Peter Tapsell (New Zealand politician)
|
The Honourable Sir Peter Tapsell KNZM MBE FRCS FRCSEd |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 24th Speaker of the House of Representatives | |
|
In office 1993–1996 |
|
| Prime Minister | Jim Bolger |
| Preceded by | Robin Gray |
| Succeeded by | Doug Kidd |
| 30th Minister of Defence | |
|
In office 9 February 1990 – 2 November 1990 |
|
| Prime Minister | Geoffrey Palmer |
| Preceded by | Bob Tizard |
| Succeeded by | Warren Cooper |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
21 January 1930 Rotorua, New Zealand |
| Died | 5 April 2012 (aged 82) Ruatoria, New Zealand |
| Political party | Labour |
Sir Peter Wilfred Tapsell KNZM MBE FRCS FRCSEd (21 January 1930 – 5 April 2012) was Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives from 1993 to 1996. He was notable for being the first Māori Speaker, and for being the first Speaker since Bill Barnard in 1943 to hold office while not a member of the governing party.
He was an orthopaedic surgeon before entering politics.
Tapsell was born and raised in Rotorua, and went to Rotorua Boys' High School. With the help of a scholarship, he studied medicine at the University of Otago, graduating in 1952. He worked at several hospitals throughout New Zealand before travelling to the United Kingdom to undertake further study. Upon his return to New Zealand, he took up a position in Rotorua. Highly active in Māori cultural organisations, Tapsell was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1968 for services to medicine and the Māori people.
Tapsell stood as the Labour Party candidate for Rotorua in the 1975 election and the 1978 election, but was not successful in entering Parliament until the 1981 election, when he stood as a candidate in the Eastern Maori electorate. At various stages of his parliamentary career, Tapsell served as Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, Minister of Police, Minister of Civil Defence, Minister of Science, Minister of Forestry, and Minister of Defence.
...
Wikipedia