Bevan Burgess
I saw a small item in the Dominion Post about Mary Potter Hospice and was surprised and saddened to see that the patient pictured is a fomer colleague of mine – Bevan Burgess.
Bevan worked for Bill Birch in the 1990s, but was more well known as Press Secretary to Roger Douglas in the 1980s. Bevan was credited with being a crucial force for reform in the Government. And when things started to go sour between Douglas and Lange, Douglas kept triumphing in Cabinet partly because Bevan was so much better at his job than the 9th floor were at theirs.
The legend goes that when Bevan’s ministerial contract came up for renewal, Lange rescinded the delegation to Ministerial Services for staffing, personally vetoed Beven’s contract renewal, and then handed the delegation back. Lange’s actions in doing this are acknowledged as being the major catalyst that led to Douglas leaving Cabinet.
I don’t know Bevan particularly well but did chat to him a few times and always found him fascinating to talk to, and difficult to reconcile this softly spoken man with the legendary caricature of his role in the fourth Labour Government, where I had imagined him as some sort of cross between Machiavelli and John Pagani on steroids – a spin doctor par excellence. I realised Bevan had been so sucessful not because of any “spin” skills but because of his enormous capability for work and rational analysis.
It goes without saying that as Bevan is at Mary Potter, I assume the outlook is sadly not positive. Without it sounding like an inapproriate eulogy in advance, I do hope that his enoromous contribution to New Zealand is recognised, and how it was much more than just being the press secretary sacked by David Lange.
December 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Many people share this sadness about Bevan Burgess’s health. He was a tower of strength to Roger Douglas in the days when David Lange slipped out of gear during the 1980s reforms.
December 5th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Lange certainly was a particularly nasty vindictive specimen. People used to not notice because he was so “clever” in insulting people.
Bevan can at least be satisified at having been good enough at his job to be blocked from doing it and to have out lived the guy who did it.
December 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
David, your posts often illustrate how much of a genuine decent man you are. Well written. I wouldn’t know this guy from a bar of soap, but you obviously have a respect for him and its great that you voice it in such a compassionate way.
December 5th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
… my apologies… not a guy, but a woman. Sorry (Bevan sounded like a guy’s name to me)
December 5th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
ditto.
December 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Bevan is a guy. Try a Google Image search for confirmation.
December 5th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
It says something for Bevan and also for Roger Douglas that neither have ever gone public about the treatment metted out to them by Lange. It was very sad that Lange lost his nerve, unilaterally pulled cabinet signed-off policy, and destroyed his own government. Bevan Burgess took it stoically and Roger got on with his life.
It might be real politik, but John Key rulling out Winston Peters and Roger Douglas from cabinet in the same breath is not really forgiveable. To rule Roger out is a capitulation to left-wing propaganda.
Let’s see Roger as chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee. That would be a great place to use his skills and experience, and let’s hope Bevan Burgess gets to enjoy the spectacle.
December 5th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
I too was shocked and saddened to see Bevan in the paper this morning.
He welcomed me into his home a few months ago at Sir Roger’s suggestion to help me with my understanding of economics and public policy.
One of his predictions was that Clark and co. would booby-trap the books, so the ACC revelation would be no surprise to him.
My last phone call to him was to give him the good news that his hugely talented daughter Kate had just won the supreme prize in a music contest we’d been attending with my stepson.
I couldn’t quite understand why he wasn’t there to see the announcement himself, but perhaps this morning’s news explains it.
A great New Zealander and a gentle man.
December 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am
I well remember Bevan from his Mr Birch days. A true gentleman, and a source of great wisdom on how Parliament works, and the gentle art of getting what you want while letting the other guy have his/her dignity and a result they can bank too.
It was always part of the Birch strategy, push the other sides expectations down, and then gracefully give them a little more than they expected – i sense the hand of Bevan was part of that story.
i hope that he is passing through the hospice, but he didnt look very well in the pic (and what WAS he wearing!)