Dyson Ruth: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
Dyson Ruth: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
[Volume:628;Page:69] 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister of Labour) 
: 
 I begin by acknowledging the deaths of both Jack Luxton and the Hon John Falloon. I recognise the contribution they made to New Zealand politics and send my personal sympathy to their families. I want to begin my tributes today with my tribute to David Lange. I knew David for over 20 years. During his time as Prime Minister I was the president of the Labour Party—a position I contested for against Jim Anderton. It was interesting listening to Jim Anderton’s perspective on that period of time but that is what happens in politics: we all have our own particular view of the facts of the time and that is why the history books are so interesting to read and reflect on. 
It is a real privilege to be able to pay tribute to David as a member of Parliament. I saw him in times of utter despair and in times of absolute joy and I have certainly reflected on those times over the last few months since his death. I remember David most of all for his huge generosity. Mark Gosche mentioned in his contribution the many unpaid legal fees David had owing to him right up to the day he died. Not only did he never pursue many of the legitimate fees that were owing to him but he also gave hugely of his own time and expertise as well as money. Indeed he gave to the point of housing people in his own home when they needed it. 
David had a huge and healthy disrespect for pomp and ceremony. In fact he would probably be quite uncomfortable if he were here during this debate other than being able to add many interjections and probably liven it up considerably. For someone who was such a great orator he also had a great dislike for small talk. He was very uncomfortable in one-to-one conversations unless they were about a subject that actually engaged him and not many engaged him for very long. As Michael Cullen described he was very quick to move on to the next subject having taken everything he could from the conversation. He had a huge sense of humour and wit and it was often at his own expense. But most of all I remember David for his enthusiasm for life his deep sense of pride in New Zealand particularly in New Zealand as a Pacific nation. He presided over an extraordinary period of change in the New Zealand economy when he led the 1984 Government change which when it accelerated became unacceptable to him and change which in the end ended his time in politics many years before his full contribution had been made. Much will be written about those particular times some by historians who are already rewriting them. Of course as with any political activity others will reflect on how things could have been done better. People who think that usually add that it could have been done better by them. 
In my view David could not have done more for our nation. He revived us after the Muldoon era. He gave us an enthusiasm for ourselves and for our nation and he gave us courage to stand on our own feet. He had an extraordinary memory particularly for names of people some of whom he had met only once and he had an inability to sit still for long. I well remember the days of the New Zealand Labour Party council 2-day meetings that David attended. I am sure it was an excruciating experience for him and he only survived the 2 days by constantly moving in and out of the room—often in and out of the building. I well remember the day the Diplomatic Protection Squad was in near meltdown when they lost the Prime Minister they were meant to be protecting. I am sure he brought the squad along because he was going to a meeting of the New Zealand Council of the Labour Party. During the Lange-Douglas days he frequently did need some level of protection. We actually found him some time later. He was having a cup of tea with the Labour Party staff in their tearoom happy and relaxed perhaps more so knowing that he had caused such a search. 
David the politician was a public figure owned by every New Zealander. That public ownership does take a large part of one’s life and although he gave it willingly it made his future time out of Parliament so much more important. I treasure memories of dinners with David and Margaret in the little Viet Namese restaurant in south Auckland where David could be a husband and father and just himself and I will treasure memories of the joy that David had in his post-political life. That life was taken too early. David endured his significant poor heath with his usual courage and humour. We have all gained immensely from his contribution and my love and thoughts are with his family in their huge loss. 
 The death this week of Rod Donald is a massive loss to the Green Party and to New Zealand politics. I have lost a friend and a colleague but the huge political loss and my loss is nothing compared with that of Nicola Emma Zoe and Holly Rod’s parents and Nicola’s family. 
I got to know Rod well in the 1990s when I became a candidate for the then Lyttelton electorate and since 1996 Rod and I have stood as candidates for Banks Peninsula. He always encouraged people to vote for me and to vote for the Green Party and I always told him he had it half right. Rod had an immense passion and energy for politics and a totally genuine desire to make the world a better place and to use every piece of energy he had to contribute to that end. His drive for electoral reform was never one that I shared with him. I opposed the change to MMP and I am very pleased that recently I told Rod that I thought I was wrong. Even though there are some huge flaws in MMP I still think that our Parliament is a better place and our policy-making processes are better because of it. I am really pleased I admitted to him that I had been wrong for all that time. 
His campaign for buying New Zealand goods will be carried out in our commitment as it was of course before the election. Rod was a passionate Cantab. I remember seeing him with Jeanette being pursued by a large bunch of media as they were going across to Bowen House during the post-election discussions. One of the media asked Rod: “What do you think the outcome will be?” and Rod asked me as I was walking past: “What do you think?”. I said: “Like you—Canterbury will win.” He knew that I would respond about the rugby because we had shared a lot of time watching Canterbury beat many other people. 
Just a month ago Rod and I were at the Opawa School fair. Rod as usual had his home-baked spiced apple cake for sale. I bought it much to his pleasure and amusement but I also know that the price was rapidly escalated when he found out that I was prepared to purchase it. So Opawa School was the winner in that particular deal. Rod was wearing his tyre tube headband with his cellphone tucked into it. He talked constantly all the way around the fair as he bought things had conversations with other people then phoned someone else. I remember his huge chuckle at the fair as Holly told him about the amount of furniture that Emma had purchased earlier. She had gone to the fair early because she knew that Rod would see her otherwise. She had purchased a large lot of furniture and Holly had explained where she was taking it because there was clearly no more room at home for more of Emma’s purchases. He rang Nicola and told her and I can just so clearly remember the laughter as they discussed their greatly adored daughter’s antics. 
Tragically integrity is not a word that is often used to describe a politician but in the case of Rod it is a very appropriate word—as is principled; as is loyal. But Rod was also fun. He was fun to work with and fun to campaign both against and with. For a man with such a passion and commitment to make our world better a man with such energy and ability to be taken from us is something that has stunned us all and in my case has actually made me very angry. So I celebrate the contribution that Rod has made; a contribution larger than few make in twice as many years. I give my commitment to continuing to pursue the establishment of the marine reserve in Akaroa in Rod’s memory. I mourn the loss of a great political leader who has put many issues on the agenda in New Zealand that may have been ignored had it not been for him. On Sunday evening Holly expressed surprise that Rod’s death was the lead item on the TV news. That surprise really reinforced for me how unpretentious Rod was in his life despite his significant political contribution. So to Nicola Holly Emma and Zoe—you have given so much of Rod and his time to our nation. It has been one of the best gifts we could have received. My love and thoughts are with you.