rocky Horror Show and has participated in various commercials and two television series with. He also hosted a radio show entitled Lilies and other things

On November 17, 1991, he resigned as an MP. A short time later, he fell ill and died on 5 August 1992 at the age of 70 years in Auckland.