Name Fraser Colman Role Politician | Died April 11, 2008 | |
Fraser MacDonald Colman (23 February 1925 – 11 April 2008) was a New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He represented the electorates of Petone from 1967 to 1978, and then when Petone was renamed, Pencarrow from 1978 to 1987, when he retired. He was the cabinet minister chosen to represent New Zealand in 1973 on its warships during their protest against the nuclear weapons testing carried out by France.
Contents
- Early life
- Political career
- Second Labour Government
- Mururoa
- Fourth Labour Government
- Life after politics
- Private life
- Decorations awards and memberships
- Honorific eponym
- References
Early life
Colman was born in Wellington on 23 February 1925, one of five children. He attended primary school in Wellington before his family moved to Paraparaumu, where he went to Horowhenua College. Upon leaving school he found employment as a boilermaker at the firm of William Cables; he worked in that profession for 13 years.
He soon became active in the union movement, becoming a shop steward. He joined the Labour party, organising and distributing pamphlets and writing for the Labour Party newspaper, The Southern Cross.
Political career
He served as campaign manager for Henry May in the Onslow electorate in 1954. In 1955 he became assistant general secretary of the Labour Party. He held the position until he was persuaded to stand for Labour in the by-election for the Petone electorate in 1967 following the death in office of Michael Moohan, its existing MP. He was elected in the 15 April 1967 by-election. He held Petone until it was abolished in 1978. He represented the Pencarrow electorate, which replaced Petone, from 1978 to 1987.
Second Labour Government
He was a Cabinet Minister in the third Labour Government. In the cabinet of Norman Kirk, he held the positions of Minister of Mines (1972–1974), Minister of Immigration (1972–1974), Associate Minister of Labour, and Associate Minister of Works. In the cabinet of Bill Rowling, he was Minister of Mines, Minister of Immigration and Postmaster-General (all 1974–1975).
Following the defeat of the Labour Party he held the position of Opposition Spokesman on Energy.
Mururoa
In 1973, the government decided to dispatch a Royal New Zealand Navy frigate to protest against French nuclear testing on Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. It was decided that a cabinet minister should accompany the frigate to demonstrate the seriousness of the New Zealand government’s position. Norman Kirk put all the Cabinet ministers' names into a hat and drew out the name of Colman. He departed from Auckland on 25 June aboard the Otago, which reached Mururoa a month later where he witnessed the first atmospheric test. Colman transferred to the Canterbury when it arrived to relieve the Otago on 25 July, from which he witnessed the second French atmospheric test.
Fourth Labour Government
In the fourth Labour Government, he again served as a cabinet minister holding the posts of Minister of Works and Development, Minister in Charge of the Earthquake and War Damages Commission, and Associate Minister of Energy.
Life after politics
Colman retired from Parliament at the 1987 election. He was replaced in Pencarrow by Sonja Davies. He was subsequently appointed as chairman of the New Zealand Fire Service Council for a three-year term.
Private life
He married Noeline Allen in 1958 after first meeting her in 1954. They moved to Wainuiomata in 1959, where they built a home and spent the remainder of their life there. They had four daughters: Acacia, Ann, Lynda and Jeanette.
He had a stroke in 1991. Another stroke in 1999 removed his ability to speak. He was survived by his wife and three daughters; Acacia had died before him.