Graham Kelly
QSO
Kelly in 2014
19th High Commissioner of New Zealand to Canada
In office
29 July 2003 – October 2006
Prime MinisterHelen Clark
Preceded byWade Armstrong
Succeeded byKate Lackey
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Labour party list
In office
27 July 2002 – 29 July 2003
Succeeded byMoana Mackey
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Mana
Porirua (1987–1996)
In office
15 August 1987 – 27 July 2002
Preceded byGerry Wall
Succeeded byWinnie Laban
Personal details
Born(1941-05-09)9 May 1941
NationalityNew Zealand
Political partyLabour
SpouseJanette Kelly
Children5
ProfessionTrade unionist

Graham Desmond Kelly QSO (born 9 May 1941) is a former New Zealand politician.

Biography

Early life and career

Kelly was born in Wellington on 9 May 1941.[1][2] He married and had five children.[3]

Kelly was trade unionist and was employed by the Clerical Workers' Union until 1973 when he became secretary of the Shop Employees' Union.[3]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
1987–1990 42nd Porirua Labour
1990–1993 43rd Porirua Labour
1993–1996 44th Porirua Labour
1996–1999 45th Mana 13 Labour
1999–2002 46th Mana 17 Labour
2002–2003 47th List 26 Labour

As a trade union member he became involved in the Labour Party, joining the party in 1963 and was a longtime member of the Wellington Central electorate committee.[3] In the lead up to the 1987 general election he stood as a candidate to replace Gerry Wall, the retiring MP for Porirua, as the Labour candidate. In a highly contested selection meeting Kelly was chosen ahead of former All Black and local regional councillor Ken Gray. The selection was criticised by local residents who were critical of Kelly not living in the electorate and suspicions of media reports around an organised campaign to select trade unionists for all open safe seats ahead of the 1987 election. Kelly dismissed the criticism of his and other unionists selections stating he was "his own person" and his background in unions motivated him to be a representative of working people in the area. He also pledged to move from his home in Khandallah to the Porirua area.[3][4]

He was elected and served as MP for Porirua from 1987 until the 1996 election, when he became MP for the new seat of Mana. He was among several backbenchers elected in 1987 that opposed the Labour government's controversial Rogernomics reforms. He opposed the introduction of Goods and Services Tax before entering parliament and after being elected opposed the proposed flat tax rate, arguing each unfairly distributed taxation burdens on to working class people. He was also critical of how independent cabinet decision making was and campaigned for more substantive input into decisions by the party caucus.[5]

In November 1990 he was appointed as Labour's spokesperson for Fisheries and Senior Citizens by Labour leader Mike Moore.[6] Kelly supported Helen Clark in her successful leadership challenge to Moore after the 1993 election.[7] Under Clark he lost the Senior Citizens portfolio while retaining Fisheries and additionally appointed Shadow Minister of Broadcasting from 1993 to 1996.[8] From 1996 to 1999 his responsibilities shifted again and he was Shadow Minister of Housing and Overseas Aid.[9]

In the 2002 election, he did not stand as an electorate candidate, standing as a list MP and allowing Luamanuvao Winnie Laban to contest Mana. On 29 July 2003, however, he left Parliament in order to take up a position as High Commissioner to Canada.[10] His list seat was taken by the next candidate on Labour's 2002 party list, Moana Mackey.[11]

High Commissioner to Canada

In 2005, Kelly made remarks to a Canadian governmental panel which were regarded by some in New Zealand as offensive to Māori and various immigrant communities. Calls were made for his resignation, and the government criticised Kelly for his comments, for which he apologised.[12][13]

Later career

Kelly is currently the president of the Association of Former Members of Parliament.[14]

Honours

In the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours, Kelly was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Temple, Philip (1994). Temple's Guide to the 44th New Zealand Parliament. Dunedin: McIndoe Publishers. p. 68. ISBN 0-86868-159-8.
  2. ↑ "New Zealand Official Yearbook 1997". Statistics New Zealand. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Schouten, Hank; Strum, Debra (30 April 1987). "New candidate Kelly runs into instant flak". The Evening Post. p. 1.
  4. ↑ "'I am my own person'". The Evening Post. 30 April 1987. p. 1.
  5. ↑ Ashton, Juliet (4 January 1988). "Treasury Power 'Horrifies'". The New Zealand Herald. p. 9.
  6. ↑ "All Labour's 29 MPs get areas of responsibility". Otago Daily Times. 28 November 1990. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "How they voted in caucus". The New Zealand Herald. 3 December 1993. p. 3.
  8. ↑ "The Labour Shadow Cabinet". The Dominion. 14 December 1993. p. 2.
  9. ↑ Boyd, Sarah (20 December 1996). "'Govt in waiting' announced". The Evening Post. p. 2.
  10. ↑ "New High Commissioner to Canada". www.Beehive.govt.nz. 21 December 2002. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  11. ↑ New Zealand Parliament (29 July 2003). "List Member Vacancy". parliament.nz. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  12. ↑ Graham Kelly Apologises For Recent Comments Scoop, 14 June 2005
  13. ↑ Young, Audrey (15 June 2005). "Fury persists over Commisioner's [sic] 'racist' remarks". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "Former MPs to fight to keep perks". Television New Zealand. 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
  15. ↑ "Queen's Birthday honours list 2004". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
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