RIP Bill Young
Was sad to learn that the Hon Bill Young passed away overnight.
He was the MP for Miramar from 1966 to 1981, and was 95 years old. Up until fairly recently he was a familiar figure at National Party meetings. One daughter Annabel was also an MP, and Rosemary and Nicola were both also involved in politics.
He was Minister of Works and in the Muldoon Ministry and later High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He also served in WWII in North Africa.
My thoughts are with his family and friends.
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Tags: Bill Young, RIP
July 14th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
He struck me as a damn good operator who held a Labour seat against the odds. I guess the critical election was 1972 when he held it against the Labour incoming tide. It might have been the year Brian Edwards stood and there was much controversy about that. But at the end of the day Bill dished a serve at Edwards and Edwards failed to deal with it – well too bad for Edwards.
July 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Anyone who dishes a serve at Brian Edwards is a friend of mine – farewell old fella.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
And lets not forget his son John Young got in on his fathers name alone.
MP for New Plymouth.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I think John Young is Venn Young’s son I am unaware they are related to Bill.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Yes RKBe has confused Bill with Venn. Many do.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Sorry your right… it is Jonathan Young MP for New Plymouth that got in on his Dads Venn Young’s name alone.. Not Bill Young..
It seems we both forgot his real name already.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Venn Young.. Venn Young… Sorry Venn… I should have got that right. Its your son MP Jonathan Young thats easy to forget.
July 14th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
But RKBee you have not forgotten him. You are raising things about him in this blog. Anyhow Jonathan did get a safe seat off Harry Dynhoven (sp??) He cannot be that bad. In the shoes of Bill you might think – holding a safe Labour seat. Time will tell.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
New Plymouth was never a save Labour seat it was a save Harry seat. Harry was part of the old guard of Ladour that didn’t back Helens Leadership coup back when.. and was on her off side ever since.. which put him in favor of New Plymouth a National majority party seat. But with the fall of Labour last election not even Harry’s personal holding could hold the seat. A monkey for National would have got the seat. And then they only got it on the smallest of margines. That being Jonathan Young who’s only claim to fame was he was the son of Venn Young the old National Taranaki MP under Muldoon.
Because I am to young to remember either Bill Young or Venn Young I have checked on both because of this post.
And have found Venn Young was one of Moldoons yes men. But Bill Young was quiet a different kettle of fish and has my up most respect. Jonathan Young is a resent MP I do remember .. And has became to easy to forget.. The best one can do to remember him is that he is the son of Venn Young.. The same as his campaign statement.
July 14th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
RKBee – this is not the thread for you to mouth off against Jonathan Young repeatedly.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Gee (DPF) I knew you were part of his National Party.. but.. I didn’t know you were part of his church as well.
I was just getting things straight after the name mix up..
If you have dicided this is a rememberance post to Bill.. Then I gave my respects to Bill.
But I didn’t know I had to give Jonathan my respect… thats my opinion.. this is a blog site of political opinion is it not.
And Jonathan needs to step up in my opinion.. mouthing of is what we do on opinion pages (DPF).. Gee your a worry!!
[DPF: You just do not get it. This thread is about Bill Young. Use General Debate about National MPs you don't like.]
July 14th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
I am always intrigued to learn that people “passed away”. Are we so afraid of death that we can’t use the right word to acknowedge that someone has died? “Passed” “crossed over” “expired”, “checked out” “resting”? Pah! With all due respect to the late Bill Young and his family, he died. I mourn his passing, but he died.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Bill Young was going out of Parliamentary politics just as I was starting to take an active interest, so I can’t say I knew him well. He nonetheless left an impression of a dignified and intelligent man who stood head and shoulders above some contemporaries (Les Gandar and Ben Couch spring to mind, I’m sure there were others).
While there have been others since who’ve equalled him in intelligence his was the last generation of politicians who behaved with much dignity IMO (though if rumours about his PM were true, he looks to have been a role model for Richard Worth!).
Aside from the obvious personal loss to his family – to whom I extend my condolences – I always feel sad when I hear of the passing of an MP of that generation. Their presence in their respective parties, observing their successors, acts as a brake on the worst excesses of some… or perhaps that’s just wishful thinking on my part.
But I can’t imagine some future MP wondering to themselves whether this generation of MPs would think the worse of them for some action, given that the majority of successive intakes seem to be intent on seeking new depths of indolence, ignorance and bad behaviour.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I disagree with you Rex. While Bill Young’s dignity and good manners belonged often to that generation there are plenty of others who did not behave that way – boorish, prejudiced, and deeply anti women.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Bill Young won Mirimar for National in 1966 by I think 166 votes. That was during the Viet Nam war not terribly long after LBJ visited Wellington and Keith Holyoake latched on to the coat tails of”All The Way with LBJ”.
At that 1966 election he beat Bill Fox who had been Labour’s Minister of Labour.
Mirimar was always marginal and was held by Bill Young for a lengthy time.I think Bill Young was beaten by Peter Neilson in 1981. For him to hold it that long shows that he must have been an effective local MP. He was an excellent campaigner.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
tvb: Need I point out that one can be both prejudiced and misogynistic while still behaving with dignity?
You’re right, of course, there were a number of boors in Parliament at that time. Still, I can’t imagine any of them giving the finger in the debating Chamber of getting into a bit of biffo in the lobbies.
July 14th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Another recent death with political connections… Barbara Williams, daughter of Sir Robert Muldoon, after many years with Motor Neurone Disease. A truly brave woman.
July 14th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Rex I see nothing dignified at being prejudiced and misogynistic, but this is a long way from Bill Young who stuck me as a very effective politician who must have had broad cross-over appeal to have held that seat.