Stan Rodger

Stanley Joseph Rodger CMG (born 1940) is a former New Zealand politician of the Labour Party. He was President of the Public Services Association between 1970 and 1973 and Member of Parliament for Dunedin North from 1978 to 1990.

Biography

Early life and career

He began his career in the public service in Dunedin working at the Ministry of Works and Development. He became involved with the Public Service Association (PSA) and became vice-president. From 1970 to 1973, he was President of the PSA.[1]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1978–1981	39th	Dunedin North		Labour
1981–1984	40th	Dunedin North		Labour
1984–1987	41st	Dunedin North		Labour
1987–1990	42nd	Dunedin North		Labour

In 1963 he put himself forward to replace Phil Connolly the retiring MP for Dunedin Central, but lost out to Brian MacDonell. Aged only 22 at the time Rodger was informed by Arnold Nordmeyer that his age was against him, however Connolly would subsequently give Rodger encouragement to pursue politics.[2]

Rodger stood unsuccessfully for the Labour Party in the 1963 election for Waitaki and in the 1966 election for Otago. In 1965, 1968 and 1971, he stood as a Labour candidate for the Wellington Hospital Board without success. In 1968 he also stood for a seat on the Wellington City Council, but was likewise unsuccessful.[3] In 1973, he stood for vice-president of the Labour Party and was seen as the front-runner for the position, however surprisingly finished only third behind the winner Eddie Isbey and Jonathan Hunt.[4]

He represented the electorate of Dunedin North in Parliament from 1978 to 1990, when he retired and was replaced by Pete Hodgson. From 1980 to 1984 he was Labour's junior whip.[5]

He was the Minister of Labour, State Services and State Owned Enterprises in the Fourth Labour Government.[6] His political opponents gave him the tag of "Side-line Stan". As Minister of State Services Rodger was responsible for overseeing the introduction and implementation of the controversial State Sector Act 1988 which reshaped and partially privatized the Public service in New Zealand. The reform was deeply unpopular, so much so that the PSA stripped Rodger of his life membership (however they restored it in 2004).[1]

In the 1991 New Year Honours, Rodger was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services.[7]

Post-parliamentary career

In December 1990, after exiting parliament, he took up a position at University of Otago as the assistant registrar to the Secretary of the School of Dentistry.[8] In 2000, Rodger was appointed chair of the review team tasked with conducting a ministerial review of the Education Review Office.[9] In 2004 he was appointed deputy chairman of Transpower New Zealand.[10]

Notes

1. O'Hare, Noel (2 April 2013). "Stan Rodger". Public Service Association. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
2. Jamieson 2009, p. 266.
3. "Official Result of Poll in Wellington". The Evening Post. 14 October 1968.
4. "Mr Bennett Elected First Maori Labour President". The Evening Post. 8 May 1973. p. 1.
5. Wilson 1985, p. 281.
6. Wilson 1985, p. 98.
7. "No. 52383". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 31 December 1990. p. 29.
8. "University post for Rodger". Otago Daily Times. 7 November 1990. p. 1.
9. "Rodger to head ERO review". The Dominion. 31 August 2000. p. 2.
10. "New chair at Transpower". The Dominion Post. 15 December 2004. p. C3.

References

• Jamieson, Rosemary (2009), In Command: Minesweeper Captain and Labour Parliamentarian (1st ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Steele Roberts
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.