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Sir Bob Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Robert Edward Jones 24 November 1939 Lower Hutt, New Zealand |
| Known for | Property investor, author and former politician |
| Political party | New Zealand Party (1983–1985) |
| Relatives | Lloyd Jones (brother) Sam Duckor-Jones (nephew) |
Sir Robert Edward Jones (born 24 November 1939) is a property investor, author and former politician in New Zealand. During the course of various political campaigns, he has developed a reputation for making highly controversial off-the-cuff remarks.
Jones was born in Lower Hutt on 24 November 1939, the son of Edward L. Jones. [1] [2] He is the older brother of author Lloyd Jones. [3]
Growing up in a Lower Hutt state housing suburb, Jones attended Naenae College from 1953 to 1957. He was one of the 200 foundation pupils, and one of the ten who stayed to the sixth form (most pupils left as soon as they turned 15 to work) where he recalled a brilliant history teacher, Guy Bliss. [4] He went on to attend Victoria University of Wellington, where he earned a blue in boxing, won the New Zealand Universities lightweight boxing title in 1957, and contributed to a boxing column in the university's newspaper Salient . [1] [5] He remained a fan of boxing and sometimes commented on TV on big matches. [5]
Jones earned his wealth through investments in commercial property via his company Robt. Jones Holdings Ltd, and was worth $550 million according to the 2013 NBR rich list, and $600 million a year later. [6]
Jones formed the short-lived libertarian New Zealand Party in 1983, just before Robert Muldoon's snap 1984 election. Jones explicitly stated his disgust that the supposedly pro-free-enterprise New Zealand National Party had implemented socialist policies like price and wage freezes, and a top tax rate of 66%. His party acted as a spoiler, helping to deliver the government to the New Zealand Labour Party. Then the party implemented free market reforms under Finance Minister Roger Douglas (hence Rogernomics). When the election was over, Jones disbanded the party, seeing that Labour had implemented many of his policies. He and Muldoon had a legal feud, where Muldoon unsuccessfully sued Jones for defamation. But Jones had great respect for Muldoon in other areas. Jones even chaired the farewell dinner on the occasion of Muldoon's retirement from Parliament. [7]
In the 1984 election Jones stood for the Ohariu seat, held by cabinet minister Hugh Templeton. Templeton distributed a speech to journalists, which included the statement "Mr Jones despises... bureaucrats, civil servants, politicians, women, Jews and professionals...". [8] Jones successfully sued Templeton for defamation. [9] Templeton conceded the comment Jones despised Jews was untrue, but claimed to have a number of defences such as qualified privilege; all were rejected by the court, which found in Jones favour. Templeton v Jones became an important precedent in defamation law.
In 1985, Jones was located by reporters in a helicopter while out fishing in a remote valley in Taupō. Jones, incensed at the intrusion when the helicopter landed on the adjacent bank, famously punched TVNZ reporter Rod Vaughan, with the whole incident recorded on tape. [10] [11] [12] [13] Jones was convicted of four charges of assault and fined $1,000. [14] Jones asked the judge if he could pay $2,000 to do it again. [13]
Jones attempted to remove the Fijian Embassy from one of his properties during the time of the 1987 Fijian coup and succeeded two years later. [15]
In 2015, Jones was removed from an Air New Zealand flight by security staff for failing to follow crew instructions. [16] Jones' company subsequently bought a jet for Jones and other company executives to use for NZ travel. [17]
In 2018 Jones sued filmmaker Renae Maihi for defamation after she presented a petition to NZ Parliament calling for his knighthood to be revoked. [18] The petition had garnered more than 90,000 signatures but was not accepted for consideration. [19] The petition objected to comments Jones had written for the National Business Review. In one of Jones' newspaper columns, Jones suggested that the country's national holiday Waitangi Day, should be replaced by a Māori Gratitude Day, a suggestion he claimed was satirical. [20] [18] The defamation trial began in February 2020 and was due to last 2 weeks. [21] Ultimately, Jones withdrew the case after five days.
Jones was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours, for services to business management and the community. [22]
Sir Robert David Muldoon was a New Zealand conservative politician who served as the 31st prime minister of New Zealand, from 1975 to 1984, while leader of the National Party.
The 1984 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the composition of the 41st New Zealand Parliament. It marked the beginning of the Fourth Labour Government, with David Lange's Labour Party defeating the long-serving Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, of the National Party. It was also the last election in which the Social Credit Party won seats as an independent entity. The election was also the only one in which the New Zealand Party, a protest party, played any substantial role.
Sir Trevor Colin Mallard is a New Zealand politician. He currently serves as Ambassador of New Zealand to Ireland since 2023. He was a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 2022. He served as Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 2017 until 2022.
The New Zealand Party operated as a political party in New Zealand from 1983 to 1993. Established by millionaire property tycoon Bob Jones, the party promoted economic liberalisation—it was the first political party to promote free market reforms. It failed to win any seats in Parliament, but it purportedly played a role in causing the defeat of Robert Muldoon's National government in the 1984 election by splitting the vote.
Sir James Kenneth McLay is a New Zealand diplomat and former politician. He served as the ninth deputy prime minister of New Zealand from 15 March to 26 July 1984. McLay was also Leader of the National Party and Leader of the Opposition from 29 November 1984 to 26 March 1986. Following his ousting as party leader, he retired from parliamentary politics in 1987. In June 2009, he became New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. In May 2015, McLay became New Zealand's Representative to the Palestinian Authority. From May 2016 to January 2017, he was New Zealand's Consul General in Honolulu.
Derek Francis Quigley is a New Zealand former politician. He was a prominent member of the National Party during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and was known for his support of free-market economics and trade liberalisation. Quigley left the National Party after clashing with its leadership, and later co-founded the ACT New Zealand party.
The 1975 New Zealand general election was held on 29 November to elect MPs to the 38th session of the New Zealand Parliament. It was the first general election in New Zealand where 18- to 20-year-olds and all permanent residents of New Zealand were eligible to vote, although only citizens were able to be elected.
Sir David Stuart Beattie, was an Australian-born New Zealand judge who served as the 14th governor-general of New Zealand, from 1980 to 1985. During the 1984 constitutional crisis, Beattie was nearly forced to dismiss the sitting prime minister, Robert Muldoon.
The following lists events that happened during 1975 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1979 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1980 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1984 in New Zealand.
The Third National Government of New Zealand was the government of New Zealand from 1975 to 1984. It was an economically conservative government that aimed to preserve the Keynesian economic system established by the First Labour government and was also socially conservative. Throughout its three terms it was led by Robert Muldoon, a populist but antagonistic politician who was sometimes described as the National Party's best asset and worst liability.
The New Zealand constitutional crisis of 1984 arose following the 1984 general election, and was caused by a major currency crisis. The crisis led the incoming government to review New Zealand's constitutional structures, which resulted in the Constitution Act 1986.
Hugh Campbell Templeton is a former New Zealand diplomat, politician and member of parliament for the National Party.
Bill Ralston is a New Zealand journalist, broadcaster, and media personality, active in television, radio and print. He has worked as a political correspondent, fronted the television arts show Backch@t, and was the head of news and current affairs at TVNZ from 2003 to 2007. The New Zealand Herald has described him as controversial.
Vogel House at 75 Woburn Road, Lower Hutt, New Zealand is a neo-Georgian-style home built in 1933. For 13 years was the official residence of the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and it housed multiple other ministers and dignitaries.
Fitzgerald v Muldoon and Others is a 1976 New Zealand Supreme Court case concerning whether press statements by Robert Muldoon had breached section 1 of the Bill of Rights 1688. In its decision, the court ruled "That the pretended power of suspending of laws, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, without consent of Parliament, is illegal". The case has since become one of New Zealand's most important constitutional law decisions.
Sir George Alan Chapman is a New Zealand accountant, businessman and company director. He was president of the National Party from 1973 to 1982.
Renae Maihi is a New Zealand film director and screenwriter. She is best known for her work on the films Waru and We Are Still Here, both of which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and 2022 respectively.
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