Fraser Colman

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable

| name = Fraser Colman

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|size=100%}}

| image = Fraser Colman.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Colman, {{circa|1967}}

| office1 = 31st Minister of Works and Development

| term_start1 = 26 July 1984

| term_end1 = 15 August 1987

| primeminister1 = David Lange

| predecessor1 = Tony Friedlander

| successor1 = Richard Prebble

| office2 = 43rd Postmaster-General

| term_start2 = 10 September 1974

| term_end2 = 12 December 1975

| primeminister2 = Bill Rowling

| predecessor2 = Roger Douglas

| successor2 = Hugh Templeton

| office3 = 37th Minister of Immigration

| term_start3 = 8 December 1972

| term_end3 = 12 December 1975

| primeminister3 = Norman Kirk
Bill Rowling

| predecessor3 = David Thomson

| successor3 = Frank Gill

| office4 = 30th Minister of Mines

| term_start4 = 8 December 1972

| term_end4 = 12 December 1975

| primeminister4 = Norman Kirk
Bill Rowling

| predecessor4 = Les Gandar

| successor4 = Eric Holland

| office5 = Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for {{NZ electorate link|Pencarrow}}
{{small| {{NZ electorate link|Petone}} (1967–1978)}}

| term_start5 = 15 April 1967

| term_end5 = 15 August 1987

| predecessor5 = Mick Moohan

| successor5 = Sonja Davies

| birth_name = Fraser MacDonald Colman

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|02|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Wellington, New Zealand

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|04|11|1925|02|23|df=y}}

| death_place = Lower Hutt, New Zealand

| party = Labour

| otherparty =

| spouse = {{marriage|Noeline Jean Allen|1958}}

| relations =

| children = 4

| parents =

| education =

| profession =

| religion =

| signature =

}}

Fraser MacDonald Colman {{post-nominals|country=NZL|QSO|PC}} (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.

Early life and family

Colman was born in Wellington on 23 February 1925, one of five children of Kenneth and Emily Colman.{{cite news|title=Colman the ideal politician|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/hutt-news/380613/Colman-the-ideal-politician|access-date=17 August 2012|work=The Hutt News|date=22 April 2008|page=66}}{{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=104}} 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.

In 1958, Colman married Noeline Jean Allen, after first meeting her in 1954, and the couple went on to have four children. They moved to Wainuiomata in 1959, where they built a home and lived the remainder of their life.

Political career

{{NZ parlbox

|start = {{By-election link year|Petone|1967}}

|end = 1969

|term = 35th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Petone}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1972

|term = 36th

|electorate = Petone

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1975

|term = 37th

|electorate = Petone

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1978

|term = 38th

|electorate = Petone

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1981

|term = 39th

|electorate = {{NZ electorate link|Pencarrow}}

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1984

|term = 40th

|electorate = Pencarrow

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

{{NZ parlbox

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

|end = 1987

|term = 41st

|electorate = Pencarrow

|party = New Zealand Labour Party

}}

He served as campaign manager for Henry May in the {{NZ electorate link|Onslow}} electorate in {{NZ election link year|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 {{NZ electorate link|Petone}} electorate in 1967 following the death in office of Mick Moohan, its existing MP. He was elected in the 15 April {{By-election link|Petone|1967}}.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=190}} He held Petone until it was abolished in 1978.{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=270}} He represented the {{NZ electorate link|Pencarrow}} electorate, which replaced Petone, from 1978 to 1987.

=Third 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),{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=92}} Minister of Immigration (1972–1974),{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=92}} Associate Minister of Labour, and Associate Minister of Works.{{cite news |title=? |work=Wainuiomata Times|date=17 April 2008|page=3}} In the cabinet of Bill Rowling, he was Minister of Mines, Minister of Immigration and Postmaster-General (all 1974–1975).{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=93}}

=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 28 June aboard HMNZS Otago, which reached Mururoa a month later where he witnessed the first atmospheric test. Colman transferred to HMNZS Canterbury when it arrived to relieve the Otago, from which he witnessed the second French atmospheric test.{{cite web|title=Nuclear testing in the Pacific – nuclear-free New Zealand|url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/nuclear-free-new-zealand/testing-in-the-pacific|publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage|access-date=17 August 2012|date=12 March 2012}}

=Opposition=

Following the defeat of the Third Labour Government he held the position of Opposition Spokesman on Immigration.{{Cite news |title=Surprises Among Party Spokesmen |date=30 January 1976 |work =The New Zealand Herald |page=10 }} In 1977 he became Shadow Minister of Energy and in 1978 Shadow Minister for the Environment as well.{{Cite news |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19770226.2.4 |title=Labour reshuffles its Parliamentary spokesmen |date=26 February 1977 |work=The Press |page=1 }}{{Cite news |title=Rowling shuffles his pack |date=9 December 1978 |work=Auckland Star |page=3 }} A year later he was allocated the Housing portfolio by Rowling instead.{{Cite news |title=Heads of Labour Posts Named |date=15 December 1979 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=12 }}{{Cite news |title=The Team |date=15 December 1979 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=12 }} Ahead of the 1981 election he was shifted to be Shadow Minister of Transport.{{Cite news |title=Labour's shadow line-up |date=13 March 1981 |work=The Evening Post |page=4 }} After the election he became Shadow Minister of Works and Shadow Minister of Mines.{{Cite news |title=How They Line-up |date=20 February 1982 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=3 }} When David Lange replaced Rowling as leader Colman retained the Works portfolio.{{Cite news |title=Labour leader allocates responsibilities |date=17 March 1983 |work=The Press |page=3 }} He criticised the Muldoon Government for outsourcing the construction of many Think Big projects, including hiring foreign contractors at the Clyde Dam, rather than using the Ministry of Works and Development employees, stating the government "sacrificed the ministry to private enterprise."{{Cite news |title=Ministry Has Solid Ally In Mr Colman |date=31 July 1984 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=20 }}

=Fourth Labour Government=

In the fourth Labour Government, he again served as a cabinet minister holding the posts of Minister of Works and Development,{{sfn|Wilson|1985|p=98}} Minister in Charge of the Earthquake and War Damages Commission, and Associate Minister of Energy. He ended the policy of the Muldoon Government of outsourcing works projects to contractors which he had previously been critical of. He also expanded the scope of the Ministry of Works and Development to include constructing irrigation infrastructure.

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.

Colman had a stroke in 1991. Another stroke in 1999 removed his ability to speak. He died on 11 April 2008, and was survived by his wife and three of their four daughters.

Honours and awards

File:Fraser Colman Plaque.jpg

In 1977, Colman was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal. He was appointed a member of the Privy Council in 1985,{{Cite news |title=Privy Council Places for Ministers |date=24 December 1985 |work=The New Zealand Herald |page=8 }} and in 1990 received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In the 1992 New Year Honours, Colman was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services.{{London Gazette |issue=52768 |date=31 December 1991 |page=30 |supp=2}} His wife, Noeline, had previously been appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for community service in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette |issue=50950 |date=13 June 1987 |page=32 |supp=4}}

Colman was a life member of the Wellington Rugby League Club.

Honorific eponym

Fraser Colman Grove, a street in Wainuiomata, is named after Colman.{{cite web |publisher=Hutt City Council |title=Proposed New Street Name – Fraser Colman Grove. Report No. WCB2007/1/2 |url=http://www.huttcity.govt.nz/Documents/meetings/boards/wainuiomata/28.02.07/reports/ProposedNewStreetName-FraserColmanGrove.pdf |access-date=24 April 2008}}

Notes

References

{{Cite book |last= Wilson |first= James Oakley |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 |edition= 4th |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1985 |publisher=V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer |location= Wellington |oclc=154283103}}