Helen Clark Unveils Muldoon Biography

Prime Minister the Rt Hon Helen Clark launched 'His Way', the authorised biography of National Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon, last night in Auckland.

Speaking to 120 invited guests including members of the Muldoon family, Ms Clark said that Professor Barry Gustafson's biography, 'His Way', sheds new light on a familiar tale. She had found the biography 'compelling reading because the tale is so fascinating'.

Noting that it may be a privilege of Prime Ministers to launch the biographies of the ones who had preceded them, Ms Clark recalled that Sir Robert had once launched AUP's biography of noted Labour Prime Minister, Walter Nash.

Describing Sir Robert as one of the most effective politicians in New Zealand in the twentieth century, Ms Clark acknowledged his remarkable contribution. He had dominated New Zealand politics from the death of Norman Kirk until the defeat of his government a decade later. Sir Robert had also been the member for Tamaki for 31 years and had made himself available to his constituents every Saturday throughout that time, not only listening to them but in all likelihood actually doing something about their problems.

Sir Robert had without doubt done his best to serve the New Zealand created by the first Labour government and was clearly a remarkable figure who for better or worse - and it was for better and worse - made his mark on New Zealand.

Ms Clark described 'His Way' as a substantial work on a bygone era - one quickly forgotten in the tumultuous events that followed. She said Professor Gustafson was to be commended for his painstaking research and his perseverance over more than a decade in producing 'His Way'.

'His Way: A Biography of Sir Robert Muldoon' by Barry Gustafson Published by Auckland University Press, 22 August 2000

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Auckland University Press http://www.auckland.ac.nz/aup

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