Eddie Isbey

Isbey was born in London in 1917, the son of Alec Isbey a tailor who immigrated from Lithuania. He received his education in London and gained a diploma in industrial management. During World War II, he served in the Merchant Navy.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=153}} For 17 years he worked on a whale factory ship in the Antarctic Ocean. He emigrated to New Zealand in 1947.{{cite news |author=Page, Warren |work=Auckland Star |title=A far cry from the whaling labourer |date=15 May 1973 }}

Isbey was a clothing factory manager from 1948 to 1953, then went into dairy farming in Mercer and later Hokianga, before working on the waterfront (1954–1969). In 1955 he stood successfully for election to the executive of the Auckland Watersiders Union and in 1956 he was elected vice-president before being elected president several months later after the sudden resignation of Bill Hooker. At the 1956 local-body elections he stood as a Labour Party candidate for the Auckland Harbour Board in the Auckland City district, but was unsuccessful.{{cite news |title=Chairman Tops Poll for Harbour Board |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=19 November 1956 |page=12 }} He was then elected the president of the New Zealand Watersiders Union, retaining the role for 11 years from 1959 to 1970 in conjunction with being the Auckland president for 12 years from 1956 to 1967.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=153}} As president he led the Auckland Watersiders to affiliate with the Labour Party. In 1963 the union voted with a two-to-one majority to formally affiliate via a postal ballot.{{cite news |work=The Evening Post |title=Affiliation To Labour Approved |date=16 May 1963 |page=14 }} He was a close friend and associate of leading unionists such as Tom Skinner and Jim Knox.

He was also the vice-president of New Zealand Rugby League and an administrator of several theatres in Auckland including the board of the Mercury Theatre and the Auckland Theatre Trust.{{cite news |work=The New Zealand Herald |title=Former MP Eddie Isbey dies, 77 |date=26 July 1995 |page=4 }} He was also the chairman of the special committee of the New Zealand Shipping Corporation.

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1969}}

|end = 1972

|term = 36th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Grey Lynn}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1972}}

|end = 1975

|term = 37th

|electorate = Grey Lynn

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1975}}

|end = 1978

|term = 38th

|electorate = Grey Lynn

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1978}}

|end = 1981

|term = 39th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Papatoetoe}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1981}}

|end = 1984

|term = 40th

|electorate = Papatoetoe

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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|start = {{NZ election link year|1984}}

|end = 1987

|term = 41st

|electorate = Papatoetoe

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

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He joined the Labour Party upon arriving in New Zealand (his parents having been active members of the Labour Party in London) and served as a delegate to the Auckland Labour Representation Committee and later the Auckland Labour Regional Council.

He was selected as the Labour candidate for the electorate of {{NZ electorate link|Grey Lynn}} ahead of the {{NZ election link|1969}}. He was successful and resigned his trade union roles after entering parliament. Initially he found it hard to transition from a union spokesperson to a parliamentary backbencher. In the lead up to the {{NZ election link|1972}} Labour leader Norman Kirk sent Isbey to Tokoroa to pacify striking timber workers and prevent the issue interfering with the election.{{sfn|Grant|2014|pp=192}}

After Labour won the 1972 election, Isbey put himself forward for a seat in the cabinet of the Third Labour Government. In the ensuing caucus ballot he polled reasonably well, but after nine other Auckland MPs were elected to cabinet the subsequent voting reflected a concern for regional representation and neither Isbey or any other Aucklander was elected for the remaining positions. However he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Labour, Minister of Civil Aviation & Meteorological Services and Minister of Transport from 1973 to 1974 by Norman Kirk. When Bill Rowling became Prime Minister he appointed Isbey Under-Secretary to the Minister of Railways.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=94}}

In 1973 he was elected vice-president of the Labour Party, after withdrawing from the ballot for president in favour of Charles Bennett.{{Cite news |title=Mr Bennett Elected First Maori Labour President |date=8 May 1973 |work=The Evening Post |page=1 }} His win was something of a surprise with Stan Rodger, President of the Public Service Association, seen as the front-runner. Other aspirants were Ron Barclay, Roger Drayton, Jonathan Hunt, Gerald O'Brien and Trevor Young (all MPs).{{sfn|Grant|2014|pp=251}} As vice-president he pledged himself to bring about greater unity between the industrial and political wings of the Labour movement.

When Labour was in opposition (1975–84) Isbey was shadow minister for Labour, Immigration, the Arts and Sport and Recreation. He was one of the earliest proponents of nuclear-free legislation. He introduced a bill to make New Zealand nuclear-free in 1976 but it was voted down by the Muldoon Government. Later, in 1982 Isbey received a public anti-nuclear petition when it was presented to parliament.{{cite news |author=Desmarais, Felix |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/112264808/democracy-freedom-and-friction-how-does-a-petition-work |work=Stuff |title=Democracy, freedom and friction: how does a petition work? |date=10 May 2019 |access-date=31 January 2021 }}

In 1977, Isbey received the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |author-link1=Alister Taylor |author-link2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=199}}

In 1978 his seat of Grey Lynn was abolished, absorbed mostly into {{NZ electorate link|Auckland Central}}, in an electoral redistribution. In danger of his political career being ended by a redistribution, he was given the unflattering nickname Eddie 'Was-bey'.{{sfn|Parussini|2020|p=85}} He stood against Labour's incumbent Auckland Central MP, Richard Prebble, for the nomination but was beaten by Prebble. He then set his sights on unrelated seats after allegedly being promised "we will find you a safe seat Eddie" by the party hierarchy. Isbey put himself forward for the seat of {{NZ electorate link|Te Atatu}} before withdrawing at the last moment on a tip he would win the {{NZ electorate link|Waitakere}} nomination. However he was defeated in an upset by Ralph Maxwell.{{cite news |work=Auckland Star |title=Party 'failed' Isbey in seat scramble |date=8 August 1977 |page=3 }} After the initial selection for {{NZ electorate link|Papatoetoe}} was deadlocked between Mike Moore and Colin Moyle, Isbey was invited to contest the seat at the second selection meeting and was successful.{{sfn|Parussini|2020|p=85}}

He won the {{NZ electorate link|Papatoetoe}} seat and represented it from {{NZ election link year|1978}} to 1987, when he retired.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=207, 264}} During the Fourth Labour Government he was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Minister of Labour, Minister of Employment and Minister of Immigration by David Lange.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|pp=98}} He was replaced in the Papatoetoe electorate by Ross Robertson.

In December 1987, shortly after leaving parliament, Isbey was appointed to the board of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).{{cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19871219.2.159 |title=Former M.P. appointed to A.C.C. board |work=The Press |date=19 December 1987 |page=39 }} In the 1988 New Year Honours, Isbey was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.{{London Gazette |issue=51173 |date=31 December 1987 |page=35 |supp=3}} In 1990, he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

Isbey died in Auckland on 25 July 1995 aged 77.

On 9 June 1953, he married Annette Constance Graham, the daughter of Walter (Mick) Graham. They had two sons and one daughter.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=153}} He met Annette (who was an artist) while attending an art exhibition in Auckland. His pastimes included theatre, boats, reading, art, watching football, and boxing. In 1978, he lived in Herne Bay, Auckland.{{sfn|Traue|1978|p=153}}

Isbey was Jewish. {{cite news |title=Behind the Headlines the Jews of New Zealand

|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency |date=31 March 1981 |page= }}

His brother Dave Isbey (1915–1994) was likewise a unionist and Labour politician. He crewed a whaling ship to Antarctica in 1939 before joining Merchant Navy (like his brother) during World War II. After the war he came to New Zealand and got job with the Auckland Harbour Board.{{sfn|Franks|McAloon|2016|p=165}} He was president of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee and stood twice for the Auckland City Council in 1959 and 1962, but was unsuccessful.{{cite news |title=Declaration of Result of Poll |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=5 December 1959 |page=31 }}{{cite news |title=Declaration of Result of Election |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=27 October 1968 |page=10 }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |last1 = Franks |first1 = Peter |last2 = McAloon |first2 = Jim |title = Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916–2016 |year = 2016 |publisher = Victoria University Press |location = Wellington |isbn = 978-1-77656-074-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Grant |first=David |title=The Mighty Totara: The life and times of Norman Kirk |year=2014 |publisher=Random House |location=Auckland |isbn=9781775535799}}
• {{cite book |last=Parussini |first=Peter |title=Believer: Conversations with Mike Moore |year=2020 |publisher=Upstart Press |location=Auckland |isbn=978-1-990003-04-2 }}
• {{cite book |title=Who's Who in New Zealand |editor-last=Traue |editor-first=James Edward |editor-link=Jim Traue |year=1978 |edition=11th |publisher=Reed Publishing |location=Wellington}}
• {{cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year=First published in 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc= 154283103 }}

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{{s-par|nz}}

{{s-bef | before = Ritchie Macdonald}}

{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Grey Lynn | years=1969–1978}}

{{s-non | reason = Constituency abolished}}

{{s-new | constituency}}

{{s-ttl | title=Member of Parliament for Papatoetoe | years=1978–1987}}

{{s-aft | after = Ross Robertson}}

{{s-ppo}}

{{s-bef|before=Charles Bennett}}

{{s-ttl|title=Vice-President of the New Zealand Labour Party| years = 1973–1974}}

{{s-aft |after=Gerald O'Brien}}

{{end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Isbey, Edward Emanuel}}

Category:1917 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:New Zealand Labour Party MPs

Category:New Zealand trade unionists

Category:Companions of the Queen's Service Order

Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:20th-century New Zealand politicians

Category:Politicians from London

Category:English emigrants to New Zealand

Category:British Merchant Navy personnel of World War II

Category:New Zealand Jews