Roy Jack

Sir Roy Emile Jack (12 January 1914 – 24 December 1977) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. He was a cabinet minister and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Roy Jack in 1959

Biography

Early life and career

Jack was born in New Plymouth in 1914. He was educated at Wanganui Collegiate School and graduated from the Victoria University with an LLB. During the war, he served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force.[1] He was first elected onto Wanganui City Council in 1946 and was deputy mayor in the following year. He served on the city council until 1955.[2]

Member of Parliament

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1954–1957	31st	Patea		National
1957–1960	32nd	Patea		National
1960–1963	33rd	Patea		National
1963–1966	34th	Waimarino		National
1966–1969	35th	Waimarino		National
1969–1972	36th	Waimarino		National
1972–1975	37th	Rangitikei		National
1975–1977	38th	Rangitikei		National

He represented the electorate of Patea from 1954 to 1963, then Waimarino from 1963 to 1972, then Rangitikei from 1972 to 1977 when he died.[3]

The Waimarino electorate became Rangitikei because of post-census boundary changes before the 1972 election, and though a sitting MP he was challenged by Ruth Richardson (who he had advised about a career in politics). George Chapman who chaired the selection said that The tensions were tremendous, but Roy was finally confirmed as the candidate. [4] He had an election-night majority of 2067 in 1972, down from Shelton's 1969 majority of 4214).[5]

In the 1972 Marshall Ministry of the last year of the Second National Government, he was Attorney-General and Minister of Justice.[6] He was Chairman of Committees between 1961 and 1966.[7] He was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1972 and 1976 to 1977.[8]

Death

In the 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours, Jack was appointed a Knight Bachelor, for outstanding services as Speaker of the House of Representatives.[9] He died in 1977 on Christmas Eve in his office at parliament.[2]

Notes

1. Gustafson 1986, p. 323.
2. "Biographies of Former and Current Speakers of the New Zealand House of Representative". New Zealand Parliament. p. 7. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
3. Wilson 1985, p. 207.
4. Chapman, George (1980). The Years of Lightning. Wellington: AH & AW Reed. p. 54. ISBN 0-589-01346-7.
5. The Dominion (Wellington newspaper), date=27 November 1972
6. Wilson 1985, p. 91.
7. Wilson 1985, p. 252.
8. Wilson 1985, p. 251.
9. "No. 45119". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 13 June 1970. p. 6405.

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1986). The First 50 Years : A History of the New Zealand National Party. Auckland: Reed Methuen. ISBN 0-474-00177-6.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
• Who's Who in New Zealand, 10th Edition 1961.