Bill Laney
Laney in 1974
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Oamaru
In office
25 November 1972 – 29 November 1975
Preceded byAllan Dick
Succeeded byJonathan Elworthy
Personal details
Born
William Ross Laney

4 May 1913
Weston, New Zealand
Died7 August 1998
Christchurch, New Zealand
Political partyLabour
ProfessionTeacher

William Ross Laney (4 May 1913 – 7 August 1998) was a New Zealand Member of Parliament representing the Labour Party, and Mayor of Oamaru.

Biography

Early life and career

Laney was born in 1913 in Weston.[1] He graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in 1937.[2] He was also a New Zealand Universities rugby and cricket blue and later Otago rugby captain. Laney then became a teacher of agriculture at Waitaki Boys' High School.[3]

Political career

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate Party
1972–1975 37th Oamaru Labour

Laney's political career began in 1951 when he was elected as a member of the Oamaru Borough Council in a by-election.[4] He was then Mayor of Oamaru for 18 years from 1956 to 1974. From 1945 until 1956 he was an executive member of the Oamaru branch of the National Party but he resigned to join the Labour Party in order to contest the mayoralty. His resignation did not endear him to the local National Party faithful.[3] This was compounded by the fact that the incumbent mayor he defeated, Michael Francis Edward Cooney, was a prominent member of the local National Party.[5]

Laney contested the Oamaru electorate in the 1972 election, and defeated the incumbent, National's Allan Dick by a 390 votes majority.[6] At the next election in 1975, he was in turn defeated by National's Jonathan Elworthy.[7] Laney was described as a man of integrity not prepared to compromise his principles and opposed the influence liquor industry lobbyists had over politicians during his time as an MP.[8]

After losing his seat in Parliament Laney stood for the Oamaru mayoralty once again at the 1977 local elections, but was beaten by the deputy mayor Reginald James Denny by 1,415 votes.[9] A year later at the 1978 election, he stood for Labour in Waitaki (Oamaru having been abolished) where he again finished runner-up to Elworthy.

Later life and death

In 1990 he was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.[10]

Laney died on 7 August 1998 in Christchurch.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 211.
  2. ^ "NZ University Graduates 1870–1961". Shadows of Time. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "Mayor, MP after party switch". The Evening Post. 13 August 1998. p. 5.
  4. ^ "21 new members in House". The Press. 27 November 1972. p. 3.
  5. ^ "Mr W. R. Laney chosen in Oamaru". The Press. 19 November 1956. p. 13.
  6. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 192, 211.
  7. ^ Wilson 1985, pp. 195, 211.
  8. ^ "The politicians have always been the booze problem". Manawatu Standard. 19 October 2012. p. 16.
  9. ^ "Oamaru". Otago Daily Times. 10 October 1977. p. 5.
  10. ^ Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 61. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bill Laney.
New Zealand Parliament Preceded byAllan Dick Member of Parliament for Oamaru 1972–1975 Succeeded byJonathan Elworthy Political offices Preceded byMichael Francis Edward Cooney Mayor of Oamaru 1956–1974 Succeeded byRex Douglas Allen
Categories