Peters Winston: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
Peters Winston: Obituaries — Rt Hon David Russell Lange ONZ CH John Finlay Luxton QSO Hon John Howard Falloon CNZM Rod David Donald 
[Volume:628;Page:47] 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 We in New Zealand First want to formally pass on our condolences to the Lange family. It is not easy in such times having to share one’s grief and suffering so publicly when one’s loved one is a figure so beloved of the public. It is difficult on such occasions to say something that has not been said already several times over. I am cognisant of the fact that on occasions such as these we are often lured into long-winded platitudes and I am not intending to follow that path but I wish to make some pertinent observations. 
Some of us first encountered David Lange when he tutored torts at Auckland University law school. He was as witty and informed then as he proved to be in politics. At the end of each tutorial we did not know what we had learnt but it certainly seemed fascinating while we were learning it. 
 He then went on to spend some time as a lawyer in both Auckland and Kaikohe where his public claims that he was earning only $7000 per year had some mean-spirited people in the legal profession arguing that he should be disbarred from the profession. But he was a star at the old Magistrate’s Court in Auckland and no one who ever attended that court could forget him. 
As the Prime Minister said the north saw much more of David Lange when he contested the seat of Hobson in the 1975 election. Then very soon after that in a huge local contest he won the seat of Mangere in very controversial circumstances—not as to his selection but as to the background. 
Those of us who witnessed first-hand David Lange’s capacity as a parliamentary debater will know that in his case all the superlatives and accolades that have been used over the years to describe his performances are indeed deserved. It is also worth noting that the quality of his performance was not reserved simply for the big occasions when he was Prime Minister; he was equally passionate and articulate as a back-bencher in both Opposition and Government. 
So many fundamental changes to the New Zealand way of life occurred during his tenure and we could all debate the merits or otherwise of those. His contribution to our antinuclear legislation will probably be his defining legacy in the public mind at least. 
I cannot let this occasion pass without noting that David Lange was the Attorney-General and Minister of State outside Cabinet from 14 August 1989 to 2 November 1990. I mean how novel a senior ministerial post outside Cabinet! Who would have thought of that? 
I conclude on this note. It is a tragedy when so many friends are lost during a political career—it is a fact that many of us will be aware of and have observed—only to return to their senses when those people are gone. David Lange deserves to be remembered in a better light than this. He was a uniquely gifted politician and a proud New Zealander and he will have a permanent place in our political history. I imagine that history will be extraordinarily kind to him. 
The difficulty with David Lange of course was in finding someone who actually knew him really well. I know that the Island people of the far-flung parts of the Pacific Ocean did; this was where he felt at home—a long way away from the prying media and others—he felt totally comfortable and they remember him. 
Aristotle said that all virtue is summed up in dealing justly. In his legal and political career David Lange proved to be not just a great but also a just man. 
I pay tribute to Rod Donald by passing on the condolences of my party and New Zealand First’s caucus to Rod’s family and the Green Party. Whatever our political differences it is a cruel blow when a member of this House is struck down in such untimely circumstances. Democracy in New Zealand will be worse for his parting. I imagine that many of us have not recovered from the shock of learning that he had passed away. 
It would be disingenuous of me to pretend that Rod Donald and New Zealand First were close; we were not. But the interesting thing about politics is that even our political opponents can engender respect. Rod Donald was certainly a man to be respected. He was a fine parliamentarian who understood both the customs and practices of this House and more important how to use them to his party’s advantage. In all my time I never saw anyone get on so well with the press gallery or the media—which is surely a tribute to his sense of tolerance forgiveness and intellectual benevolence. 
For those of us who have been around some time we were not sure how to handle the Green MPs when they arrived in Parliament as part of the Alliance in 1996. We had never experienced MPs of that sort of mould before. But Rod Donald quickly set about making his mark on the House right from the beginning. He was a campaigner for MMP and electoral reform and it is true to say that New Zealand First—although a first-past-the-post party—and the Greens have certainly enjoyed the benefits of this more representative style of politics. 
 There are some who believe that politics is the art form of what is possible. That is the mantra Rod Donald clearly believed and for that alone if not for the other great things he did for his party and his cause he deserves to be remembered and remembered well. 
I say to John Luxton that it was very sad to hear of the passing of Jack whom we all remember as a real gentleman. He was the kind of critical player in a party organisation that every good party needs—someone who has the experience and the ability to stand in and represent a key constituency and a key electorate in this country. 
We all remember the Hon John Falloon as being like Jack a total gentleman. They were good decent men who represented a different age and many of their characteristics are now sadly lost. Many of us are lucky enough to have known them and served with them and to remember that which was peculiarly enjoyable about their character and style. We often remember the Hon John Falloon more because he was younger and could play the piano! But Jack Luxton was a person whom I met on many occasions. He was lucky to have a wife who was one of the best political organisers I ever saw. My thoughts go out to the families.