Allan Highet

Infobox_Officeholder
name=Hon. Allan Highet


imagesize=200
caption=Hon. Allan Highet
constituency_MP=Remuera
parliament=New Zealand
term_start=26 November 1966
term_end=14 July 1984
predecessor=Ronald Algie
successor=Douglas Graham
order2=Minister of Internal Affairs
term_start2=24 August 1975
term_end2=14 July 1984
primeminister2=Robert Muldoon
predecessor2=
successor2=
birth_date=27 May 1913
birth_place=Dunedin, NZL
death_date=death date and age|1992|4|28|1913|5|27
death_place=Auckland, NZL
spouse=Shona McFarlane
party=National
religion=
Profession=Accountant

David Allan Highet QSO (27 May 1913 - 28 April 1992) New Zealand politician. He was an MP from 1966 to 1984, representing the National Party for Remuera, holding the then largest majorities in the House.

Early life and family

Highet was born in Dunedin, the second son of David and Elsie Highet, and attended Otago Boys' High School. Highet's older brother, William Bremner Highet, was an Otago University scholar and professor of neurosurgery, who died on the SS Ceramic in 1942.

Highet attended the University of Otago. He obtained a BCom from the University of Otago.

Highet attempted to enlist in the New Zealand army during World War II, but was declined due to having suffered from tuberculosis in the 1930s. Highet served in the Home Guard, reaching the rank of Captain.

Highet practised as an accountant and businessman, and was active in the establishment of the Wellington division of the National Party.

In the 1950s, Highet was a Wellington City Councillor. In 1954, Highet won the National nomination for the Wellington Central seat. Highet's opponent, Labour candidate Frank Kitts, went on to win the seat, and later became the longest-serving Mayor of Wellington.

Highet moved to Auckland in the 1950s, becoming the senior partner in Highet and Toomey, an Auckland accounting firm.

Highet was married to prominent New Zealand artist and television personality Shona McFarlane. He had a daughter and a son.

Highet's uncle was Harry Highet, the civil engineer who designed the P-class yacht.

Member of Parliament

Highet was elected to Parliament in the 1966 elections as MP for the Auckland electorate of Remuera, succeeding retiring speaker Ronald Algie. He defeated future colleague George Gair for the nomination as National's candidate for the seat.

Highet was appointed to the Cabinet by Prime Minister John Marshall in 1971, becoming Minister for Internal Affairs, Minister of Local Government and associate Minister for Health and Social Welfare.

The National Party lost the 1972 elections, and Highet was in opposition until 1975. When Robert Muldoon contested the leadership of the National Party in 1974, Highet was one of two National MPs to support Marshall.

Cabinet Minister

With the National Party winning the 1975 elections, Highet was appointed to Cabinet again, becoming Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Local Government, New Zealand's first Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Sport.

Highet was particularly well-regarded for his interest in the arts and sport, having been an opera singer and representative sportsman in his youth. Highet founded the National Youth Orchestra, and was a founding Director of the International Festival of the Arts. During his time as Minister for the Arts, Highet founded the New Zealand Film Commission, the Hillary Commission, and was actively involved in the organisation of the Historic Places Trust, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and the Arts Council.

1981 Springbok Tour

Highet was Minister for Sport during the 1981 Springbok Tour. While Prime Minister Muldoon announced that the New Zealand Government would not intervene to stop the tour going ahead, Highet made public statements indicating that he could use his authority as Internal Affairs Minister, responsible for lotteries funding, to withdraw financial contributions to the New Zealand Rugby Union if the Tour proceeded.

Legislation

In 1976, Highet introduced the Waitangi Day Act, changing the name of New Zealand's national day back to Waitangi Day.

In 1977, following a petition to the House, Highet introduced God Defend New Zealand, as New Zealand's official national anthem alongside God Save the Queen.

As Minister of Internal Affairs, Highet oversaw the passage of the Citizenship Act 1977, establishing a New Zealand Citizenship as a separate citizenship, and making British citizens legal aliens for the first time. In November 1979 Highet suggested that the design of the Flag of New Zealand should be changed, and sought an artist to design a new flag with a silver fern on the fly. The proposal attracted little support howevercite web|publisher=Flags of the World|title=New Zealand - Proposals for a new flag|url=http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/nz!.html|date=2006-09-29|accessdate=2007-09-01] .

Think big

In 1977, Highet introduced the expression "Think Big" in a speech to a National Party Conference, as a description of the Government's then-ambitious major projects in the Energy sector. Highet, as Minister of Racing, named the policy after Melbourne Cup-winning racehorse Think Big.

Highet was considered to be a social liberal, and was among a handful of economically liberal members of Muldoon's cabinet.

Retirement

Highet suffered grave illness in early 1984, and his illness was one of the minor reasons Muldoon used to call the snap election of 1984. Highet retired from politics at the 1984 elections, at the age of 71. National Party member Doug Graham, who had unsuccessfully challenged Highet for the National Party nomination in 1981, won the selection, and succeeded Highet that year.

References

* "All Honourable Men" Auckland University Press ISBN 0340 61816 7