Ron Bailey (politician)

Bailey was born in Napier in 1926. He grew up in various public works camps during the Great Depression and attended four different primary schools in the central North Island. After attending four different primary schools, he received his secondary education at Wairoa District High School (now Wairoa College) and Gisborne High School. His first jobs were as a clerk and a carpenter. He became a union organiser in 1956 where he inspected living conditions in the agricultural sector.[1] He and his union were staunch Anti-communist and allegedly he was a member of the far-right World Anti-Communist League's New Zealand chapter.[2]

Plaque from his period as Minister of Railways at Hamilton Railway Station, Waikato

When Phil Holloway unexpectedly retired from the Heretaunga electorate,[1] Bailey won the Labour Party nomination and the subsequent election.[3] He served seven terms and retired in 1981, when he was succeeded by Bill Jeffries.[4] Labour spent all but one of those terms in opposition, a situation he described in his valedictory speech as a "brick wall of frustration".[1]

During his time in Parliament Bailey was noted for lobbying for a new wing for Wellington Hospital, opposing increases in railway fares in the Hutt Valley and advocating for an increase in state house building.[1] Bailey was Labour's junior whip from 1966 to 1972.[5] Bailey narrowly missed out on election to cabinet following the formation of the Third Labour Government and was thusly given the consolation job of Chairman of Committees from 16 February 1973 until 10 September 1974.[6] As Chairman of Committees he deputized for the Speaker and notably chaired the session that saw the passing of Labour's short-lived compulsory superannuation scheme. He is also reputed to have been the only Speaker to eject National leader Robert Muldoon from the House.[1]

When Bill Rowling was elected Prime Minister, after Norman Kirk died suddenly, Bailey was elected to fill the vacant seat in cabinet.[7] He was appointed as both Minister of Railways[8] and Minister of Electricity by Rowling from 10 September 1974 to 12 December 1975, when National came to power.[9] He remembered his time as a minister as his best in politics.[1]

In 1977, Bailey was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.[10]

Bailey struggled to find permanent work when he left parliament. He worked as a real estate agent for a while but found it hard to persuade people to take on high debt. For a while, he and his wife manufactured artisan chocolate at their home. He then became a review officer for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) and went to retirement when he was 66.[1]

Bailey remained politically active after exiting parliament and during the Fourth Labour Government he was the Auckland convenor of the Backbone Club, a party ginger group, formed to support Roger Douglas against Jim Anderton.[11] He remained a friend of Douglas but never went as far as to join ACT.

In the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours, Bailey appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services,[12] and in 1990 he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[10]

Bailey was married to Shirley for 29 years, when she died. They had one daughter and one son. When first elected his MP salary was so low they could not afford either a car or house. He used to travel by bicycle and the pair lived in workers' sheds alongside the Hutt River. They were only able to purchase their own home after winning a bet on horse racing.[1]

His second wife was Barbara; she was the electorate secretary for Roger Douglas. They first met during the election campaign for the Mangere by-election in 1977. In 1979 they married, fellow Labour MP Russell Marshall (a Methodist minister) conducted the ceremony.[1] They later moved to Auckland and he died there on 16 April 2015, survived by his second wife.[13]